Bryan Family Blessings : Keeping up with Levi

I really mean catching up with Levi but I do literally have to keep up with him.

This boy is into anything and everything!

I love to watch the curiosity in his eyes and see him figure things out.

He is now 9 months old.....crawling.....pulling up....cruising.....and almost climbing.

He sees Jace do something and he thinks he can as well.

It's just as fun watching him as it is exhausting.

He babbles Mama, Bubba, and Dada (in that order)....along with other babbling. I can't say 100% for sure that he has said any other the words with meaning yet....but I he is getting there. I really have a feeling Bubba will be the first really meaningful word for him.

I decided to do more of the "baby led weaning' (baby led solids) with Levi. He prefers it and looks at me crazy when I do spoon feed him. Chewing and knowing what to spit out (because he can handle it) is a skill he has mastered very well! It amazes me what this boy can eat and handle on his own.

I can give him an apple or a plum with the peel on......he will chew it and spit out the peel!

He loves steak and chicken - spices and all!

It also appears that we may have cleared the dairy sensitivity. I slowly added back in dairy products and he seems to not be affected the way he was in the past (mucous and blood in his incredibly stinky stools).

We had his 3rd tooth cut through last week and the 4th is RIGHT at the edge and will be in soon!

His amber necklace is working.....it seems like he only needs Tylenol or ibuprofen when the tooth is actually cutting through. It hasn't seemed to affect his sleeping other than the process of falling asleep which takes longer.

Levi moved into his own room shortly after turning 6 months. He seemed to wake a lot with us in the room. It seemed like every time one of use moved or turned he woke up. I was getting no sleep even with nursing him back to sleep. He got to the point where he would nurse but then wanted his own space to roll around and get comfortable. So we moved him upstairs to his room! :)

I thought the sleepless nights might go on forever since I was not doing any type of sleep training but I was proven wrong. Don't get me wrong - we went through a few months of him waking up sometimes 5 times at night. Then one night he slept....for 5 hours straight. That continued. Then he went 7 hours straight. That was off and on but still had 5 hours straight. He has even done 10 hours straight a couples times. Now he typically only wakes *knock on wood* twice a night - IF that!! He likes his sleep!

Not having to wake him for daycare at 5 am like I did Jace is nice. No having to set his internal alarm clock to crazy hours is GREAT.....no, its a BLESSING!

We have given Levi the nickname "Bull Dozer"

He will doze anyone and everyone over. If you are on the ground with him, he will doze you!

It started with his little cousin who is a few weeks older than him. It seemed like every time she was around he wanted to just plow right over her. She is a sweet, docile, content to just sit and watch the action kind of girl....and Levi, well he is the opposite! From there we noticed he does it to Jace and anyone that is laying on the ground. I have a feeling our dozer may becomes a biter too. He's very quick to coming at you open mouthed - especially when he is frustrated.

I will be keeping that in check before he gets himself into that habit.

Watch this boy GROW!!

5 months