8 Months and Counting!

Well you are officially eight months. Before I know it, you are going to be eight and I am going to be asking myself where the time has gone. This last month developmentally centered around you crawling and moving.

New Things You Are Doing Developmentally Dight Now:
* CRAWLING!!
* Starting to try and pull yourself up / stand. You can't do it completely but you are pretty darn close!
* Beginning to get scared of strangers.
* Babbling up a storm! The louder everyone else is, the louder you will get.


Things That You Are Doing That I Love Right Now:
* You crawl to me and tug on my pants when you want me to pick you up.
* Now that you are eating more foods anytime I am eating you look at me with these eyes of "are you going to  
   feed me that?"
* Taking baths on your own while I am in the bathroom with you so that I can get ready in the morning and you
   play. This saves me time and contains you which I love.
* Crawling after the dog and trying to get her attention. Each time though, she just proceeds to move to another
   location, then you crawl right after her.
* Playing peek-a-boo around the corner with mom and dad. One of us holds you and the other one proceeds to
   hide around the corner. We jump out and you giggle and laugh.

With each passing day you become more and more of a joy to be with. You light up your Dad and I's day with your smile, loves, snuggles, and giggles. Even when you don't feel well you are still happy. You are such a good baby.

I was reminded the other day of just how far you have come in these past eight months. There is a brand new mom at the daycare with eight week old twins. They were crying and fussing with horrible gas - from the sounds of it worse than anything you ever experienced. It instantly took me back to those days. Although you were sweet and lovable, it was hard and there were moments that I felt helpless when I couldn't console you with your gas. Gone are those days and who would have thought you would get better with each passing day? I love you more and more each day. One of these days might heart might just 'explode' with all the love I have for you. Don't get me wrong, we still have our moments that aren't picture perfect - but they are few and far between. I love you son.

Crawling and Bottle Feeding

I posted a week or so ago that you had crawled a tad and that you would be close to scooting around the house very soon. Well that time has come! You are moving anywhere you are determined to get to. Before it seemed you had to think about it, now it appears to be second nature. Although you are still of catch-able speed and you haven't started crawling on the hardwood floor yet. I'm sure that isn't far to go though! The other night we had some cords out for charging laptops and you decided they looked fun to play with so you crawled over to one of them. Dad proceeded to pick it up and put it away. At which point you crawled to the next cable. Dad picked that one up and put it away. Then he moved you over a ways from the last cable. Before he knew it you had turned around and made it back to the last cable. By this time I was laughing with amusement and your Dad finally joined it. He put the last cable away. Lesson learned, no more cables on the ground. As for bottle feeding...this has become a whole new challenge. About a week and half ago you decided you no longer wanted to take your bottle. You fight whoever it is that tries to give it to you. The reason being is you have figured out that you can hold out until it is time for me to feed you. Right now I am trying to lower the amount of time I nurse you so I have you on two bottles a day. Instead of actually using two bottles a day, you have started just cutting those feedings out of your schedule. It is quite frustrating and also endearing at the same time when you are tugging frantically at my shirt and then getting upset when you can't have it. Fortunately if we wait long enough, we have found that we can prevail. It is hard though and frequently you will only take a few ounces at a time - just enough to tide you over. I have realized that we have one stubborn little boy on our hands. I find it very amusing now, I'm sure as you get older I may not find your stubbornness quite as cute. But for now I can't help but smile and think to myself how much you are like your mom and dad! I love you sweet boy.

A Picture Post

I missed out on posting a few 6 month pictures that were taken the very last week that you were 6 months. So here they are. Plus some that have been taken this last month.

You are probably wondering why I haven't written much in the way of activities in the past few weeks. The reason is two fold. The first being the air quality. Due to the fires that air quality has been so bad that we have been spending a LOT of time inside. Thus we haven't really done much in the way of family outings. The second is that football started a few weeks ago (right about the time you turned 7 months) and thus we have even more reason to stay inside because we are watching football. Rest assured, even though we aren't doing family activities, you sure are moving and shaking in the house!

You showing off your Green Bay hat. It finally fits!

Bath Time Photos

Your messy face after the peas I fed you.

BSU Game Day! The first game was on your 7 month birthday! 

A 7 month photo of you sleeping away. You are so precious here...

Such a Tender Moment

I witnessed the sweetest, tender moment between you and your Dad today. We got home from the daycare and you saw Dad. I handed you over and you wrapped your tiny arms around his neck and squeezed him tight. You were so happy to see him. Then you let go long enough to look at his face and smile, and then it was right back to wrapping your arms around him all over again. I love moments like these and I hope I never forget them.

A Week of Developmental Milestones

You went through quite a few developmental milestones this week! On Sunday no one was around but you took a few crawls. You moved your hands forward three times and your legs forward two times. Then on Tuesday at daycare you crawled for me again twice, this time the teachers at least saw it. I have spent the past few days trying to get you to do it at home so that you could show your dad, but no such luck yet. Instead you spend most of your time getting up in the "bear" position on all fours. It is quite amusing. You have worn yourself out so much at daycare exerting effort that you have been falling asleep at 7 almost all week long. 

The next two milestones I witnessed today. I had been trying to get you to see that you were so close to being able to sit yourself back up from in the crawling position for about the past two weeks. The reason being is that you get VERY frustrated when you are in the crawling position or on your belly and you can't get yourself back up. Well baby boy.... today you did it! All of a sudden this evening I realized that you had gotten yourself up on your own. Not only did you do it once tonight, but you did it multiple times! 

Lastly, you figured out how to clap! I have been playing patty cake with you for a while now, but you always have your hands in balled fists when I do so. So I have tried to get you to open up your hands to show you how to clap. Between this and the kids at the daycare you figured it out. You came home today and just started clapping up a storm. 

Before I know it you are going to be crawling all over the place and I'm not going to be able to contain you. It's amazing how you progress in leaps and bounds all at once. I love you.

7 Months Old

This last month flew by...so as much as I always say "I can't believe you are xx months old," this month I can actually believe it. 

Things You Are Doing Developmentally Right Now:

* Getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth, moving your hind legs. Now you just need to move your hands! (Right now if we move your hands forward you face plant)

* Rolling across the room

* Sitting up on your own in the bath and shower (this one took a bit longer since it is slippery and I wasn't quite as okay with leaving you be without having my hands right next to you)

* Taking puffs (cheerio size) and putting them in your mouth from the high chair.

* "Help" getting dressed and getting out of the car seat. Meaning that you move your arm when I am dressing you or after I get your left arm out of the car seat strap, you pull your right arm out yourself while I lift up the car seat strap. 

Things that You Are Doing that I Love Right Now:

* You know about cause and effect right now and you always try to kick the diaper wipes off of the changing table so that I say "Did you do that?!" and give you a surprised face. Once I do this you respond with a laugh and grin. Then once I put them back on the changing table you will do the same thing again.

* Dad and I for the past few months have been "blowing bubbles" or "raspberries" with our mouths at you. So now you try to do the same thing with your mouth. You will sit and do this when you wake up, see your Dad, or are just laying on the ground. Your Dad and I love it and we will sit you in between us and blow bubbles back and forth as you watch us and mimic us.