Legends and Roses: the ninth month

**Note: I wrote this post a couple days before Nolan turned 9 months. All I needed to do was add the photos. BUT, we have been SO busy that I hadn't gotten around to it until now. And Nolan is almost 10 months now! Oh well, better late than never!

Nolan has officially been outside of the womb for as long as he was inside! Crazy! It honestly feels like he has been with us for so much longer than nine months!

Sometimes I feel like he's already a teenager! :)

This past month was so fun with him! He is getting around so quickly! He loves to stand while holding on to whatever is close by. He cruises around the room holding onto furniture.

He plays with this dresser handle every morning after he gets dressed! :)

Nolan standing in his crib after a nap. He didn't even notice me when I turned on the light.

I had to call his name before he would look at me. :)

Nolan LOVES to pull anything and everything out of drawers and baskets. Here he is unloading our dirty laundry....

Nolan has discovered stairs! He crawled away while we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house. After about 20 seconds I followed to see where he had gone. He was already 5 stairs up before I got there! He is a pro!

He'll do anything to get to the stairs. Here he is climbing over his car seat...

Nolan is so fun to play with and his little laugh is so infectious! He is super ticklish and loves to wrestle around (gently). He loves to come find us when we hide and he LOVES riding on dada's shoulder's.

Here he is on my shoulders...trying to keep him happy before bed.

He says dada all the time and has started calling me "nama" this month. When he gets upset he says nam or nama over and over while pleading me to pick him up with his little eyes!

He is eating more and more baby foods and finger foods. Anytime we are eating he thinks he should be eating too. We discovered that he loves oranges. He found one in our stocking stash and started peeling it with his little teeth! We've since peeled some and let him have a try. Whenever he sees the bowl of cuties on our table he lunges for them!

Eating snacks and watching TV!

Nolan is getting more and more coordinated. He started waving bye bye this month, but only does it when he feels like it. He's also learning to give high fives!

Nolan loves his grandpa!

Nolan had a lot of fun playing with his cousin Carter over the holidays. They loved to follow each other around, steal each others toys, torment Pookie together! They only ever got jealous when the other was being fed.

Talking to each other at Cafe Rio.

Unloading the dishwasher - such good helpers!

Playing with (or fighting over) toys. ...In matching outfits. Thanks Grandma!

One of my favorite developments so far is Nolan's love for music! He loves his toys that play music! When one of his toys (or any other form of music including commercials, radio, whistling, or singing) plays music, he bobs up and down dancing to the beat. It is the cutest thing ever! He gets this big grin on his face and sometimes dances with his hands too!

He loves to play the piano!

Nolan also celebrated his first Christmas! We spent Christmas morning with my family. Nolan had some fun ripping the paper and he loved the new toys he got. I am especially happy that he loves his rocking moose that Santa brought him.

Nolan and his car/walker from G & G B.

Nolan and the rocking moose!


Batman in training!

Nolan and Carter in their superhero jammies from Aunt Megan! :)

A few days before Christmas, Nolan started getting a cold. I'm pretty sure he developed a low grade fever by later that day. So, Christmas day at Nana and Pappap's wasn't quite as enjoyable. Nolan was pretty fussy and not willing to nap without a crib. So unfortunately, we had to cut the visit a little bit short. Even as sick and tired as he was, he still loved his gifts from his Nana!

The Sunday before Christmas, we went with my family to see the lights at Temple Square

On Christmas Eve, Nolan went to the mall to meet Santa. He did really well - even smiled for the picture! ...Until I walked out of site (behind the photo booth). Then he started crying.