I have so much to say, but I'll start with where our little-big man is at.

At nine months old, Elliot can stand for short periods of time, without holding onto anything. He is cruising along the couch, and really wants to take a step. He can even get down to sit on the floor without falling.

Elliot's language is starting to take off. He's making all sorts of sounds (dadada, bababa, gagaga, and even a little mamama). His favorite thing to do is call to his brother, and it almost sounds like he is saying, "Alden". It's lots of "Ahdah, Ahdah!" when Alden is around. He also recognizes a bunch of words. We can ask him to dance, and he'll wiggle around. He'll look at Mommy, Daddy, Alden, the doggy, or the kitty, if we ask him where they are.

He still has a gummy grin, with no teeth in sight. He drools off-and-on, but we don't see any indications that his teeth will be appearing any time soon. As you can see from the picture, his eyes seem to be turning hazel (like mine). They are still bluish on the outside, but I think he will end up looking more like me than Alden does. =)

Size-wise, I'm not sure where he is at. He is mostly in 12-18 month clothes, and he weighs over 23 pounds! We will have a better picture of just how big this little bugger is when we go to his check-up on Monday.

All-in-all, I can't believe how quickly these last nine months have gone. I have a feeling he will be walking on his own next month. I really hope this winter gives us all time to slow down and enjoy the little moments that make babyhood so memorable!

*UPDATE 11/3* Elliot weighs 22 lbs. 9 oz. and is 29 1/2 inches long. He also has anemia and an ear infection. =( We have meds and iron supplements, so he should be better soon.