Month 9

Weighs: 23 lbs.
Length: 30 1/2 in.
Status: Mr. Social

Firsts:
Cooper can stand up in the middle of the room on his own without the support of anything.
He can stand independently for as long as he wants.
Cooper has taken four good steps on his own! He will be walking everywhere any day now!
Has four teeth on top and two on bottom
He went through a stage where he would wave at everyone and everything. He lifts his arm over his head and waves his little hand.
Shakes his head no
When we ask if it's too noisy he'll put his hands over his ears.
First and second time on an airplane. We took a red eye to New York and he slept the whole time. On the way home he slept for half the flight and was social and happy for the rest.

Subway, train, bus and taxi! Cooper loved to climb up the back of our chair and socialize with the people behind us. He would smile and wave at them and it was obvious he loved the attention.

Washington DC, New York City, and Milford CT
Easter and Easter Egg Hunt
Cooper is getting more opinionated about the food he eats. If he doesn't like something he'll just spit it out.
He can hold a sippy cup on his own and understands to tilt it up to get a drink.
Swinging at the playground and going down the slide
First salon haircut
Feeding the ducks
wearing sandals- He hates shoes so it only lasts for a minute
walking in the grass

Favorites:
Helping mom mop the floor- He follows the bucket around and will sit next to it with one hand playing in the water.
Traveling and having new experiences- He gets the pleasant baby award for traveling. We were worried because there were so many new experiences in such a short time but he just soaks everything up. He was more pleasant on our trip than Mike, Brianne and Stefan! : )

People! He gets everyone's attention when we're out and about and loves the attention he gets!

Being outside- It's a whole new world for him to explore now that it's so warm and he loves to play in the grass, dirt, and leaves.
Cooper just got a toy lawn mower that squirts out bubbles when he pushes it around. He loves to help dad mow the lawn but it's still a little hard for him to push by himself.
Swinging and playing on the playground
Crawling away really fast and laughing when we say "I'm gonna get you!"
Looking in the tub faucet- The faucet distorts his head and he thinks it's funny.
Anything electronic-iphones, cameras, remote controls,PS3 controllers, or laptops.
Biting everything with his new pearly whites
Going on walks
Pushing boxes or anything on wheels
Being tossed in the air by daddy
Still loves airplanes
Loves shopping and riding in the cart
Playing and splashing in the bathtub
Sleeping on his belly
Paper or anything that crinkles.

Memorable Moments:
It has been exciting to see Cooper take his first steps. He is gaining confidence every day and we think he'll be walking everywhere within the week. So exciting!

Our trip with Cooper was so much fun! He was seriously the best travel partner and was a delight to have on our trip with us. We were of course nervous going into it because we didn't know how he would be on a plane or in loud subways but he did great! It was fun to see the hard exterior of New Yorkers melt away when they saw him. Cooper smiled at everyone and many people commented on how his smile made their day or how cute he was. Even hard security guards in Washington DC would turn into softies when they would see him.

Cooper has such an easy going and pleasant personality. Of course he doesn't know the meaning of the word "stress" yet but we think he will handle things pretty well when he grows up. On our way to the airport going home we got stuck in rush hour traffic and missed our flight. We had to stay another night in New York and wake up at 3:00 AM to catch our flight and Cooper was so tired but so good and it made the stressful situation easier to deal with.

Cooper's first time at the salon was fun. The stylist was telling us nightmare stories about babies getting their hair cut and crying and screaming the whole time so it made me nervous but before she started she showed Cooper the clipper and when she started cutting his hair he giggled and laughed! He was so good and looks so handsome with his new haircut!


Things that Make Cooper Cry:
Loud sudden noises
Being put in his crib to take a nap or go to sleep for the night.
When we take something he wants away
Being sick
Getting teeth
If we leave the room and he wants to come with us
When he's hungry
If he is having fun and the fun stops
If we stop his feeding before he is full
When he needs a change of scenery


Things that Make Cooper Smile and Laugh:
Swings
If we hide and pop out at him quickly
Being tossed in the air
If we playfully tug on something he is holding
Dancing to music
When we chase him
Getting tickled
Bath Time
Getting startled or surprised
When he sees something he wants he will bounce up and down, smile and reach for it
He will smile at anyone who will give him attention.