9 Month Update: Creeping and Cruising

Nicholas is 9 months old today! That just sounds so old. It is like it is suddenly "almost 1." How did that happen? There isn't much to report that hasn't been in an earlier post, but I'll put a broad summary here for the purposes of easy tracking.

• The big news this month is his advancement in mobility. No, he still isn't crawling, but he is mobile on his stomach in what I think is technically called "creeping." Basically, he can get to things on the other side of the room on his own, but not with particular speed.
• He has also gotten pretty good at "cruising." This involves walking holding on to objects, usually furniture. In fact, I've created a little "course" for him in the living room where he can do a circuit walking along the couch, transferring to his jumper, then to his chair (which is stable with a foot rest popped out), then to his rocking horse (which does rock, but he does fine using for support). If we really wanted we could probably connect it back to the couch. I think transferring between objects is actually his favorite part, although he does enjoy stopping to play with the toys that hang from many of these objects.
• He has also become a climber. Ironically, he hasn't figured out pulling up, but he will somehow manage to climb over me, up and over the arm of the couch, and onto the coffee table.
• He is still obsessed with photographs. We have started letting him play with one of the cheap flip books of photos because he will just sit and flip through it smiling, and it is one we don't care about the pages getting bent.
• He increases to 3 days a week at daycare starting Monday. He still loves it while there, but he now screams when we leave him. He has figured out that it is a place where Mommy and Daddy leave, and does not approve.
• He claps his hands, but much prefers to bang things together that he is holding. His favorite objects to bang together are his plastic blocks, I assume because they are loud. The similar motion in the bathtub results in water splashing up and out of the tub, something he has taken to doing with glee.
• With a couple exceptions (most notably Playful Puppies and Elmo Says) Nicholas only has patience anymore with books that involve lifting flaps or have fun textured places. Basically he wants his books to be interactive. Why his two favorite books don't meet this criteria is beyond me. I have tried, but can't figure out what they have in common that makes him giggle so.
• In general, he just seems big and sturdy. I now feel comfortable leaving him standing holding onto something and walking away or having him in grocery carts and restaurant high chairs without the cloth thing.

Speaking of which, here is a picture I took the other day. Yes, we were in Walmart and yes I pulled my camera out of my purse to take a picture. Neither of these are common occurrences, I promise.

From 2010 February