9 Months: Crawling, Weight Gain & Easter Bunnies for Sale!

Little Mitchell Man is now 9 months old! Time is flying by! This month, just like the ones past has been a very busy but fun month. He's now crawling all over the place, he's gained the weight he needed to get back on track and is so much fun to explore with. The picture to the right is him every Sunday after church. Without fail, he's asleep before we even get home. His exploring around the house has opened a whole new world for him. He's getting into everything and finding that he can often get himself into a spot but not back out. This month we did some yard sale shopping and scored some new toys!

He's now the best little companion out to lunch and around town. He sits up so well and pretty much entertains himself with his toys. Just like at home, he watches everything and is constantly smiling at everyone. This month he celebrated his Uncle Ben's birthday at The Refinery - his first Brunch. 

Playtime includes his new yard sale toys as well as a sweet little dog toy that says his name. He loves that dog so much. He also loves technology like his dad - they are two peas in a pod watching movies and superhero cartoons. He had his first playdate this month too! We visited with a little miss who's parents are our friends - it was so cute to watch him play with another baby - which he does every day but we never get to see that! It's always good to spend time with other parents b/c we all learn things that we didn't know before - including a great fix for splinters in kids and some new baby food to try.

Little Man still loves his Tula. It's a lifesaver when we have things to do and he wants to take a nap. It's so nice to have him close to us and snuggling and the fact that we have both our hands free makes it perfect! I couldn't recommend a baby carrier more! Here we went to Larry's Deli with LMM and his Great-Grandparents and he slept the whole lunch while we chatted and ate lunch lakeside. The little cover is perfect for being outdoors - keeps his fair skin covered and the distractions down to a minimum. 

One of my favorite days with Toby to date has been our beach trip to Fred Howard Park. I LOVE the beach and I LOVE spending time with my little man so the combination of them both was beautiful! It was Good Friday so it was a little busy but not too bad in the morning. I lathered him up in sunscreen and then just plopped him in the sand. He was in heaven! He couldn't stop digging in the sand, moving it all around him and then ultimately, as with everything he can pick up, he ate it! To wash him off we jumped in the Gulf. It was pretty cold but he did kick around a little. And of course, made his sweet little eyes at everyone on the beach. We mostly sat on the shoreline, letting the waves splash us and him digging in the muddy sand. After I got him washed off we just played on the sheet I brought, spending about an hour playing in the shade. Literally the perfect day!

Dustin and I enjoyed another fun evening out, without LMM, celebrating Travis' 30th birthday! We went to this very relaxed restaurant, Local Provisions, in San Antonio. It as such a chill spot with good food & drinks. We went a little early to just sit at the bar and talk. That is definitely something we have to add more time for. When we get time like that we just dream and plan about all the fun adventures we want to take Toby on. Dinner & catching up with everyone was great as was the music and food. And I don't think any of us will forget that Devil's Juice night cap!

Like I mentioned before, we got little man gaining weight again. He now has about 5-7 milk feedings and 3 meals of food with an afternoon snack. He took to more food instantly and is now guzzling down almost 3 times as much milk as I am making now. I'm so grateful that I pumped and saved as much milk as I did early on. It's taking us through this time without a hitch. His day looks like this: 

6am: Breastfeed

9am: 6oz of milk and a cup of food - grain & fruit

Noon: 6oz of milk and a cup of food - grain & veggie

3pm - 3-6oz of milk & juice/water

5pm - Breastfeed & snack

6pm - dinner - grain, protein & veggie/fruit

7pm &/or Overnight sometime - Breastfeed again

Ever since we've been feeding him more, he's been such a happier baby! Who knew?! We take him all over the place and he's always happy. This month we took a walk out to the Riverwalk downtown one Saturday and even though it was blazing hot he was so happy! It felt so nice to get out and walk around. I'm very excited to see how they expand the whole walk. He's now got 5 teeth - 3 on the bottom and the 2 top ones coming down. Right now it looks like the top ones are going to have a gap in them, which only makes him cuter I think! He still loves his bathtime with dad and sucking on those two fingers. A habit we are trying to break. This last picture is he and I on St. Patrick's day. His daycare had a leprechaun break into the daycare, wreaking havoc and playing with all the toys! 

His daycare also put on an Easter show for the families. The older kids in the top pictures told the Easter story through pictures and costumes. The cross in the background is made with all their little hands. Then after they told the story they brought out the little ones who sang Easter songs. The babies were dressed up like little bunnies and they had a sign that said, "Bunnies for Sale $5" - it was too cute! After the show the families all mingled and ate snacks together. It's such a special time that we are given to meet Toby's little buddies and their families. The Early Life Academy definitely goes over the top to engage the families into the life of our church and in community with each other.

Little Mitchell Man spending time with his Great-Grandparents

Last was Easter Sunday. We decided to bring Little Mitchell Man to his first Easter Egg Hunt and then attend the 9:15 service. He would have no part of the Easter Egg Hunt, I think because the grass was wet and of course the amount of people making a fuss over him. But once he got a hold of an egg, he was good to go. We then headed over to church, where Toby's Grandparents, Great Aunt & Uncle, Great-Grandma and Aunt were all in attendance. We pretty much passed him up and down the aisle to share the kisses and snuggles. He ended up in his usual Sunday spot, a sleep on his Grandma's lap.  After church we took some pictures and headed to his Grandma's for a fun lunch. Followed by an afternoon of naps all around. This was the perfect end to another amazing month with Little Mitchell Man!

Happy 9 months to our silly, goofy, lovable Little Mitchell Man!