Thomas Jay Adams: 9 Months

At 9 months old, Tommy was more playful and energetic than ever! He loved splashing in the bathtub, wrestling with Mommy and Daddy, and being tossed up into the air by Daddy. He could army-crawl across the house very quickly and was finding new ways to get into mischief. He would throw a ball or toy around the room and chase after it, and he liked sneaking into the kitchen because he liked to throw balls across the wood floor where they rolled faster. He also liked to sneak into the bathroom because he was obsessed with pulling off the little plastic caps that cover the bolts that attach the toilet to the floor. He also discovered the toilet paper rolls, toilet brush, and plunger... yuck!

He became a big fan of Sesame Street and especially loved Elmo. When he was really tired, we could put him in his Jumperoo with a rolled up blanket for a pillow, and he would put his head down on the blanket and rock back and forth in the Jumperoo until he fell asleep. He was always clapping for himself- especially when he threw a ball and when he finished his meals. He waved back a couple of times, but usually just clapped when people waved at him. He was always wanting to stand, and would pull himself up on the side of the couch and ottoman and play with toys or whoever was sitting nearby. Some days he would just want to stand that way for hours. He also loved it when we held his hands and helped him walk around.

Tommy had fun with visitors this month! First uncle Aaron came into town for a week and he loved playing with him and going out to eat yummy BBQ food. Tommy was not picky at all and would eat any different type of food that we offered him, which made him a great little companion for restaurants and travel. He also sprouted his 3 first teeth (the lower right and top two central incisors) and he would gnaw on everything in sight to cope with the teething pain.

Then uncle Rock and Grandma and Grandpa Adams came into town! He had so much fun playing with all of them and loved the constant attention. While they were in town, Tommy went out on a boat for the first time on Jordan Lake and loved feeling the breeze and watching the guys fish. He traveled to North Myrtle beach with us where he went to the Alligator Adventure park and loved looking at the animals- especially the marmoset and the squirrel monkey. His Grandma let him pick a souvenir at the gift shop, and he chose a stuffed monkey.  He was not interested at all in the brightly colored plastic alligators and snakes, but when he saw the stuffed monkey, he gave it a big hug and a kiss on the head and started grinning from ear to ear. He loved digging in the sand and burying his legs and grandma's. Then we all went up to Virginia and toured Williamsburg, where he took naps in the baby carrier during the tours and liked to ride in the stroller and people-watch. We also stopped in Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks on the way home, and he loved seeing the sights and being at the beach, but most of all he enjoyed the play time with his relatives who he loves so much.

He was very talkative and was always babbling. He could call for "Mama" and "Dada" and would try to sign and say "all done" when he finished his meals. His common babbling sounds were "na na na", "go", and "bop". He also made a little "ah ah" sound like a monkey. He started doing the weirdest thing where he would push his chin back against his neck and open his mouth as wide as it would go and say "ba ba ba"... we called it the "muppet head" because he looked like a puppet talking. He also has lots of fun having play dates with other kids and loves making new friends and having other people hold him and play with him.

He met the Easter Bunny at Bass Pro Shop and wasn't afraid... which was surprising, since the Easter Bunny was really creepy looking! He smiled and looked up at the bunny and touched its face. On Easter, he went to church and then had a fun dinner with friends. He got an Easter basket filled with plastic eggs, a new bottle with a bunny on it, and two little balls that light up when he throws them.

He gave the very best snuggles now where he would wrap his arms around Mommy and Daddy's neck and hug really tight. He also loved to give his Mommy lots of kisses- sometimes sweet little pecks on the cheek and sometimes very aggressive kisses where he grabbed my hair and slobbered all over my face. Some days I just wished that he could stay little and give me cuddles and kisses forever :)