9 month pictures (Even though he's almost 10 months...)

I was planning on posting these weeks ago and then our family got the most miserable sickness this month! Denver got it first, he had a no fun fever, cough, runny nose, up all night sickness and it lasted for 9 days! Then Erik and I got it about halfway through his sickness and mine turned into a full blown sinus infection which I still feel like I'm getting over. I had some pretty terrible sinus headaches and I still can feel sinus pressure that I am sure is only complicated by the fact that allergy season is upon us! We are finally feeling better though, and so I knew I just had to post his 9 month pictures. (10 month pictures to come in a week or so!) 

Sweet looking baby.

Getting into mischief and making pictures almost impossible!

Alphalfa

I think this one is my favorite. 

And this one...

Trying out his new outfit Aunt Jessie got him for Christmas. Looking sharp!

On our way out for fun! I like having my little sidekick wherever I go.

On Valentines day, we were at the mall and we let Denver play in the play area with the other kids for the first time and he loved it!

On a walk. The weather has turned beautiful here and we had to soak in the sun while we have it!

Happy kid laughing at his own reflection.

I have slain the dragon! (Slain?,..Slayed?)

Spring has sprung! (I know it's only February, but let me get my hopes up just a little...)

Looking outside. What is that bright thing out there mom? That thing you call sunshine?

This sweet thing crawled up and took a nap on me the other day. I'm in love!

Rocking Daddy's beanie while Mom cleaned his room this morning. 

My big big boy...

This child of mine. People. I honestly am so in love with him. He just learns and grows and surprises us with new skills and cute things every day. This was him maybe the week before he started to crawl. He got good at scooting backward, the problem is he wedged himself under the couch. I was in the other room and I hear him yelling to me and he's completely stuck. So, of course I had to take a picture.

When we got back from Utah, Denver decided he was strong enough to roll over onto his stomach while swaddled so we decided instead of trying to unswaddle him slowly, we were going cold turkey. After a few nights of screaming and crying, he really started to enjoy the freedom. Now he immediately rolls onto his side or stomach to sleep. I snapped this one on the baby monitor. I think he's so cute sleeping with his hand on the bed. I'm a little biased, but things like this are adorable to me.

After some horrible time in Utah with teething and a few days when we got back, these two little buggers finally popped through one at night, and the other the next morning. I'm sad to lose his gummy smile, but the toothy smile is cute too.

Who needs to stay clean while eating? Not this kid. "I think I'll blow raspberries at my mom right after she puts a bite of cereal in my mouth." What a mess!

Denver used to cry when Erik made an elephant noise. He could be perfectly happy, but Erik would make that noise and he would immediately cry. One night, Erik was whistling at him which he enjoyed, until Erik started making the whistle go from high to low and Denver immediately made this face. I wonder what makes him decide a certain noise is that sad!

We finally had a sunny day so on Erik's lunch we went to the park. Denver was a happy man on the swings.

Denver always loves the guitar. 

Bath time! I wanted to get a picture of his hair that is starting to come in thicker on the sides, but then he started flashing cute smiles so the pictures kept on going!

Denver can pull himself up on anything now. He stands and walks along, any day now he's just going to surprise us and start walking around all on his own.

On a walk. He still likes putting things in his mouth and just leaving them there to chew on for awhile. No hands, just dangling from his craw.

Denver sleeping his his crib. I came in one morning and this is the first time I've seen limbs hanging out from the bars.

Poor Denver came down with a crappy cold complete with coughing, sneezing, and a fever. This made for some awesome snuggles. The problem now is he passed it on to Erik and me. I currently have a box of tissues next to me waiting for the next sneeze. 

Mouth open because he can't breathe out of his nose.

Later in the afternoon. He took a good nap in his crib and was all smiles even though he still had a runny nose and broke 100 degree fever the next night. 

Poor, sick, jammie man in his new car seat. I'm glad he can sleep comfortably in it. 

At the store the other day. No shoes. No socks. Foot in mouth. He had them on when we started shopping. He looks so innocent too.

He had just woke up from his nap, but he was looking cute for church this past Sunday. 

Denver had his 9 month appointment today. It was nice because he didn't have to have any shots this time! I had a bit of a shock when I set up his appointment for his 1 year old appointment! When did he get so big?! I will take 9 month pictures of him and put them up soon.

Christmas and 8 months old!

This kid keeps growing and growing. Make it stop! *insert sad crying mommy face here* 

We decided to spend our Christmas money on a trip home this year so Denver could spend his first Christmas with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. This also meant Denver was going to take his first plane ride!

At the airport waiting to see friends. 

Our good friends Jeremy and Laura and their cute little Sophia came to the airport to meet us for lunch before taking off. These cute kiddos are 5 months apart. 

Erik and Jeremy were mission companions in Canada and Jeremy was one of Erik's best men at our wedding. 

You can't see it very good, but that's the airplane in the background. Denver was ready for his nap at this point and was looking pretty sleepy.

I fed him on the take off and halfway through eating he zonked out. I guess the traveling and playing takes a toll on a tiny human.

We headed from the airport to my sister's house in Pleasant Grove for our Christmas Eve party. Denver napped in the car on the way over and just wasn't ready for bed with all of the excitement that night, so Grandpa got in some quality snuggles while people opened presents.

Christmas morning. Matching Broncos hats for homemade Christmas from Mom/Santa.

I think it is quite fitting that his first snow was on Christmas Day. It was quite the windy downfall, he loved it until Momma decided his hands were getting too cold! 

Henry Hawk with Great Grandpa Johansen. This was one of our favorite stories growing up, and he's still a little too small to understand it, but I thought it was cute. 

Matching cousin jammies. I think I took these a little too early in the morning, they were still sleepy. 

Chloe wanted to get in on the picture taking action.

Denver with his Grammy. Another missed nap this day, so he's looking pretty sleepy. We went to Firehouse Pizza with my fam the day after Christmas, it was delicious!

Cuddling up with Grammy and Grampy

Chloe cuddles.

Mom and baby selfie.

Cute boy in his new sweater from Grandma and Pa (Erik's Mom and Doyle) and his new slippers I made him. This was the morning before the melt down. He lost it on Sunday, all of the sleep deprivation and excitement and teething caught up to him and he just struggled.

Sitting on Great Grandma Dorothy's lap. (Doyle's mom) 

Playing with Grandma and Pa the day after the melt down (this is how we measure time now I guess.) He finally got a bit more caught up on his sleep and was a lot more pleasant this night.

When we got home we opened up presents that had been sent to us before Christmas and he is in love with this table my mom got him. It lets him stand and has lots of things for him to explore. 

Erik made me a hat for Christmas too, and we were all matching one night.

Erik's Dad and Sylvia got him some Utah jammies he was rocking after his bath a few nights ago. He pooped in them that night though, so I'm not sure if it's a sign that he's really an Aggie fan or if it was just a coincidence...haha.

Also he turned 8 months old on January 3! Where does time go? At 2/3's of a year old he is the light of our lives. He is SO busy. He wants to climb, and stand, and wiggle, and grab things, and just explore! I think he gets frustrated sometimes because his body just won't let him do all of the things he wants to do quite yet, so he just has to keep practicing! He smiles at everyone and just has an overall joyful countenance. He still doesn't like sleeping all night (he misses us I guess, we are too much fun!), but he is good at taking his naps and going right back to sleep after I feed him. He has been trying new foods and we will give him tastes of our food here and there when it is something he can eat. He always wants our drink straws, but he almost immediately gags himself, so he doesn't get to play with them as often as he would like. He likes to babble, and when he cries he either rolls his tongue while crying or says, what sounds to us like, "Oh No! Oh, No!" This is really hard not to laugh at which make us feel bad when he is already so sad. His hair is naturally a stylish fade, I promise I haven't cut it, he is just stylish! His 2 bottom teeth are just days away from popping out, we can see them below his gums these two little white hard bones. Hopefully they come out soon, but I will miss that sweet gummy smile!