Our big boy has mastered crawling and is starting to experiment with cruising. I bought him a few new pre-walking toys including this walker. He enjoys using it, getting used to taking steps and pushing the toy forward....or backward should his balance falter. We celebrated his 9-month at the doctor's office for his scheduled well-baby appointment, but attending to his cold that he hasn't been able to quite shake. Both he and his sister Bettina had ear infections. We left with only one shot (Hep B), leaving the polio for another time when he's not feeling so poopy, a couple prescriptions for antibiotics for the infections and a nebulizer for Bettina whose cough is a bit tight and wheezy. I've never had to use one of these contraptions, so I felt lucky that it took nearly 4-years to get the introduction. I fear that we'll be late to pre-school for the next week as the treatments take like 10-15 minutes and we'll never get out of the door on time.
Alessandro is still unable to sleep through the night and can't bring himself to drink from a sippy cup or a bottle. My pediatrician, who I love and is also a playful Facebook friend, suggested I take myself and my boobs on vacation out of the house for a weekend. One of her boys (she's got a set of B/G twins and another single boy) was the same way, and she says that cured him. Very tempting.....Part of me wants to quickly implement the "tough love" approach and then, the other part thinks, "well...he's my last and it's only for a couple more months.....he can't possibly be one-year old and not converted...." Which to I listen to, the devil on one side or the angel on the other? We'll see.
His appetite is good and is really more interested in what everyone else is eating than whatever is in the jar. He wants pancakes from his sister's plate rather than quartered bananas on his high chair or minestrone soup rather than that jarred apple sauce. He's still easy going, but determined to get what he wants. Don't get in his way, either, lest you want a lot of screeching in your ear. He's a real challenge to change his diaper...his sister Bettina was the same way for a long time. He plays easily with the girls who are good about removing the "little toys" too small for him. He is happiest in the middle of it all doing the same as everyone else and just blending in. The baby gates are all up now, so I breathe easier when doing the laundry or general cleaning up. The girls, however, have figured out how to open 2 of the 3 of the gates, so I'm constantly double and triple-checking to make sure they are locked. Life is pretty good and easy for this little man.
