Growing so fast!

Well, Espen is just going to town! He now has 6 teeth, and I can see two more bumps beginning to come up, although it will be a while before they come in. He has decided that he really likes crunching Gerber "puffs" with his new teeth. He fusses at mealtimes until he gets to feed himself some puffs. His pincer grasp is really developing and he is getting great at picking up small objects. It is making me a bit of a nervous wreck, worrying about choking hazards. Who knows where he finds half of this stuff. I had to pry a small bit of rubber out of his mouth today that I have no idea what it is from. I had seen it on the floor when we were playing and put it (so I thought) out-of-reach on the end table until I could figure out what it belonged to.

Which brings me to Espen's next death-defying feat: he is pulling up on everything. I am trying to make sure that stuff is out-of-reach, but he is like Stretch Armstrong or something and seems to be able to reach the farthest corners of my tables and shelves. He managed to grab Jason's water cup today and started banging/splashing water all over before Jason could stop him. Too funny. I can't believe how fast he is growing! He was even "cruising" a little today! (using the furniture to get "walk" from place to place.)

His 9 month check-up is Thursday, so I'll have some official stats for you then, but unoffically, he weighs a TON and is SO TALL! :) His crawling is getting faster every day, and I am constantly chasing him down the hall. He likes to make a circuit from the living room, down the hall, into the kitchen in the hopes that he can get there before I do and stick his hand in Sophie's water bowl. :) He hasn't beaten me yet.

He keeps a very busy schedule of playing, although his favorite toys tend to not be toys at all. Here he is with a spatula that he appropriated.

He has a toy cabinet (that you can see in the background) and a toy drawer. He likes opening them up and taking everything out and scattering it across the floor, or throwing the balls under the entertainment center (where they live until the Roomba chases them out). Our living room is in a state of nearly constant barely-controlled chaos.

And finally, yesterday he decided that his tongue is awesome and has been crawling around with it hanging out. He looks ridiculous! :) It has been cracking Jason and I up. Check it out!