Finnegan logs his first swimming pool time.

Finnegan has logged his first swimming pool time this week. First with a trip to the Northside Indianapolis Knights of Columbus thanks to our invite from the Megan Garver and the three Garver boys, Freddy, Michael and Peter. Also was nice to hang with John and Molly Kramer and their girls Caroline and Anne-Marie. He is still pretty tentative and stoic around the water, but you can coax the occasional smile.

Alisha has also taken him to the pool at the Jordan Y wearing his sunproof swim uniform. It look totally kowabunga dude!

Then there is the naked time in the baby pool out back. You gotta slather the waterproof sunscreen pretty liberally, what with him having daddy's irish skin and all. But, it's worth it. Look at that serious face.

Smiles

I know that there are a lifetime of smiles ahead from this kid and I am certain that they will warm our hearts forever. But I will soon, I am certain, miss the toothless baby grin. There is something so unpracticed about it. It is truly a natural smile. Finn's is slightly crooked and often employs visible tongue. It is just great and in a few short weeks I know it will be gone.

I want my baby back, baby back, baby back

Nine months, already? I didn't realize the baby phase went so quickly!

Of course Finnegan is still a baby, but in recent pictures I can see the little boy he's going to become. And I think he'll be pretty stinking cute. No bias.

But I am pretty thrilled that he's still toothless. His grin just won't be the same when one pops through.

We had his 9-month pictures taken a little early, and it's good thing. Since he's crawling and climbing now, he's also falling. Which results in some lingering bruises. And apparently weight loss. At his pediatrician appointment, he's dropped off his "curve." He was in the 50th percentile for weight and he's dropped to the 25th. The kid is quite an eater, but his foods are still primarily fruits and vegetables (if only we all ate so well!). So we'll be upping the servings of full fat cottage cheese and toast with cream cheese.

The 9-month stats:
Weight: 18 lbs 14 1/2 oz (25th percentile)
Height: 28 3/4 inches (75th percentile)

Bocce

We've been playing the oldest sport known to man on Sunday's lately and last week was our last one this summer as a family. With the pools open and baby swim classes a'coming my lovely bride has opted out of reinvesting for the Summer league. But it was great to get together and play each week and watch how Finnegan interacted with a bunch of (so called) grown ups. He was as ever his chill self.

He was however the screen door on the submarine of Alisha's killer instinct. You can usually rely on her to bring A game or at least A competitive effort, but alas she just couldn't muster such attack with that cute little guy staring at her. She much preferred holding the boy and reading trashy books.

Even when our friends Ty and Sandhya mocked us openly after a cannoli (scoring the maximum 4 points) the brutal competitor I once knew was nowhere to be found. Bummer. Enjoy the pool Alisha, I will defend the family name with a new partner. Don't forget to be generous with the boy's sunblock. Daddy wants to keep with his Sunday bocce until football season calls.