Still not sleeping regularly.  More mobility (almost walking!).  Lots of joyful times during the day.

Likes: Food, food, and more food; cuddles; running away from mom; his pacifier (need to work on that...)

Dislikes: Sleep times; not being allowed to escape out the front door or balconies

Sleeping: All over the place.  Again we're having trouble with set nap and bed times.  He's definitely on his own schedule right now, and I hate it.  The other night he woke up every hour from 10pm to 2am.  It was stressful...

Eating: Anything and everything.  He loves food.  His current favorites are plain goldfish and watermelon.  He could eat tons of those two foods.  In this past week, he tried peanut butter (not favorite, but no allergic reaction either) and pizza.

Playing: Lots and lots of exploration.  He especially loves when we open the hallway gate.  He scurries down the hallway to explore the hall bath and our bedroom.  We started rolling balls back and forth.  He hasn't quite gotten the hang of it, but it's definitely fun.  We also played on the swings and the slide at the park.  Of course, mom held him to slide, but it was still lots of fun.  We're hoping to make it to the splash park next week for more summer fun.

Doctor Visit Stats: Arthur has his 9 month check up today.  No shots, but he did have an anemia check which requires a blood draw.  He was such a little trooper.  No crying; just a little squirming.  So proud of him!  And such a big boy!

• Height: 30 inches (96th percentile)
• Weight: 22 lbs 3 oz (86th percentile)

Medical Milestones: 

• Practice steps -- Check!  He's been cruising along furniture and behind his walker.  He's also been standing on his own, but no independent steps yet.  So close!
• Better balance -- Check!  He can stand on his own.  He's also gotten very good at reaching out for things while crawling.
• Imitating mom and dad -- Nothing big that I've noticed.
• Pointing for things -- More like reaching for things.  He doesn't really point at things, but he'll attempt to show me what he wants, especially at dinner time.
• "Baby talk" -- Check!  We've had some great "conversations" lately.  And I can tell that he's understanding more and more.

Schedule:This category is becoming laughable.  We have no stinkin' schedule.

Out and About: This past week we visited two libraries (one for music in the park along with books), the waterpark, two park playdates, and a birthday party.  Lots of fun!