9 Months!

Our little baby boy is 9 months old today! Crystal and I both agree that Dylan has changed quicker than ever since his 6-month birthday. Here are the major events over Dylan's crazy last three months, which I have tried to convey with pictures in the video below:

• He graduated out of his infant carrier to his big boy car seat, which he absolutely loves. It is rare for him to make it through a lengthy car ride without taking a little siesta.
  
• We all took a trip to Joliet, Illinois to meet Grandma and Grandpa Great, along with many great-aunts/uncles and second cousins.
  
• He was an adorable and cuddly bear for his very first Halloween.
• He started to become mobile with his patented pseudo-crawl, which was comprised of getting into a push-up position, moving his legs forward, belly flopping, and repeating until he became too tired to continue. He was quite the little mover with this technique. Alas, before we captured it on video he abandoned his unique style and moved on to the conventional crawl. Now he is really tough to catch.
• We were blessed to take a trip to the beautiful Hawaiian island of Kaua'i over Thanksgiving. Dylan managed to endure 20-hour travel days both ways with only minor fussing. He loved the pool, the ocean, the swings, the grass, the weather (no socks!), and spending time with his Nani and Pops.
• During the trip he sprouted his first 2 teeth in the middle of his lower gum.
• Also during the trip he said "Dada" for the first (but certainly not the last) time.
• He tried many new foods on the trip, such as pineapple-pears, mango, pureed turkey, prunes, apple-cherries, and baby formula (because Crystal got sick and couldn't feed him for a couple of days).
• He began pulling up on things during the trip and really honed his skills when we got back home. Now he spends more time on his feet (holding onto furniture) than he does crawling around on the floor.
• He began feeding himself teething crackers, Cheerios, and veggie puffs.
  
• He celebrated his very first Christmas in Albuquerque in the morning and Camas, WA in the evening.
• During our time in Washington he said "Mama" for the first time.
  
• Through it all he has kept growing and growing. He is poised to walk soon and is already learning to fall gracefully. His blond hair is filling out and he is destined for a trim in the near future. His cheeks are just about maxed out and his little buns have pushed past the #3 diaper. We will get some new measurements on Tuesday at his 9-month checkup.
  

See what we mean by it being a crazy last three months? Enjoy the video...