Nine months old…man, is the time flying.
month one, month two, month three, month four, month five, month six, month seven, month eight
weight: 20 pounds, nine ounces
length: 29.25 inches
head: 19.5 inches
hair: Beatle Shaggy
This month has brought us a whole new side of James. He can crawl, so he’s no longer content to just hang out in one place. He’s always on the move, and if he sees something he wants, he’ll get tunnel vision and won’t stop until he gets it. It’s amazing to see that kind of focus in a little baby. Annie and I are both “Oh, something shiny!” types, but James seems to have inherited Mike’s ability to focus only on the task at hand. 
But, with great focus comes great frustration. James has probably cried/whined more this month than all of the other months combined. He gets very frustrated with his physical limitations, and he likes to tell us how he feels whenever he doesn’t get his way/can’t reach something/falls down. It sounds something like, “AAAAAAHgggrrrrraaaaAAAAAAH!” followed closely by Annie saying, “MOM! James is crying!!!” 
Sleeping has been getting…better. It basically comes down to me being too tired/busy to sleep train him right now. I need to find a weekend when we don’t have anything planned and dedicate it to James and his sleep schedule. He’s only waking up once a night now, so while it’s not unbearable, I know he could sleep through the night if I taught him how. I just have to find the time! 
James has started the very unfortunate habit of biting. It’s 100% done out of teething relief and curiosity, but holy crap, it HURTS. I’m not really sure how to discourage it, since he a) laughs when we yelp in pain and b) I’ve never dealt with a biter before. I do not like it – those eight teeth of his are sharp! 
Less than three months until his birthday! How is that even possible?!?! 
Mel G says:
9 mnths? Wow time does fly! For the biting, try exclaiming “OW!” in a high pitch (think of a puppy yelp) and put him down or away from you. This may upset him at first but he’ll come to realise the link and (hopefully) quit biting you. Good luck xx
Milly says:
My son went through a biting phase, and the shouts of pain were funny to him, too. The best thing that worked for us is for whoever he bit to not make a sound, set him down, and walk away. Worked like a charm!
Leslie says:
He is beautiful! When my first started biting, at just about this age, it became painful very quickly. I think the pressure must feel good on those newly emerged teeth … plus the power to elicit yelps! Irresistable!
One time I was able to quickly slip her own hand between the “bite” and my skin. What a look of surprise! Twice doing that was all it took. No more biting.
Terri says:
Love that little tongue! I wish I had some advice about the biting but I got nothing. We have a biter at our daycare, cutest little thing ever but boy those teeth are dangerous. Nothing they have done so far has worked. Hopefully it’s just a stage he will soon outgrow. Can’t believe he’s almost 1!!!!
Lisa says:
He is so stinkin’ cute!! How is he 9 months already!?!
sharyn says:
I agree with the putting down part, since you are separating him from what he really wants, which is contact. Before setting him down I would say, sternly: No! Ouch! Biting hurts! Then put him down for a few seconds. It’s his first experience with time out, although most likely not his last.
He is an enchanting little guy, by the way.
Jordan says:
love all the sticking out the tongue action… he’s gonna be a master selfie taker one day.
such a handsome, charming lil’ fella.
ldoo says:
I had a biter. Sigh. All I could think to do was put her down and distance myself. Biting=no reaction/interaction.
Valeri says:
My son was the same way: super determined and got frustrated and whiny when he couldn’t express what he wanted. The solution for us? I started teaching him to sign. It gave him a way to communicate basic things. I didn’t know ASL before, I just looked it up on my phone when things came up that would be helpful. It has really reduced the amount of crying and whining around our house. I started when he was around eight months and he was signing back to me by about nine months.
Mel G says:
Ooh yes! Babysign! One of my friends did this and it was awesome. I wish I’d thought of it when mine were babes.
Amanda says:
And I am following comment #9. Awesome.
Seriously, that kid is so cute he crawls through the monitor and swipes your nose. Nice job, Spohrs!
Sowmya says:
I’ve read so many websites and articles on sleep training but I have absolutely no idea where to start and what to do. Can you please *pretty* please tell me how you go about it? I understand every baby is different and what works for James might not work for my daughter(she’s 10 months old), but I really want to hear from someone I “know”(yes, I’ve been reading your blog for so long, I feel like I know your family really well :D)
monica says:
He is just gorgeous. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but I look at him and totally see Maddie. He is beautiful, I know he’s a boy, but boys can be beautiful too!
Annalisa says:
Sleep through the night? My daughter did 5 hour chunks until she was 14 months old. Nothing we did convinced her to stay asleep. She did it when she was good and ready.
With the six month old, not even trying. I’ll be happy that at least THIS ONE naps during the day.
KaraB says:
Where did all that hair come from? It seems like it just sprouted all of a sudden!
Lora says:
Happy nine months James!!! I never had a biter, but I did have a kid who would head but me in the face without warning! Lol! So,ehow I never got s broken nose but came darn close a few times. Good luck!
Paula says:
I didn’t have biters! I would discourage “mouth popping”, “hot sauce/tobasco”, and biting them back. The putting them down and walking away is the best thing. (Mouth popping is grabbing their cheeks, squeezing, and then hitting them directly in the mouth so that your hand makes a “pop” sound. I loathe this practice and the other I put up there.)