9 months old. 9 months old. Is this real life? How does it go by so quickly. It feels like we just found out that we were going to be parents.

Health: At Vann's 9 month doctor appointment we didn't have to get any shots! That was a plus. Vann is in the bottom 5% of his weight, around 50% for his height, and 79% for his head. I think he is the perfect child and I am not worried about the comparison of all of his percentages. How can I say that? I remember who he is being compared to. 1. It's apples to oranges with his nutrition. He is breastfed and eats super healthy choices and LOVES food. 2. He is extremely active. He is pulling up, standing up, crawling like a mad man. Let's put it this way...he is still when he sleeps. THAT. IS. IT! 3. He is hitting every single one of his milestones at or ahead of time. I will not lie. When the dr. focused in on his weight (he is gaining still, just at a slower rate than the kids he is being compared to) I did get a huge lump in my throat. However, after speaking with his incredible pediatrician he confirmed Vann was getting enough calories, not developmentally delayed, and had terrific muscle tone I was better and the urge to cry disappeared. We go back for his one year. Holy COW!

Nutrition: After buying jar after jar of food, I decided to make Vann's food. It has worked out great. I really surprised myself that I enjoy finding cool recipes and foods to mix together. He LOVES apples with a bit of cinnamon and sweet potato with veggies.

Playtime: Vann really enjoys cars and rolling or throwing balls. He loves the wheels on cars or anything for that matter. He will find them. We were very surprised when one day Ryan and I were rolling the ball to him and he picked it up and threw it...really threw it! We have a pitcher on our hands...taking after Daddy.

Milestones: Vann is a super crawler. He knows who "DaDa" is. I love when he sees a picture of Ryan and says DaDa! Each morning he wakes up, smiles, and goes through all of his tricks. He says "bye bye" and waves. Then, he looks around for his daddy and starts saying "DaDa. He looks at me and gives me a kiss. I just love it. He is pulling up on things and taking steps around furniture while holding on with one hand. The two top teeth popped through and he has the cutest, whitest teeth around! Just perfect!

Fun times: The most exciting part of month 9 is Mommy coming home full time! I am beyond excited about this amazing opportunity (more on that to come). So far I have been home for half of Vann's month 9. It's been a learning experience, but an easy and welcomed adjustment. We went to the beach for Vann's first time at the end of May. It was a wonderful experience. The best part was seeing his excitement and curiosity when he saw the ocean and felt the sand for the very first time. Vann also had his first taste of Lyla's food. We were putting food in her bowl and he reached in and swiped a handful. I thought I got it all. Then, there came this cloudy drool...I dug my finger in his mouth and out came three tiny pieces of Lyla's breakfast. Boy was he mad when he didn't get it back.

Vann, you are such a precious part of our life. We can't imagine life without you in it. Thank you God for allowing us to be his parents and trust us with his life.