Whitworth Family: 9 Months

For a change of pace, the 9-month status post is going to be written by the father of the munchkin.

I can't hardly believe that it's been 9 months already! Xander started off as a small, sleepy, slimy little newborn and grew. And grew. And is still growing. 9 months later he's grown about 9 inches and 16 pounds. That would put him at 24 pounds, 10 ounces and 30 inches tall! He's gone from quiet and docile to bright-eyed and rambunctious.

It's amazing to watch how fast he is developing too. Only a few months ago we were watching him on a daily basis to see when he would roll over from his back to his stomach. Now it seems like he's learning a new trick, or perfecting an old trick every day. Tonight he climbed on top of a bottle of laundry detergent so he could get on top of a large box of diapers. Yesterday he pulled our large, heavy stock pot off a shelf with only one hand. The day before that he played happily on the floor of the shower, ignoring the water raining onto his head and dripping across his face. A week ago the water in the face would have freaked him out, but now he's dealing with it like a champ.

Any day now we're waiting for him to say his first word or take his first step. Don't be surprised if the 10-month blog post contains joyous news about both those two things! I know I wouldn't be surprised in the least if they both happened tomorrow.

The last big hurdle that we need to cross as a family is the nighttime routine. Nine months later, and adorable little Xander is still not sleeping through the night. Nine months. Thats about 270 days without getting a solid eight hours. It's trying, and as a family it's something that's been a burden. However, there is light visible now at the end of the tunnel. Where putting him down to sleep has been a huge fight in months past, in recent weeks he's been much more subdued and willing. He's been getting better at soothing himself, and putting himself back to sleep when he startles awake. He's been eating much less during his midnight feedings than he used to. I sincerely think that we're coming to a point when we're all going to be getting a complete night's sleep on a regular basis. Cross my fingers and my toes.

Fatherhood has been a pretty fantastic experience so far, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Nine months with the little guy has given me some great memories that I will cherish forever:

Riding with Xander down the lazy river in Sesame Place
Taking him to the beach to experience sand and waves for the first time
Watching him sit on the floor, laughing hard and loud about things I may never understand
Sleeping on the couch with him—a hot sweaty lump—asleep on my chest.
Sneaking him little bits of food. Everything from bits of chicken and cornbread, to cookies, brownies, and a little bit of root beer. It's amazing to thing that he's tasting every new thing for the first time in his entire life.

This past nine months has been absolutely amazing, even though it hasn't always been easy. I'm definitely looking forward to the next nine, which promise to be even better.