Alderman Rhys at 9 months

Alder turned 9 months last weekend and over these last two weeks I have never seen him change so drastically. He has long conquered sitting and playing, but now can crawl like crazy. Alder has also conquered pulling up, standing, and even inching his way along the dresser drawer, his crib, a piece of furniture.
He is cutting teeth by way of fevers, no napping, double ear infections, snotty noses, rashes, and so on. He truly does not handle the teething well at all.
Alder is already in some 18 month sized clothes. Hopefully we'll plateau out and be able to stay in that size for awhile.
He loves to have books read to him and he loves to look at them as well. If I open the pages for him, he will just touch every page with both great joy and then very intense concentration. Alder is inclined to really study things and people. He will take a new toy or new item and study it with great caution. He can do this with one thing for the longest time.
We have now gotten rid of his bath seat and he just sits like a big boy playing in the water at bath time, but we constantly fight the battle of getting him to sit down and not pull up on either the faucet or the side of the tub.
Alder's personality is becoming more and more evident. He is content and happy a lot yet tempermental and easily frustrated. The child is quiet and reserved in public, but at home he is crazy with noises and very open with his emotions. I already witness fits when he is changed, told no, etc. I will be reading the "Strong Willed Child" by Dobson. I have one.
We are not the kind of parents to really boast about our child or think that a smile at 3 weeks or walking at 10 months is advanced or in some way amazing, but I think he is probably really bright in some areas. Today all three of us were in his nursery talking about the plans for the day. Alder had pulled out some of his books out of the bottom shelf of the dresser, sat down, and then had gone on to doing his puzzle. He sits there and pulls all the pieces out, but of course as he pulls each one out he studies it. It takes him awhile. I was sitting on the floor across the room and Jared was sitting on the other side by the door and the books that laid on the floor. Alder had made his way over to me loving playing on his Mama. I asked him (as it was getting close to his naptime and this is our usual routine) if he wanted to "get his books." I said it just a couple of times and he turned around, by-passed his puzzle, other toys, Dada, and crawled right to his two books. He put his hand on them, patted them, and looked back at me. Alder could not figure out how to pick them up and bring them back to me, but Jared and I were pretty amazed that he verbally comprehended "book." I do work with him on vocabulary words with a video and flash cards and he just loves the activity. I guess some of the words seem to be sinking in. It may have just been a fluke, but it was neat none the less.
Alder is the king of inconsistent on just about everything in his life except two things. One, he will (thank the Lord) eat anything! He loves all food and eats tons of it. I really cannot believe how much food the child can put away in one seating. He also (because he has 7 1/2 teeth) loves sitting in his highchair and eating pieces of whatever it is I give him. Loves it. The only foods is not a fan of are green beans and sweet peas, but will eat spinach and broccoli with no problem. And two, he goes to bed between 6:30-7:00 every night and will sleep until at least 6 the next morning. 6:30? You say. At night? For bedtime? Why so early? If there is one area that he is really king of inconsistent it is nap time. In a week, I may get 2 2 hour naps otherwise most of his naps range from 45 minutes to 1 and 15 minutes. It really can be exhausting and overwhelming as I feel I can never get anything done especially when he wakes up at 2:00 or 2:30 and will not nap again until bedtime at (on that night) 6:30. Oh well, I don't have a napper. It has been a big disappointment, but maybe the next baby will sleep well during the day.
Alder is a joy. I love him and his Dada loves him. I am amazed that he is ours. I am amazed God gave him to us to raise. Alder is a special one and it will take a lot of God's guidance in parenting him, but what parent doesn't need a lot of guidance? He changes some much each day and as sad as it is to see that "babyness" go away, I love all the new and wonderful ways that he is changing.