Month 9, Weeks 1 & 2

The boys have been doing some pretty cute stuff the past couple of weeks.  Zach likes to say "Oh, no no no" and Alex will chime in with "Da da da dat."  They don't really know what they're saying.  They'll just as happily say "Da da" when sitting on my lap, as Jim's.

Their favorite toy has become each other.  Alex managed to grab Zach's arm and bite it before I could stop him.  Zach had two red marks for a few days, like he had a run-in with a mini vampire.  Zach's not completely innocent, though.  Should Alex fall over, he'll immediately try to lick Alex's head, pull his ears, or claw his face.  He'll also extend his arm and try to bait Alex into taking it.  More than one breast feeding session has turned into a tug of war or arm wrestling brawl.

The boys continue to love the couch.  I heard some crazy noises coming from the living room one afternoon.  I look in and see Alex sucking on his hand, making a sound that would otherwise be embarrassing to most people.  Zach is just sitting there, watching him, and laughing and laughing.

Bath time is a lot better than it used to be.  Zach has really started to enjoy himself.  He splashes more than Alex at this point, but they are both pretty energetic about it.  There's usually water running down both of there faces and the walls by the time they're done.  I have to hide behind the edge of the tub so I don't end up equally soaked.

This week Alex fell out of the inflatable tub backwards and bonk his head on the drain.  He was reaching for a toy and when he flopped back, he started kicking Zach in the chest. I tried to pull his legs away and he went over backwards.  There was lots of crying and the bath was stopped short.

Alex has become an expert puffs chomper.  He'll grab one in his palm and stuff it in his mouth.  Or, if he's feeling adventurous, he'll use his index finger and thumb to pincer one.  Sometimes he'll forget to let go and end up pulling it back out.  Occasionally once it's in, he'll decide he really wanted veggies instead and try to spit the puff out.  He'll eat just about anything happily, opening his mouth wide for each bite.

Zach, on the other hand, doesn't seem to like eating solids as much.  I'll get a couple of spoonfuls in him then he'll start blowing on the spoon, spraying food everywhere.  I have to force the food in his mouth and then hold the spoon there for when he spits it out.  Normally I wouldn't make him eat, but if he doesn't then his iron make his tummy upset.  He'll start spitting up stomach acid.  Avocado and peas are no longer favorites.  Both boys seem to want fruit like prunes and apples.

The 360 exersaucer has turned into the cats' worst nightmare.  The contraption is located near the couch, close enough to create a gauntlet they cats have to pass through on the way to the kitchen.  The boys will move into position when they see a cat approach, then run and try to catch it as it races by.  Zach managed to run into Frodo once.  Poor kitty.

The boys' 9 month pictures are up on their website (see the link in the sidebar).  I think they turned out really well this month, even though they were pretty tired.