9 MONTHS UPDATE!!!

Sorry I've been so delinquent on the month day update, but that's life I suppose! Last week you turned 9 months, officially out in the world as long as you were inside my body. Crazy.
You've started doing such fun stuff recently! You are babbling more and more, but are communicating with signs so much now. You tell me when you want more, usually when you are eating, but have also started saying more when we sing and you want to keep going. You also love looking at lights and make the sign for light when we say "luz". The ceiling fan also continues to hold your attention for long stretches of time and you inform me excitedly that it's a fan.
You are still not crawling yet, but do this "bulldozer" type move where one shoulder is in the ground and you push with your legs. You also continue to roll to get where ever you want to be, not very efficient but it gets you from A to B, you are the SUV of babies. No walking yet either, but you have started to pull up on people and furniture. We weren't sure if you'd skip the crawling altogether, but it looks like you may do it after all.
Speaking of super sized, you had your 9 month doctor check up, and are back on the charts as far as length and weight are concerned. You weigh in at 23 3/4 pounds (90%) and are a whopping 30 inches long (95%). Head circumference is normal too, 19 1/8 inches(75%). So all in all, you are still a very big boy, but totally healthy and normal. We are all expecting that as you get more and more mobile, you'll start to slim down. Or we'll just have to avoid horizontal stripes across your giant tummy. You were once again such a trooper when it came time for shots. Daddy had to "get our stuff together" while mommy held your hands so the nurse could stick you with 2 shots. You were more annoyed with the fact that you couldn't move than the shots I think. They were over and done with before you got to your familiar red-faced shots scream. Then within 20 seconds you were calmly looking around the room again. I decided not to lie to the doctor and fessed up that you still aren't sleeping all night long. My original plan was to say, "yes, he sleeps 12 hours and don't I just love it!" but Daddy said my sudden onset of narcolepsy would probably give me away. She gave us a little warning that babies with sleep issues at 9 months often have them at 2 and 3 and 4 years too, but again, if we are ok with our current situation, great, and if not, she's available for suggestions to change it. I continue to just love your doctor. She told us she herself was going thorugh similar sleep issues, and had her baby cry it out recently. Now she has gotten a few full nights sleep and it's awesome. I have no doubt it's amazing, awe inspiring and worthy of singing about, but... There's always a but isn't there? I just need to mentally prepare for having you leave our cozy family bed. I'm thinking maybe when we have our 10 day lake vacation love fest we can see if I'm ready.
The milk machine is starting to slow down as well. While I'm with you, you nurse several times a day, and you don't act like you aren't getting enough milk. However, when I'm at work I'm pumping less and less and I don't really know why. Ana is convinced I need to drink "rice water", the water that's left after you soak rice. She said she nursed her son for 3 years and the rice water was the secret. From what I know of the human body, there is no reason why this would do anything except make me puke, but hey maybe puking is part of healthy milk production?
There are some changes on the horizon at Domi's world, as Mommy is planning on cutting back to 3 days a week at work starting July 1. I am totally excited as now I'll be with you more than I'm awayfrom you. Hopefully you'll not be too sick of me by the end of the long weekend. I know I'm super excited and wish it was starting right now. What a great way to start the week! Love, mommy.