Boy oh boy has our baby been bipolar lately 
He’s so eager to walk/crawl and talk that not being able to drives him nuts! He’s so happy when I lift him up w/2 fingers that he jumps into my arms and giggles! He’s starting to test his limits bit by bit and I’m trying to condition him to stop crying/fussing for attention when seated in his highchair or restaurants’ high chairs (I think he got spoiled on the cruise when we so desperately wanted to please people with a quiet/well behaved baby that we’d pick him up immediately after one peep). Just today I very politely said “no” when he started to fuss after eating his lunchtime congee. I used a lower leveled tone and also smiled – when he stopped fussing and just looked at me, I’d ask if he wanted to be picked up and then picked him up 
We’ll see how well this works!
Other benchmarks:
- he’s sitting up pretty well on his own (tho the odd times he falls, he seems to find the one place that’s not covered by the foam mats
- he’s constantly trying to use things to lift himself up into a standing position (ex. toys, crib rails – we have to lower the mattress…, peoples fingers)
- he babbles more and more – when he wakes up, while he’s jumping in his jumperoo, riding in the car
- interacts better with his gfs
- learned how to use the steering wheel on his vtech driving toy = One happy daddy
- LOVES homemade congee! Its become the best avenue to introduce different foods.