Neuf and a Half

Oops...Joshy is almost 10 months now so I better get to gettin with the 9 months post.

And FYI I am terrible at taking pictures when some fun or memorable event is happening. For instance we went to Utah for 4 days and saw a ton of family, but guess who didn't take a single picture? yes. Me. Worst mother ever. More on that later.

So, I feel like every picture I take of Joshua he is sitting in his high chair. Seriously. It's probably because 1. He eats a lot and 2. It's the only time I can get him sitting semi-still

Self fed avocado. Or maybe he's turning into a zombie.

First time eating meat. Lamb and lentils, and he'd only eat it if he could feed himself. He was a fan. 

First PB&J at Roxbury park.

His new favorite food are orange slices. 

Reading the Very Hungry Caterpillar to himself. It's pretty much the story of his life. Eating a lot and getting big and plump.

Terrible and weird lighting but perfect little smiling Josh face

Beach day! The next few pictures are my sad attempts at capturing Joshy at the beach.

Joshua and his beautiful little friend Rosie.

MVP of beach day pictures. Both doing their best squinty goob face

He's the type who teases girls to flirt with them

Beach Jedi

Chunky cheeks chomping on sand

oh...unsuccessful mommy and baby shot

Thanks Allie

Party Boy

Surprise! a VIDEO of joshy eating, not just a picture!

So Joshy at 9 months is a hurricane of activity. He crawls everywhere and gets into everything. He's real, real busy. I feel tired all the time from chasing him around. But hey, on the bright side I'm sleeping better at night and slimming down more from sheer exhaustion! What what!

Remember how I mentioned our Utah trip? It was a blast. It was our first time flying as a family. Joshy did great on the way there: he fell asleep right during take off, woke up 30 minutes later and jibbered jabbered to the people around him the rest of the flight. I was probably more nervous and scattered than Joshua was. There was some turbulence and all I could think about were those plane turbulence/crash scenes from Lost. Yeah, I'm a crazy person.

Seeing friends and family in Utah was amazing. We stayed with the Lewises who spoiled us like always. Joshua slept GREAT because we were in the basement, where it was nice and dark, with no street lamps or neighbors lights shining in. There were also no garbage trucks, semis, helicopters or airplanes driving/flying by. The silence and darkness were so blissful I almost couldn't sleep. 

Seeing cousins was even more blissful than sleeping well. We met baby Teddy and baby Dalton for the first time and I am so excited for Joshy to have these little boy cousins to play with. 

But lets get real for just a sec--I feel like I need a vacation from going on vacation with a baby. It was so exhausting even with all the grandparents and aunts and uncles helping out. This week we've had a lot of beach excursions and long tylenol induced naps to try and recover. And yeah, my house is a wreck.

Speaking of wrecks, my CRV is still alive. After getting her back from the mechanics she promptly died again. We took her back in, and guess what? Weird stuff was still happening so I just took her down to my parents mechanic in Orange County. (Yep! That's 3 trips to the mechanic.) He's a lot cheaper and (not to be racist or mean) I can understand what he's saying--English being his first language and all. So, she's still alive, but she's a mean old broad. Like just tonight, it took me 10 minutes to turn the key in the ignition to start the car. So yeah, I've been perusing around the neighborhood and online looking for a new mommy-esque car for when the CRV finally kicks it. And I've found it. It's the Volvo XC90. Every time I see one in the neighborhood or anywhere (much to Cameron's chagrin) I start singing "Someday, Someday, we'll be together" (that song from August Rush? what?  You've never seen it? What? 2007 is calling and says he want his mediocre movie reference back?)

Cam keeps hinting at "why not just make the jump to the mini van?" and cannot understand why I start dry heaving, screaming and pulling my hair out and crying. I mean, I know someday I'm going to get a minivan. It's going to happen. I've come to terms with that. I'm just not ready for it NOW. Cameron and my mom can't understand why I have such a vehement reaction and I try to explain that I still want to live my teenage dreams of being a hot/cool mom and those dreams can't be achieved with an odyssey, and how if I do something stupid on the road I don't want someone to scream "stupid soccer mom!" I'd rather have them scream "stupid b" or "f-ing 16 year old ditz!"

ororororororidon'twanttogrowupican'tdoitpleasepleasepleasedon'tmakemebeagrownup!!!!!!!! Our cousin Jevan interpreted for me by saying that once you get a van, you're handing over your identity. It is a loss that is a victory. You lose your identity but gain total and absolute convenience. so maybe when my car was in the shop in orange county my mom let me drive around in her minivan. I was in the suburbs running errands in a minivan. And let me tell you, it was terribly terribly awesomely convenient and just all around rocked. But I'm not ready for that kind of commitment yet!