Month 9 with Levi

During Month 9 Levi became quite the little comedian. Like most little kids, he gets funny ideas and has a lot of initiative. I love seeing him come up with his own plans instead of what I expect or, yes, suggest. (So often my ideas are significantly inferior to what he has planned.) I mean, it is now obvious that toy boxes are for sitting in with dogs (stuffed, not real), hats/curtains/chairs/the side of the tub/strollers are all for peek-a-boo, saying "ssssss" is much more fun than saying "snake", and most obvious of all, basketball goals are for hugging....Oh, and peek-a-boo, too. But that goes without saying. And his favorite? Why should we all stand a few feet apart from each other when we could stand side by side and have group hugs? Pulling us into group hugs is his is best idea of all.

It was a strange month in a way too. We had two 18 month apt.'s with both his pediatrician and the international adoption clinic. They all do a great job, but it feels he is very under the microscope. Everyone is so afraid they are going to miss something due to his harder start in life. So, after two long checkups (he's now in the 5% for weight and 90% for height - big progress!!!), we are then sent to the eye doctor (NOT fun to dialate a 19 mo-old's eyes!!! He's very strong and pinning him down is just no fun.  Turns out his left eye is a bit weak, but should fix itself.  Now we know.), had First Steps come out to evaluate his speech (They think he is just fine for a baby who hadn't heard English until he was 10 months-old, and that he is even ahead in some cognitive aspects. Check that one off.), and we are still supposed to see a hearing specialist. (Really, really, really don't think that one is necessary considering he hears dogs in the distance, sings all sorts of pitches, does all his consonants, etc. Sigh.) For one seriously happy, healthy child he is getting a lot of attention.

Brad had a lot of fun during this month on his dad's annual week-long fishing trip in Minnesota. That meant that my mom, "Nanny", came to stay for a week. A week with Nanny is always a blast! Levi was spoiled with attention from both his grandma's, Nana AND Nanny, that week.

Every month includes the sleep update. This month, just see Month 8, but add complete regression. Levi had a fitful month with lots of thrashing and twirling during the night, for some reason all against my head. (Once even dropping his full weight right on to my cheekbone!) And not only does he still sleep with me (or Brad on the weekend, or Nanny when she visits) from 11:00-ish on, but is now also getting milk in the middle of the night again. He's so, so, so active (NEVER stops moving) and growing all day, he just really needs the extra calories, I guess. So there we have it....Back where we started in month one. Oh well.

Fun firsts for the month:

Funny new "wave" where he tucks his hand under his chin and smiles; has started using Legos correctly (yes!); jumped in leaves; can point to almost any animal in his books; caught a ball a few times in a row!; got off the ground more when jumping; used some of his words a bit more (up, cat), but "A dog!" is still his favorite; strung a couple words together with "Mama, A Car!" (sounds like "Mama, A Da!"); Said his first animal noise: Ba for a sheep; can hold a squeezable snack and not squirt it all over himself, me and the car. (Again, it's the little things.....)

First big bubble bath.

The correct way to play with his Butler Bulldog, he informs me.

Note the toes peeking out from the curtain

Fun with our best church buddies, Elias, Isaiah, and Jennifer. Elias and Levi are 5 days apart in age!

While Brad was gone Mom, Levi and I took a trip to Tennessee to see Great (Great!) Aunt AnaMay and (Great!) Aunt Jennifer. This one's a little blurry, but just so, so sweet.

Running around the front yard with mom and Cindy.

It's just been a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful fall. Lots and lots of fun. I'm discovering all the gorgeous parks that are only minutes away. How did I not know about these things before Levi came home?

Fun at Coxhall Gardens with Mom.

We had a fantastic day up in Crown Point with Elizabeth and Keith. They were kind enough to recreate their Oktoberfest feast for us since we, along with Tim and Steve, had to miss it.

Can't stand how cute this hat is - a gift from a student. Thank you McLean family!

I couldn't help snapping this - and they didn't even wake up, flash and all.

This is generally what Levi looks like - constant motion.

Chair pictures, Month 10! This is almost what our chair picture was. Convincing him to pose in a chair is just not part of his plan.

Levi loves Aunt Jenny! He has a picture of her in his room and likes to carry it around.

If there is a basketball goal nearby, Levi will be running to it...and eventually hugging it.

Levi was just a piece of work one night while mom and I were cooking dinner.  He put on quite the show for us.

Levi's Greatest Hits - Peek-a-boo with a hat, stomping, twirling and jumping.  (Sorry I have to set the camera down a couple times.  Takes two hands to put on his hat, apparently.)

I know I've mentioned a couple times that Levi's favorite thing is a group hug.  I don't know how many times he did this with mom and me in the kitchen that night.  He would pull us together and then herd us up.  So weird, but very cute.