Mayer 9 month update

 You can't really tell by the picture, but he's pretty banged up. Mayer is a climbin', cruisin' fool! He will take 3-4 steps by himself if he can't reach his intended target without holding on to something. Then he gets a little more brave and sometimes ends with a crash. If you look close, you might be able to see he has a fat, bruised lip. He also has various other bruises from banging his head... and a big brother who whops him if he gets too close to Tate's stuff.

He has has his 9 month pictures this weekend and his well child check up at the end of the month. I'm anxious to see how much he has grown. Mayer's feet are short, fat and thick, just like Tate. Tate's first pair of tennis shoes are still a little too big for Mayer. I have some hand-me-down baby "running" shoes from my nephews, but I prefer a softer sole when they are learning to walk, especially since I never really put them in shoes until they need them.

 He has between 4-5 teeth on top and still just 2 on the bottom. Speaking of those teeth, Mayer has learned a new trick. I have been leaving individual pudding and applesauce containers in my purse on the floor at work. He has figured out how to puncture the foil tops and suck out what is inside!

 Mayer will put anything in his mouth... except solid food. He is still having texture issues with food, but he is fine with all the tools the speech pathologist gave us. If it's too thick or lumpy, he gags. He does fine with the solids, until they hit his soft palate. Then he starts gagging and usually throws up. He was gagging at new flavors, but that has gotten better. I have been constantly introducing a variety. If he likes it, he may eat the whole jar, but usually not. If he doesn't like it, I'm lucky to get him to eat 1/4 a jar. It is a work in progress for sure!

Just like Tate, Mayer can never resist playing in the water. When he noticed the sprinkler at Mamaw and Papaw's house, he made his way across the yard and over to it. He splashed around in it. He was sticking his thumb over the hole and then would get mad because it was shooting him in the face. Of course he couldn't figure out that he was causing it to happen.

He still comes to work with me everyday.  I cannot find a daycare for both boys. We are on 6 waiting lists because everyone has room for Tate, but no one has room for Mayer. It is getting harder for me the more mobile he is. When I forget to put up the baby gate, he makes a beeline for the open space in the office or he tries to find my dad in the back offices. My brother and dad are going to miss him as much as I will when he finally does go to daycare.

He wanted to play Candy Land with Michael, Tate and me.