AJ's Development Over the Past Month

He's on a roll! He was already rolling around well. About three-four weeks ago AJ got his first tooth. I noticed it on a Sunday. That Tuesday he crawled. That Friday I noticed another tooth coming in. The next week he was crawling even better (of course). A week later he was growing in a third tooth. I can see more on their way. Now, over the past few days, he's sitting up from the crawling position, on his own. And he's pulling up on shorter items and anything he can get a good hold on. Which means NOTHING is safe. He's really on the go now and developing quite rapidly.

At this rate he'll be walking by nine months. Noooo! I'm excited for him, but not for us. The race is on with crawling. I'm not ready for walking and running. Nope. I want him to wait. And the thing is weren't not even encouraging it. He's just doing it all on his own. He's even tried several times to cruise furniture but luckily once he takes a step he falls. He's never too happy about that but he does try again, and again, and again. If we stand him at the coffee table he lets go with one hand and reaches for anything close by. He's tried to go from the coffee table to the couch but only gets half way- one hand on each- before loosing this balance. The little rascal is getting to coordinated and too smart!

I do love his smile though. He's always so happy. He rarely gets upset. He's become pretty attached to me recently and does not like when I leave the room, even if his dad or brothers are near. Also, when he's crawling around and getting into something new he makes a laughing "k-k" sound. It's so cute! Of course this means that if we can't see him we have to look right away. He finds all kinds of stuff, anywhere. OH, and shortly after he started to crawl we had to rearrange the living room. Yes, I rearrange each season but this was a totally new layout. We now have the sectional put together in a way that puts its corner in the walkway near the stairway, thereby blocking the walkway, stairs, and stair railing. I'm creative.

The short part of the stairway is blocked by the ottoman with pillows on it creating a sitting area in the corner, with the little electric fireplace and lamp in the corner. Logan has dubbed this area the "kids area" but I have to remind him that we can hear his music a foot away on the couch, too. Very funny. He uses the area to listen to music, draw, and read. It's just big enough for him to lay on the floor. Aj likes that spot, too, because it's the only place that the outlets are being used where he can see and reach them. Sigh.

We also added a gate between the kitchen and living room to ensure AJ can not get to the stairway through the kitchen. I'm not sure what we'll do when he starts to climb on the couch. At that point we'll have to move the couch away from the stairway and railing again so that he does not launch himself over the couch and down the stairs.

Here's a recent photo taken before we headed to the rodeo. He loves animals so the horses captivated him there.