8 Months

What a big girl you are beginning to be...

Advancements:
You now have your very own language, lots of babbling, with your favorite being "dadada" no "mamama" yet, but I'm waiting patiently.

My favorite part of this month was you started scooting! Its unbelievable how fast you go with your little army crawl, in one day we had to put a gate at the top pf the stairs, cover all the plug holes and put away the bar stools and candlestick holders! Dad loves how Cohen and Owen cruise the alley in their walkers so insisted we get you one. I didn't think we needed it at first because we have already bought you so many gadgets and goodies, but its true, you love it as much as the boys do, we joke and say we should have walker races...I guess that's funnier to me than to you.

I'm not sure if you have quite hit 24lb's yet but you're certainly tall, your little feet kick, kick, kick the back of the car chair. Dad's "honey-do list" this month was to change out your infant car seat (which was so sad to me) for the bigger girl chair and to lower your crib in anticipation of you pulling yourself up and standing.

Firsts:
Its been an exciting time for an 8 month old, you celebrated your first Halloween festivities as a ladybug with your dad and papa even taking you trick or treating, enjoyed your first pumpkin patch with your neighbor buddies Cohen and Owen, and the wild animal park with cousins Bennett and Wyatt and buddy Cohen! You will have to see you scrapbook to see all the wonderful animals you saw.

You gummed away on your first pizza crust which made dad smile like a Cheshire cat. You know that's his next favorite thing in the world after you! I'm still making most of your food and you are a brilliant eater. No matter what I give you, you never complain. This week I did a mix of spinach with zucchini, broccoli and white beans. I'm not sure if you know what you're saying but when I put a spoonful in your mouth you say: "mmmm". Very cute! On the week of the 9th of November, you sprouted your first tooth on the bottom front, it didn't seem to bother you as much as I expected it to, you had no runny nose, fever's or need for Tylenol. You definitely have been a bit cranky here and there but I'm not sure its the teeth, it could be e few things. I'm sure if it was your teeth I would know.

You learn so quickly now, its fun teaching and showing you how to do things. I know you'll pick up things on your own, but I am so excited to see you wave and blow kisses. I taught you how to give a kiss on my lips (wet one) and dad taught you how to boink your little head against his, you always laugh hysterically which simply melts my heart to hear.

Your favorite thing:
You have this little face you pull that has everyone giggling. You put your face down and look up, ever so serious then just as people think you're about to start wailing...you bust out a big gummy grin! Ive tried several times to get it on video but of course as I run for the camera you stop doing it.

You have a new nickname: Cricket.
You LOVE to hop! It stared with a bouncy frog toy of Cohens, but now you want to do it on everything, even things that don't bounce like my leg or your exercise play gym.

Schedule:
Trying to find a good balance between concern and consistency has been my most difficult challenge. I am confused as to how from 9 weeks old you slept through the night without any problems and now you insist on waking up 2 sometimes 3 times a night and will not go back to sleep sometimes for over an hour. I have not changed your schedule by much and obviously check your temperature and nappy even sometimes offering you pain relief in case you're teething. Mostly I give in and you take a bottle. I know you are capable of going at least 10 hours without eating, so I shouldn't give you a bottle but that's the only thing that sometimes settles you, not always.

During the day I have you eat 6oz of formula every 3 hours and nap 2 hours after you eat so that usually translates into two 1 hour naps a day, but lately you don't even want to nap which makes for more waking hours at night. I keep praying somehow something will change and you (and I) will get some restful sleep soon.

Our flight out to New Jersey from the 9th of November to the 15th didnt help your whole schedule but I was ok with that, I was putting you through allot. You are so curious and easily distracted. On both the flight there and back, you refused to sleep even when your eyes were blood shot and rolling back in your head. You wanted to look at people and smile and at the lights and sounds. I love how friendly you remain even when you are at your most grumpy, you love to smile at strangers and make a little sound as if to acknowledge them. Everywhere we went in NJ people just loved you, we even had strangers ask if they could hold you! It was a very special time spent with yoru papa, he took you duck hunting so you could watch him feed them bread but alas they had all flown south for the winter. He drove us around showing us where he used to play and get up to mischief. All the Bruno's got to hold you and you loved every minute of the attention.

I can't believe you are almost a year. After just being at Shae's first birthday I have started to think now about what we will do for yours, I want it to be cute but not overwhelming.