Laundry can wait...Patrick is 9 months old!!!

So as I sit here typing, piles and piles of laundry are waiting to be folded. I know I should be dutifully folding and hanging clean clothes, but the laundry will have to wait while I update the blog - because Patrick is 9 months old today!! I can't help myself - I felt bad for missing his 8 month update, and can't help but want to celebrate my wonderful son today.

Patrick has turned into such a cool, fun little guy. Some of the things we love most about him now:

He's mobile!
Patrick crawls all over the place. He can crawl normally, but most of the time chooses this funky broken crab crawl that consists of the right knee down and the left leg out to the side. It is very hard not to laugh when he does it, but he can move very quickly! In the past couple of days he's also decided to try the straight leg crawl, feet on the ground, arched up. Very strange.

He's growing like a weed!
Officially into 12mo. clothes now, I don't expect him to be there too long. We see his doctor on Friday for a 9 month visit, I'll post the updated stats then.

He is incredibly smiley!
This kid smiles so much, I don't know how his chubby, chubby cheeks don't hurt. He has the silliest dorkiest laugh that I desperately hope he grows out of someday, but for now though, it is hilarious and adorable! His smile is made even cuter by 6, count 'em, 6 pearly white teeth - 4 on the top, 2 on the bottom. Unfortunately, with those teeth come biting...hopefully a short-lived phase.

He's exploring more eating options! 

He's still mainly on breastmilk, and is eating his cereal and baby food, but is starting to try some "mommy and daddy" food. He's had some fruit in mesh feeders, but seems to prefer slamming that into the floor to eating it. In celebration of this 9 month birthday, we had some chopped cantaloupe and our first apple juice from a glass. (Confession - the only plastic glasses I had were too big, so I gave him the juice in a little glass baby food jar. It was hilariously redneck.) Oh, and on Sunday during the US vs. CAN hockey game, Daddy and Uncle Andy gave him a baked Tostito. I won't go into details, but lets just say he won't be having chips again anytime soon.

He has quite a little personality!

Along with all the fun, we also have a stubborn and mischievous little boy on our hands. He thinks the word "no" is HILARIOUS, but usually does listen. And like his daddy, Patrick is convinced he's the funniest person on the planet. (Also like his daddy, he's usually right)

He's a chatty little dude!

Ok, so he's not using real words, but he apparently has a LOT to say. He blabs a ton and clearly is trying to tell us something. He says "dadadadadadada" but doesn't connect it to his daddy at all. I've tried to convince him that "mamamamama" is the way to go, but he isn't buying it. Saturday morning when one of the cats jumped on the bed, he looked at it and yelled "Haa-too" and then looked quite proud. Of course, the cat he was referring to is Pibb, so he was nowhere close to the right word, but we've decided it is easier to change the cat's name and have started referring to two of our cats as Haa-two and Haa-three :)

Here are a couple of pictures from the last few weeks:

SMILE!

Patrick on his way to open his first bank account!

Car shopping with daddy (no, nothing purchased, just fun looking)

Grandpa Phil came to stay while Daddy was in India - they were napping buddies!

Snuck away from Mommy and Daddy and found some wood glue to eat. YUM, paste! (Relax, it wasn't opened yet)

Rockin' a plumber's crack while playing with cousin Annabelle's bear friend.

Somehow managed to get himself partially out of his sleep&play one night. I thought the look was very Flashdance of him.

Sleepin' on Mommy