9 Months

Dear Hurley,

I am amazed that these first 9 months of your life have gone by so quickly.  You fit so perfectly in our little family; I can't believe we ever were without you.

At 9 months, you are still as teeny-tiny as can be.  You weigh 15 pounds, 1 ounce, and you are just 25 inches long.  We think it's pretty funny watching you surprise people.  They sure don't expect a baby, the size of a 4-month old, to be crawling  and standing!  You are a super speedy crawler these days.  And, much to my dismay, your dad recently taught you to crawl up (and finally, down) the stairs.  You pull yourself up on everything, cruise and climb the furniture, and you can even stand for a few seconds on your own. 

You definitely belong to our family because you LOVE to eat!  Your favorites include cheese, bananas, milk, crackers, bread, chicken, and sweet potatoes.  We try to give you baby food, but you prefer "real" food.  You throw a FIT if we don't share the food on our plates with you.  At 9 months, you have two bottom teeth.

It is such a joy to watch you learn.  You clap your hands when we say "good job, Hurley" and you love to babble to yourself.  Like your brother, you are very curious.  If I leave you alone, you always find trouble.  You love to play with toys and you are very entertained by "big" kids.  You know, however, who your parents are and you don't like to be left in the care of others. You also love to be around your brother. He makes you laugh and you enjoy showing you love to him by grabbing his face and hair (we enjoy watching you get back at him for the hours and hours that he has mauled you).

Hurley, I love you so much.  I can't wait to see how your personality develops and I am excited to watch you learn and grow.  I am grateful you came to our family.

Love,

Your Mom