Happy 9-months, Reid! =)

WOW...what a difference 9 months makes!  I can't believe how quickly the time has gone... Michael Reid, you continue to bring nothing but pure joy and happiness to your Mom and Dad.  We love you more every day, if that's even possible!

You are EVERYWHERE now... crawling and pulling up on everything!  At times, you even think that you can walk and are learning the hard lessons of "respecting the floor."  You talk and laugh all of the time... it always makes us smile to hear your little voice and try to figure out what you are trying to tell us.  You've started saying a few words - mama, dada, baba (bottle, I think)... not sure you fully understand what you're saying yet, but it's a start.  Oh!  And how can I forget to mention your love for growling???  You think it's hilarious and growl at everyone you see.  You also love to sing in the car and are quite the "ham" in social settings - wanting to make everyone laugh (and you always do!). =)

You continue to be our own little food disposal - you eat a TON!  (And just about anything we put in front of you.)  You eat three full "food" meals per day and are still taking 4-5 8oz bottles.  If we don't feed you fast enough, we definitely hear about it.  =) Your new favorites are spaghetti, lasagna, and chicken with pasta.  You also love fruit smoothies for breakfast, have a sweet tooth for ice cream (just like your Dad!), and have finally mastered the sippy cup.  You LOVE brushing your two bottom teeth after you eat and have several more teeth trying to break through on the top.  I can't wait to see how much you've grown at your 9-month well check this Friday!

Your favorite toys continue to be anything electronic that aren't necessarily yours (laptops, cell phones, remote controls) - but you also LOVE anything with wheels.  We've already got quite the car collection going for you!  It's really fun to watch you "drive" your cars around on the floor now that you've figured out how to make them roll and move.  You also love to wrestle...that's how you and your Dad spend the majority of your time together...(and you wear your Mom out with it most days. =)  It's always fun to see how excited you get when your Dad gets home in the evening - melts my heart!

I could go on and on... My heart is just so full as I sit here and write this and think about where we were at this time last year.  We became eligible to adopt on November 18th of 2008...it hasn't even been a full year and we already have a 9-month old!  How fitting, too, that November is National Adoption Awareness month.  Just to give you fair warning...that means that I'm definitely going to take the adoption talk up a notch this month...haha! (As I hear a collective sigh from both of you reading this...=))

Happy 9-months, baby boy - we are forever thankful for you and we love you!