nine months old

UPDATE: we went to the doctor this afternoon and got two thumbs up! he's healthy and "perfect" according to our wonderful doctor. miles would like to mention that the best part about this visit was NO SHOTS!! here are the latest stats:

weight: 21 lbs 4 oz [63%ile]
height: 30 in [89%ile]
head circumference: 18.7 in [94%ile]

on sunday, february 22nd, miles turned nine months old. he is now a mobile baby and I don't think there's any stopping him! kyle and I are thoroughly entertained by his infectious giggle and sweet antics. he loves to crawl - the faster the better, play peek-a-boo, chase the dogs, play in the dog toy basket, touch the dvd player or anything electronic for that matter, give kisses, eat finger foods, squeal and screech LOUDLY, read books (even turns pages), watch signing time (of course), and pet the puppies. although he isn't pulling up to things yet, he does enjoy having one of us help him stand up to the couch or his toys. I'm sure he'll be "cruising" in no time. he is eating three meals a day and nurses three times as well. we are happy to report that he is nearly over his first illness...but I'm quite suspicious of his ears. we shall find out tomorrow at his nine month appointment. I'll be sure to post new stats at that time too!!! for now, here is the latest slew of photos...enjoy!

convincing him to sit still...









it was a difficult task...

we managed to get some cute shots!








and now a look at miles' crazy teeth - all but one of his five chompers are on the left side...go figure?!

crazy crawler

after more than two months of rocking back and forth on all fours...miles has finally mastered the art of crawling...we are so proud of him! he's definitely done sitting around and watching the world go by. both kyle and are are amazed at how quickly he disappears from sight. along with crawling comes a new-found sense of freedom and, dare I say, limit testing! I swear the most often used words in our house are now "no-no miles" - this baby is into EVERYTHING! he especially loves the dvd player. now I know that it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the dvd player should be moved up off the floor, but hey...we're working on it! let's just say that this weekend will include a trip to babies r us for a varitable array of baby proofing supplies.

the dogs are warming up to miles and realizing that he may just come in handy. what dog doesn't like to stand under a highchair?

for the record...miles isn't standing up to things...yet. he's getting very steady on his feet and we are confident that this next milestone is mere days away. oye...I'm tired just thinking about it!

p.s. in case you noticed the runny nose...it's official...miles has his first cold! I suppose that after nine months of perfect health it was inevitable. **sigh**

babysitter extraordinaire

as you read the following post, keep in mind that my adorable cousin, olivia, is just twelve years old...

when kyle had his shoulder surgery, I asked olivia if she would come and help out with miles as kyle was unable to lift him up. she gladly came over so that I could go play bunco. that was a few months ago. olivia has become an excellent caregiver for my little sister, nykkole. she is willing to do things that even I do not do. not to mention her incredible knack for calming nykkole and bringing a big smile to her face. while she is at my parent's house, she has had the opportunity to play with miles...let's be honest here, olivia sees a LOT of miles. last week I asked olivia if she would be interested in babysitting sometime and if she would be willing to stay alone at our house with miles. to which she replied, "really? really? really? YES!!!"

so this sunday we took her up on that and left miles with her while we went out for lunch. she was alone for over two hours and we came home to a sleeping baby!!! miles adores her and it's comforting to know that we have a babysitter we are able to trust. just in case you forgot...she's only 12.

grace and miles

I met my friend, kate, last year at work. she and I became good friends almost instantly and have discovered that we are alike in many ways. we spent last school year getting each other through pregnancy and delivered our babies just 12 days apart. kate is now my job share partner - and...although I love, love, LOVE my work schedule...I really miss seeing her everyday! we have made a point to get together and do lunch with the kiddos every now and then. this time we headed out to their house to visit. unfortunately, I didn't bust the camera out until after kylin (2 yrs old) was down for her nap. however, I managed to get a few good shots of grace and miles.