My Little Kewpie

Today is Dane's 9-month birthday! To mark the occasion I decided to do a post about him. I'll give you all his stats after his pediatrician appointment on Tuesday, but this will be all about him as a little person.

A few weeks ago my mom-in-law pointed out how much Dane looks like a Kewpie Doll. It is absolutely true! Not only does he have that little smile and look at you sideways, but his hair sticks up on top and at the sides too. I have taken to thinking of him as my little kewpie.

I try not to compare Dutch and Dane to each other, but in some ways they are so opposite that I can't help it. Dutch didn't walk until he was almost 18 months. He had absolutely no interest in it at all. Dane, however, has decided that he wants nothing more in this world than to walk. The other day he let go of the couch and took two steps backwards before he fell on his rump. I scolded him and told him that he can't walk yet! I'm not ready for him to grow up that fast! If anyone knows how to make him stop (without causing physical or psychological harm) I would love to know.

He is such a good eater. In fact, if you are eating something and you don't share with him he gets pretty upset about it. He loves to sit in his highchair at the dinner table and eat with all of us. This leads to him needing a bath every night before bed, which he also loves. At his Aunt Cari's house over Christmas he had his first bath in a real tub and he hasn't looked back since!

Mellow is still the best word to describe him. He's just so easy-going and happy. I love watching him watch the world around him and taking it all in. He's a looker, that's for sure. Uncle Zaque finds this very creepy, since most of the time Dane is looking at him.

He likes to "talk" a lot now. He sort of gurgles and mumbles, but every once in a while he'll say da-da and just keep repeating it. He'll also do this little moan/whine noise that lasts until he runs out of air, then he takes a breath and starts all over again. This is funny or annoying, depending on how tired I am.

His enormous blue eyes are by far my favorite of his features. They are round and crystally blue with silver lines all through them. I love when he looks at me and smiles - his whole face lights up and it makes me just want to squish him.

Now I don't want to complain about him, but I do want to acknowledge that he's not entirely perfect (though to me he is). The one trouble I've been having with him is napping. He doesn't want to do it. The problem is that he still needs them and if he doesn't get one he melts into this very sensitive little ball of tears. When he's tired everything is incredibly upsetting and he just wants to be held, but the minute he starts to fall asleep in my arms he jolts himself up and demands to be put down. Silly baby. Of course I wouldn't want to sleep either if this is how I slept: 

How uncomfortable does that look?

Yes, he really was asleep when I took this!