9 Months

Yahoo! Baylor is 3/4 of a year old, and he has made the most of this last 30 days! He's teeter-tottering all over the place, and boy, it's a good thing that his diaper provides an extra bit of cushion. Otherwise, his bottom would be pretty sore because he's only able to maintain his balance through 3 steps. Then, he falls. He never gives up though.

Over the past week, Grandfather has discovered that food is an excellent motivator. He waves treats just out of Baylor's reach to encourage him to take more steps. The treats aren't "Mommy-approved" either. I know that in the last 5 days Baylor has sampled Coke, sweet tea, coffee, and french fries. I don't even want to know what Grandfather has slipped him behind my back.

Baylor's little personality is really starting to show too. Actually, maybe "little" isn't the best adjective to describe it. He's actually pretty boisterous at times, and Baylor is not timid about letting you know when you've ticked him off. When Jax or anyone else takes something from Baylor that he's not ready to give up, the whole house knows about it. Oh, and Baylor has already learned that sharing means "I got to it first. Now, you sit and watch me play with it. Hours from now when I've grown tired of flaunting my prized possession, you can have your turn." Obviously, this was a lesson learned from his big brother. Baylor figured that game out QUICK!

We're also already seeing signs that we've got another little mischievous rascal on our hands. Baylor knows when he's being bad. He'll actually stop and look around to see if anyone is watching. Like today, when he made a mad dash for the office because he thought everyone was distracted and wouldn't notice him. Grandfather saw where Baylor was headed and said, "Uh oh, he's headed for trouble!" Baylor stopped and did his best to look innocent, pretending that he wasn't just heading for an off-limits area. As soon as he saw Grandfather walking over to shut the office door, Baylor took off, trying to beat Grandfather to the door. He's bold. I'll give him that.

Luckily, Baylor is also very sweet. You can't help smiling when you see him. He really does touch the lives of everyone that he encounters. I know I'm a bit biased, but there's something special about this kid. Complete strangers stop and tell me that watching him brought them joy. Now, that's a compliment!

Baylor is growing up fast! Twelve months is right around the corner. Time is flying. Quick, somebody, pass me the magic remote so I can press the pause button and savor these childhood moments just a little longer!