growing up too fast!

It is that time of year again...the kids just seem to pass the never ending sick bug back and forth between each other and occasionally on to mom and dad too! As much as I dislike the runny noses and hacking cough there is one thing that I secretly love about a sick baby...all the cuddling I get to do! Jalen is not much of a cuddler normally but when he doesn't feel good he will lay towards me with his head on my chest and sleep...there is nothing sweeter! He is almost nine months already and I am trying to hang on to these special "baby" moments because I know they will soon be gone! He is trying to pull himself up on everything, has finally shown some interest on being on his tummy (I wasn't sure he would ever crawl!), and he loves faces and hair, his favorite being my face! He comes at me like a little baracuda and latches on to whatever he gets first, nose, chin or cheek while his little fingers grab at those little hairs on the back of the neck (the ones that hurt like no other!) They are the best slobbery kisses I've ever had! He cracks us all up when he is sitting in his high chair and tilts his head down, opens his mouth real wide and holds his arms out to the side and rolls his wrists...Grandma says he is revving up his motor! His sisters can make him laugh like no one else. They dance around and fall into things, trip and tumble to the ground and he gets going with the full belly laugh! As long as they are in the room he is pretty entertained (they are already like my little babysitters!) Emily asked me last weekend what my favorite age was with the kids. I really couldn't answer because there are such great things that happen at all of them...but this stage is for sure up there if I had to pick! There is something about being needed and loved but such a small, innocent, sweet baby! This is the time that you realize they really do grow up too fast!