Baby on the go

I feel like it has been a big few days for Mr. Meh. First of all, I got to spend 10 days with him -- Thanksgiving week and then this week that I took off from work. Last time I spent a week with him was back in August when was six months old.

On days I work I only get to see him in the morning before work. He's asleep by the time I return. He used to go to bed at 7:30 which gradually became 7 and then inched over to 6:30. And then the time changed. So now, he goes to bed at 5:30. Nobody told him the time changed. Today, I kept him away until 5:40. I'm trying to push back his sleep time, but it's cruel to keep up a little sleepy baby.

He's pure sugar.

Food
He's been eating pureed solids since he was 6 months old. He loves his food -- he's a big eater, especially crazy about apples and avocados. This week I started introducing finger foods -- teething crackers and some tofu. And eating has just achieved a new level of messiness which I've been fearing all along. It's sticky, messy babies. And I don't do sticky and messy. It grosses me out.

There is no away around it -- the food ends up all over his hands, face, outfit, high chair, floor and then he drops it on the floor. Luckily, Mariposa stands by ready to scoop it up. Today, I got made at her because she grabbed a cracker from his hand. He was confused at what happened.

Since I'm also trying to introduce the sippy cup, he ends up spilling the water all over himself.

The trick it so give him this messy food at his dinner time at 4 pm. By then he's all dirty from crawling around, covered in Mariposa hair. A bit of food and water won't hurt him any more. And bath time is only an hour away.

Crawling
He's a baby on a go, especially super charged at 6 am when he wakes up. For the last week he hasn't been interested in anything else but crawling. Of all the things he could crawl toward (like his toys), he always hones in the whatever wires he can see and make a bee line for them. He couldn't care less about his toys, unless I play with them. Then he shows interest for a split second before moving on to something else. I've given up on being grossed out about him cralwing on the floor. In another words, my cleanliness standards have just sunk to new lows. I have been sweeping the floor every morning and vaccuuming every two days, but with Mariposa it's pointless. She walks by, shakes her fur and it's like no sweeping took place.

It used to be possible to leave him in his play pen. But not any more. I put him in and he protests. And he has quite a will and a mind of his own. And I can't help to wonder where does it all come from. After all he's only 9 months old!
He still crawling the military sweep style. I keep waiting for him to crawl on his hand and knees. But it may not happen, now. For the last few days, every time I try to sit him down he catches himself on his feet, locks his legs in and stands still.

Standing
For the last two weeks, he's been trying to stand up in the tub of all places (yea, the perfect place to slip and hit his head, drown under water, etc....).
For a while now he's been interested in touching the faucet. And these last few days, he's actually managed to stand up in the tub and touch the faucet. Fascinating. Then he peed. Just like Maneken Pis in Brussels. I guess he pees ofteen in the tub, we just don't see it.

He's also been throwing his rubber ducky and submarine Barney out of the tub and then he needs to look over the edge for them. And the last two days, he's looked over the edge and in the process gotten up on his feet.

Then yesterday, I was showing him the inside of the dishwater. (He was right behind me in the kitchen). He crawled over, grabbed the door, held onto it, and stood himself up. It was the first time I saw him do that.
He then promptly crawled over to the drawer in the dinning room to attempt it again. He didn't succeed. He tried it again today, but still no success.
But when I hold him or when I stand him up, he actually stands and holds his own for quite a long time. I even think he took a little step today towards the closet door when we were standing in front of the hallway closet.

I guess it won't be long before he starts walking.

A little walking chatterbox.