be my baby

Last weekend we made the trek over to El Sobrante for a BBQ at DD and Mike's. Cassidy was very excited about the chance to see Freya again, and to meet Audrey (not pictured). He was quite thrilled about the vast array of toys that Freya has - they're all quite delicious. The two of them shared a couple of baby-summit moments and discussed plans for their future together.

In the baby progress department, Cassidy is now quite adept at crawling and standing with support. He's figuring out "cruising" (walking while holding on to furniture), but standing on his own is still a little ways off. He's working on feeding himself; he can pick up a baby carrot and chew on it. He still prefers the old-fashioned method of smearing food all over himself, though. He goes to the pediatrician for a checkup next week, so we'll have height and weight then.

we are family

It was quite a day today for our intrepid hero. We all got up early, got dressed up, and went to court to finalize the adoption. He did great and charmed everyone, and now he's officially all ours, and we're his. Yay!

We've also got some photos here from Sunday's park excursion, which featured some dino bouncing as well as the more familiar baby swings. He conked out in the stroller, but managed to recover once we got home and enjoyed a little mid-afternoon snack.

Revolution #9

Cassidy turned nine months old on Sunday. It's pretty amazing that in that short period of time he's gone from this:



to this:



His cousin Kali came down to visit for the weekend to help him celebrate. He had lots of fun - we went to Golden Gate Park to ride on the carousel (which he found a little overwhelming) and get in a round of baby swings.

He still loves books, both reading them and reorganizing them. Based on this, he'll either be a librarian or a demolitions expert.

He's got quite a few teeth coming in, as you can see. He's also getting pretty good at standing up with a little support, and is desperate to figure out walking. Just a few weeks ago, he was trying to get crawling down, and he's already moving on to bigger and better things. He hasn't given up all his old habits, though; he still loves to chew on things.

stand and deliver

Cassidy has discovered how to pull himself up to a standing position if he has some support. He can do it in his pack-and-play and on the baby gate. It helps if there's something he really wants to check out, such as Flannery.

He's also been conducting a taste test on the flavors of his plastic rings; it would seem that orange is the most delicious. Finally, he took some time out of his busy day to model Grandma Rachel's glasses.

Tomorrow is his nine month birthday! We're trying to come up with some fun things for him to do, so check back for more photos.

ride my see-saw

Here's some pictures from Sunday's latest expedition to Holly Park. He's added the see-saw to his repertoire. The baby swing still holds a special place in his heart, though.

happiness is a warm bottle

Another happy week for the Cutest Baby Ever^TM. He's gotten quite good at crawling, and now wants to spend most of his waking hours exploring. He can also almost pull himself up to a standing position. If you help him, he can stand up and look out the window, which he really enjoys. He's still a big fan of the classics, too: a puppet show with Sheila the Sheep never fails to amuse, and a little afternoon dreamfeeding is always a good thing.

friday i'm in love

Cassidy spent all day Friday with Mommy and Grandma, and had a fabulous time. He got to read books, play with his new "snail pail" (plastic blocks) and his frog-with-wheels, go to the park to swing, and hang out at a cafe while Mommy and Grandma had a snack. As usual, he was his good-natured self, and impressed everyone who saw him with his cuteness and calm demeanor.

In terms of development, he's gotten quite good at crawling - it's amazing how fast he's picked it up. He can stand with a little help, and is actively trying to figure out how to pull himself up, mostly so he can launch himself over the railing of his crib. He loves examining things and trying to figure out how they work (or taste :-). He's also fascinated with the fringe on the edge of blankets, and the edge of the living room rug.