NINE MONTHS OLD.

I cannot believe it.  How on earth is my child NINE MONTHS OLD??!  Or 3/4th of the way to done with his first year?!!  This is not possible.  It feels like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital.  Time, you best slow down.  Seriously.

Another thing I've realized over the past 9 months of taking his monthly pictures: they are NOT getting any easier.  Seriously.  This kid is a wiggle worm and moves like crazy now.  Not easy AT ALL to get a picture.  I think I snapped like 150+ pictures to get one good one.  Either way, the "outtakes" (below) are pretty darn funny to look at.  Kid can make some funny faces.

Since this is my first "monthly" post (tear...bummed that I don't have 8 other months of these...wahhh wahhh wahhh), I'm not really sure what to write...I mean, I could go on AND ON for a long time talking about Patrick.  But, if you're like me, when you're reading something you want the point...and quick.  Therefore I'll give you my favorite way of posting things: the list.

• Little man weighs a shy under 23 pounds (22lbs. 13oz. to be exact--gosh, we love our baby scale from Grandma and Grandpa!), and who knows how long he is.  We go to the doc for his 9 month check up in a week...so more on that later.  My guess though is that he's LONGGGGG.  Dude has a hard time fitting into 18 month clothes!
• Wears 18-24 month clothes.  Some are a little too short for him (back to my long point), and I have to "stretch out" his onesies a lot after they've been washed before he wears them.
• Is an avid thumb sucker.  However, only does this when he's tired or right before he's going to eat (it's crazy: as soon as you put a bib around his neck, his thumb immediately goes into his mouth!  I'll try and get a video of this as proof.  It's the craziest thing.  But we bring a bib with us wherever we go cause we know it means instant-calm if he puts it on)
• Drinks 3 breastmilk bottles a day (morning, lunch, before bed), roughly 24 ounces.  Eats solids for lunch and dinner (he has tried EVERY SINGLE BABY FOOD out there, and loves 95% of them--definitely got Mike's eating habits!!), and really loves his puffs, veggie puffs, waffle wheels, and other easy to chew food.  We'll probably get the green light at our 9 month check up to move on to table food (eeekk!! he's growing up so fast!) like steamed green beans, carrots, ground beef, etc... as long as it's in small pieces.
• Has 4 teeth: two bottom (got those around 5 months) and two top (just popped through in the last month).  Teething has been great--meaning we haven't noticed any changes/sleeping issues with him.  Thank you baltic amber teething necklace! (more on my love of Patrick's ankle bracelet in a later post)
• Started swim school!  Thus far, he really loves it!  Well, in mommy-terms he loves it: no tears have been shed!  Go read this post for more about swim school.
• Does not crawl.  I really think he has the ability to crawl--he will get up on all fours, and then just flops down and either rolls, scoots, or pushes himself across the floor.  He is definitely 100% mobile: he will get to where he needs to go, even though it's not your traditional "crawling."  He definitely prefers to lay back and roll to get where he's going.  Whatever dude.  As long as you're happy momma is happy with how you're moving.
• Scooter is his biggest fan, and Patrick is Scooter's.  They love each other so much--both can't get enough of each other.  I'm so thankful Patrick is loving animals and I'm even more thankful that Scooter is such a great big (canine) brother to Patrick!
• Sleeps a TON.  Please don't take this as braggy--it's totally not.  I'm just commenting that this kid loves to sleep.  He usually goes to bed between 7:30-8pm and sleeps till 8-9:30pm the next morning.  Anywhere usually between 12-14 hours at night.  He takes one nap during the day, usually from 1pm - 3:30/4pm.  He is a great sleeper (definitely gets that from his dad!!) and I am sooooooooo unbelievably thankful for this.
• Is happy happy happy all the time!  This kid always has a smile on his face, and seemingly everyone he comes into contact with can make him smile or giggle.  Definitely doesn't have any stranger danger or separation anxiety going on (yet!).  He definitely knows who people are--he gets so excited when his grandmas and grandpas come over, or any of his aunts or uncles.  

Alrighty, that's about all I can think of for Patrick's 9 month update.  And below are some customary monthly photo collages I usually post on Instagram.  They always make me realize how darn fast time is going by and make me tear up a wee-bit as to the fact that my boy isn't a little baby anymore.  Yup.  I've got baby fever again...and he's not even one!