Work is interfering with my blogging. VERY annoying.
Zack turned 9 months old this week.
And he didn't slow down to enjoy it. This boy is
cruising. We had a wake-up call last Monday when he crawled off the bed in about 2.2 seconds (he was fine, he did a nice tuck-and-roll). Then the next night he got into a potted plant and started choking on a piece of paper he got who-knows-where, all in the span of about 10 minutes.
Babyproofing has begun in earnest. Because when I sit him down to play with his toys, then start working on the computer at the dining room table, about a minute later, this is what I see:
(I have no idea why this picture downloaded in this direction).He's crawling much more efficiently now, exploring the house on his own. He crawled back down the hall one night, so I closed the doors to the spare rooms and the bathroom. Which perplexed the little guy.
"What's with the doors, Mom?"
He likes to stand up, just about anywhere.
And exploration requires full body involvement.
He still loves the bongos.
And he likes to "help". Shortly after I took the picture, he managed to crawl up onto the door. I suspect dishwasher manufacturers don't realize how fascinating their products are to the under-1-year-old crowd.
"What's with the containment, Mom?"
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He had his 9 month pediatrician appointment this week. He's 29 1/2 inches tall (80%, and 18 lbs 14 oz (20%), so tall and skinny, like we thought (Hmmmm....are these Uncle Geoff's and Grandpa's genes at work?) . But they're not worried, they figure it's because he's so active now. He's getting 3 solid meals a day now and lots of milk, so he's not starving. He continues to like everything--broccoli, carrots, corn, yogurt.
We've been trying to get him to sleep by himself in his crib this week. This is just
PAINFUL. He's not interested in going to sleep much at all, and he's definitely not interested in going to sleep in his crib. Rob has been sleeping on a mattress next to the crib in the hopes that it will get Zack over his dislike of sleeping in another room. This is not working quite as well as one might want. I (am trying to) sleep in our bedroom, but it's hard to hear him cry. Hopefully he'll get it soon. I'm not made for this type of thing.
Edited to note that his weight is the 25th percentile, not 20th.
"You didn't tell me there'd be paper and boxes at Christmas!!! I'm so there! "
It bought me about 45 minutes, time enough to finish his splat mat (polka dotted thing in the background) and mostly finish his Christmas stocking. And he was happy as a clam.
That little pile of carpet samples? That's Zack's. More on that later.
You can see the Christmas tree in the corner. Zack is sort of interested in it and goes over and bats branches every now and then.
"What?! I didn't do anything!"
But he got bored and turned to the pile of carpet samples, which, apparently, are infinitely more interesting.
He's teething up a storm. There are two bottom teeth just below the gum and he's been chewing on everything lately. And crawls around with stuff in his mouth. Like this:
We've told him that's the wrong end of the binky on a rope but he won't listen.
This one reminds me of that old Greek statue of the discus thrower.
And some pictures of the boy who won't sleep in his crib, but will sleep here...
...and here.
I suspect there's going to be a day we'll find him hanging from our track lighting.
Zack has discovered how to flip the pages of books and is really quite pleased with the achievement.
"Isn't that the coolest?"
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Lovely, huh? But at least we know where he is.
Actually, he was just being whiny and clingy, and this allowed me to make dinner.
everyone
And a certain individual (not naming any names here)...
(I have no idea why this picture downloaded in this direction).
He likes to stand up, just about anywhere. 
And exploration requires full body involvement.
He still loves the bongos.
And he likes to "help". Shortly after I took the picture, he managed to crawl up onto the door. I suspect dishwasher manufacturers don't realize how fascinating their products are to the under-1-year-old crowd.
"What's with the containment, Mom?"
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Did you?
...he also started doing this.
And then he proceeded to pull up to standing, but he got too distracted by the camera to do it while I was taking pictures. He's turning into such a guy--already drawn to shiny electronic things. See?
And he pretty much hasn't stopped pulling up since.
Of course, along with this new ability comes a harsh lesson about gravity. He hasn't realized that if he lets go, he goes down. And he hasn't learned to sit to get down, he just kind of tilts over, which means there have been a few tears of indignation directed towards the floor lately.
As you can see, he's still growing. (But look, Patti--his sweater still fits!)
I'll leave you with a laugh.
...and off we went. 
We met a lot of very nice people and had a nice afternoon, but I seem to have only taken pictures of our little dragon.
ROOOOAAAARR!!!!!
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Including last night when we were supposed to be going to bed. I finally had to restrain him in my arms so that he'd stop climbing around and go to sleep. I'm sure I'll regret saying this, but I hope he learns to crawl soon so that he can sleep better at night!
He's been jumping (and Mom still hsn't learned how to hold the camera to take these videos).
While he hasn't quite perfected it yet...
...he did handle the cup better than the sippy cup, so I guess we won't bother getting another one.
