NINE MONTHS TODAY

...And much more important than all that cooking, this little monkey was 

NINE months old today...!

He is crawling, at top speed, can haul himself up using anything from the sofa to the washing machine to any stationery object - standing with confidence - often one handed or with minimal support and has let go and stood unaided a handful of times before landing back on his bum. He can clap his hands, can point, can press sound buttons on his books, can turn pages on his peek a boo books and point at the animals/people under the flaps. He loves being read to and especially likes Peter Rabbit and The Gruffalo. He can play with his train and his ball, he loves his plastic telephone and his electronic book, he likes his stacking rings, especially when you put them on your head and pretend to balance them there. He loves plastic bottles and whenever I have a bottle of spring water he gets incredibly excited and comes to take it off me, taking it for a tour of the room in one hand as he crawls around. He laughs and giggles all the time, he likes it when you sneeze, or play peek-a, he understands the word 'bounce' and immediately bobs up and down - particularly in his cot where he holds on to the side and boings up and down giggling and grinning like a loon. He likes to stick his lips out like Jagger and smack them at you, he is fascinated by faces and mouths and will if you pick him up immediately try and touch your face, that is if he isn't pulling your hair, or beard in Jon's case. He does a gurgle at the back of his throat like he is Jacques Cousteau, sometimes pointing into the air like ET Phone home, this can go on for hours. In between times he double babbles Da-da-da-da, Mamamama, babababa, Gaaaaa! and has a range of squeals and squeaks - some for excitement (ooh look Jasper has just jumped on to the bed) some for annoyance (let me down I want to play with train) sometimes he cries for no reason, he's a pain in the arse to change (nappies and clothes) and sometimes he won't go to sleep even when he is quite clearly banjaxed which is infuriating, but all in all, he's wonderful and his personality grows every day alongside his development. I can't believe it was nine months ago that he lay in my arms just hours old, thanks be to god for this small miracle - we love him so very very much.