8 Months Old

Dear Rickybear,

When I wrote to you a month ago I spoke of how exciting those last four weeks had been.  Son, I had no idea what I was in store for!  I swear that I *blinked* and you were suddenly accomplishing feats that I didn’t think you would even attempt yet!  Everything excites you… everything inspires you.  Watching you inspires me every day. 

One day you pulled up on daddy to stand for the first time and just two days later you were crawling up a storm!  I thought I had baby proofed, but even the most innocent items have become a hazard.  You have received more than a few bumps and bruises from doorways and the molding on the couch when you didn’t put your brakes on soon enough.  And I bet you don’t know that if you keep pulling up on the baby gate and shaking it with all your might that it could just fall right on top of you! 

You like to explore on the floor by yourself now as long as we are still in the room with you.  If we walk out even into the kitchen, you immediately stop what you are doing and follow us.  There is no more going to the laundry room or the bathroom without having our buddy follow behind us!  =)

You had a bad head cold this month and we made a special trip to the doctor.  You had your first ear infection (just in your right ear) and your first prescription medication.

You went on a swing for the first time.  You went to the park for the first time.  You went to a college gymnastics meet.  You had your hair slightly trimmed. 

Mickey Mouse and Handy Manny are your favorites!  And so are NFL games…  I think you like the New Orleans Hornets basketball team, too... CP3!

You are wearing size 9 month clothes.  You wear short sleeved onesies and either pants or BabyLegs during the day and you wear fleece jammies at night.  I still don’t find the need to put shoes on you unless you are wearing a special outfit and have shoes to match.

You are busting out of your size 2/3 daytime diapers, so I will switch you to 3s when we finish this box.  You wear size 3 at night.  Your daytime diapers are still Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive and Pampers Baby Dry overnight.  We never have any leaks.  I also bought some Flip diapers and BumGenius diapers to start putting you in on the weekends when I have you.  I would love to cloth diaper full time, but I am not sure I am up for the challenge (and the extra laundry!).

Diaper changing is so difficult right now because you never sit still.  As soon as we lay you on your back you flip over and try to crawl away.

You have no signs of teeth coming through yet.

We are still working overtime (daddy has to work much later than mommy) but we try to have you in bed by 8:30 pm now, an hour earlier than last month.  By that time you are tired from playing hard all day and you are READY to head to dreamland.  You pretty much sleep with your tush in the air and your face smooshed into the mattress.  I don’t see how that can be comfortable at all, but that’s how you routinely fall asleep. 

You still need a bottle to help you take a nap when I have you, but you don’t need one at bedtime anymore.  As soon as we put you down you roll on your side or onto your face and pass out.  You have the ability to sleep through the night, but when you wake up, you wake up 4 or 5 times at least. 

You talk and click and shriek.  You can say "dada" but I don’t think you know what you are saying. I can't wait until you can associate the person with the word!

You reach for what you want.

You are eating 3 meals and a snack per day.  Meals are usually half a container of YoBaby yogurt, 2 cubes of a veggie, and 2 cubes of a fruit.  Your snack is usually 12 Gerber Puffs and 6 Gerber Yogurt bites or 2 Mum Mums.  You are getting better at eating the puffs and mum mums all by yourself and you are so proud when you do it.

I bought you some Gerber rice cereal, but you refuse to eat it.  I take that as a compliment to my baby food making skills.  You love all types of YoBaby yogurt.  You haven’t tried many new foods this month aside from every type of squash- from yellow to butternut and acorn to spaghetti.  I had never even seen a spaghetti squash before!  Since you have hit the 8 month mark you are able to try a whole different group of fruits now.  I am excited about that.  We also will try giving you more finger foods.  I can imagine the mess already!

That sippy cup is still the enemy.  I have bought 7 different kinds and they're just not working for you yet.  I will put them up and try them again every few weeks.  You’ll get the hang of it at your own pace.

Sweet boy, I am enjoying every new day and every new surprise we experience with you.