In and Out

Above: 3 months Below: 9 months



18 months ago today, Luke was an indistinguishable multi-celled organism. He was as tiny as a person can possibly be, and still be alive. Nine short months of baking brought him to us as a fully recognizable little human. Today Luke is nine months older than that floppy, helpless, blinking baby. At exactly 9:30 tonight Luke will have been OUT as long as he was IN.

In nine months Luke has learned to hold his own head up, he's learned to recognize and use his own hands, he's learned how to roll over, push himself up to sitting, pull himself up to standing, walk along holding our hands, say Mama and Dada and banana, he laughs at appropriate moments (and not just when he passes gas), he can see further than a foot in front of his face, he plays with other children, he has developed a fascination with pulling hair, he decidedly loves the song "Where You Lead" by Carole King, he has rhythm and dances to tunes, he gets himself from room to room without help, he bathes in the big tub instead of in the sink and flaps and flips around like a baby whale, he sleeps through the night in his own bed, he eats whatever we eat (and sometimes just as much!), he uses some discernment as to what goes in his mouth now, he has two teeth, way more hair, and much bigger feet, he has really rounded out compared to the scrawny little creature he arrived as, he gives slobbery kisses and waves good-bye, he sits on his own in the grocery cart instead of in the infant carrier, he's so cheerful and alert that I am not afraid to miss nap-time when we are out and about, and now when he cries we usually understand why and are able to soothe him. My! What change nine months can bring!