(Disclaimer: I realize these letter posts are quite long, consisting of very specific info and pictures you've probably seen in other posts. To clarify, I am making a book of E's first year, and each month's letter is a chapter, complete with our favorite pictures of that month. I am so bad about filling in her baby book, but I do seem to keep up with her stats and developments on the blog...so, that's what I'm doing with these! Plus, we have lots of out-of-town family that like to see what's going on with our Birdie. I realize that I think my kid is the best kid of all, so if you'd like to skip on over these letters, feel free. You won't hurt my feelings. ;) But if not, enjoy!)
Dear Birdie,
You are 8 whole months old! You've had such a big month, so here are some of the highlights...oh yes, please slow down. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: STOP IT! ;)
Growth:
-You weigh 21 pounds, and you are 29.5 inches long. You are in the 85th percentile for weight and the 99th percentile for height.
-Most of your clothes are now in the 12-18 month range--you are a long baby!
-Your strawberry is starting to involute in the middle, and it still seems not to be bothering you.
Eating:
-You nurse about every 3.5-4 hours, and you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Because you are SO ready for bed by about 6pm, you will sometimes be so tired that you'll just go without nursing one last time. You are just too tired and very ready to be put in your crib, but if I try to nurse you any sooner, you aren't hungry. So we've still been doing a dream feeding, but I think we'll phase out of that in a week or so. I'll be sad to see that go. I love our one last snuggle before bed.
-So far, your favorite foods are bananas, carrots, apples, sweet potatoes, and pears. You have tried a few cereal puffs, and you will take a few drinks out of your sippy cup. On walks, you'll slurp water from the bottle cap if I offer it to you. So sweet...and messy. ;)
-Speaking of mess, when you are eating, you do NOT like having a messy face. If there is residue on your mouth from your previous bite, you will smear it all over your face with your hands until it is spread so thin you can't feel it anymore. And yet, you don't love having your face cleaned off, either. Complicated lady. ;)
-A new trick: you hold your foot and stick your leg out straight while you nurse like a toe-touch. You seem pretty proud of this new feat.
-The Wandering Arm--during your dream feeding while you are fast asleep, your free arm wanders slowly all through the air until your little hand finds my face or hair. You'll slooooowly move your palm across my cheek and shoulders, or you'll run your fingers through my hair as you nurse. You move so slowly, and your palm is so small and soft. Your sweet little wandering arm is priceless.
-You make a gag face when you realize I've snuck something green into your bite of sweet potatoes or carrots. Not so cute. ;)
Sleeping:
-Like I said, you love to go to bed early. You will go to sleep around 6:30pm and sleep solidly until around 6:30-7am.
(Just wanted to see if I remembered how to swaddle...you were not amused.) ;)
-I can tell your naps are in a bit of a transition this month. For the longest time, you were taking four naps a day, but I think you have totally phased out one of the naps, plus the times have shifted. You now nap at 9am, 1pm, and most of the time, you'll take a cat nap at around 4pm. You still don't nap very long--about 40 minutes to an hour per nap, but you no longer wake up mad anymore. I guess you're getting what you need!
-You've become pretty attached to your bedtime bunny. It is a yarn bunny, and you rub it between your thumb and forefinger over and over, or you'll rub it on your face as you go to sleep. Bunny stays in the crib along with your paci (unless we're out in public...gotta keep a paci handy in case of boredom/possible melt-down...), so you are always pretty excited to get put down for a nap to see your 'friends'...! ;)
Play:
-Big development this month: you can CRAWL! One day, Daddy and I were getting you all ready to go on a walk, and out of nowhere, you just decided you'd like to crawl on over to me! I am so proud of you and so sad at the same time. You are growing up all too quickly, my love.
-You also learned how to clap your hands this month! You will crawl around, stop suddenly and sit up, find me, make eye contact, and then start to clap wildly while smiling and laughing! So cute.
-Also, you can kind of wave 'bye-bye'...you'll do it without being prompted, but when we ask you to wave, you look at us like we're idiots. Pretty funny, actually.
-"Dada" is still your only real word that you say, but we think you're on the verge of saying "Mama"--after we say it over and over to you, you'll think really hard, and then you'll say, "Baba." Pretty close. Usually you just follow me around the house calling me "Dada"...but you're cute, so I'll let it slide. For now. ;)
-Also, before you really get to talking, you like to whisper to get warmed up. You'll whisper "Dadadadada" for minutes on end, and then, when you're good and ready, you'll start actually saying it out loud. Love the whispering.
-Not quite so lovely is when you growl/clear your throat loudly over and over and over. We have no idea where you learned to do this or why, but you sound like a tiny choking dinosaur with all the growling and hacking and gagging.
-Separation anxiety--For about two weeks, you went through a phase of major separation anxiety. I could barely set you down without you collapsing into a pathetic pile of wails, tears, and pouty lips! Didn't even matter if Dad was holding you--you'd still lose it once I started to walk away. Your grandparents all said you did the same thing with them this month, too. After a couple of times of just having to get yourself pulled together (I mean, really. I was sitting RIGHT beside you...!), you finally stopped the pouting. It was kind of flattering, but still. I'm glad that phase passed. Until next time!
-Despite a short spell of separation anxiety this month, you really like to play on your own for awhile. I will set you down amongst all of your toys on the living room floor, and you will contentedly play for the longest time. Of course, you always welcome a playmate, but you really can entertain yourself for awhile.
(Tiny friends, Baby N and Baby E.)
-You've started showing interest in small things like dried blades of grass on the floor or your little cereal puffs; you can grab them with your finger and thumb.
-One of my favorites: you are starting to love to be tickled--you'll pinch your face all up and wrinkle your nose and smile...but your laugh is trapped inside at first. It comes out as a grunt or a big sigh...and then you'll get to squealing! You like to be tickled under your tiny chin, too.
-I'll raise you up above my head and kind of 'toss' you up a couple of inches while saying "Squeesh!" (don't know where that noise/word came from...), and you will giggle and laugh and smile.
-You'll giggle so hard if I look away from you really fast and then slowly turn my eyes back to look into yours. For some reason, this gets you laughing so hard!
-You've found your louder volume when you are talking. You start going on the "dadadada" and it can get pretty loud. You are quite impressed with yourself.
-Face Touch--another of my favorites. When I am holding you, I'll lean in really slowly, touch our noses or foreheads together, and I'll say "Face touch!" You think this is SO fun! You'll hold really still when you know it is coming, and then you will bust out giggling as our faces touch. Now that we've done this so many times, you will crawl over to me when we're playing on the floor and 'face touch' ME with smiles and giggles! OH, melt my heart.
-One of my non-favorties: you've discovered that you can lick your own chin. You'll stick your tongue waaaaaaay out, and then you'll run it all over your chin, possibly checking for specs of leftover food. GROSS. But still cute somehow. ;)
Adventures:
-Pumpkin patch with Grammy and Papa!
-Trip to OKC to see Grandmama and Aunt Caitlin!
-Family pictures! We went back to the same place where we took maternity pictures while you were still in my belly--for some reason, it was very moving to me to be back in that same place with you as you sat and played with leaves, laughed, and smiled for us. We are "us" now. A family.
-Halloween! For your first Halloween, you just had to go as a birdie, so you were a pretty peacock! Aunts Caitlin, Rachel and Emily, Uncle Sean, Grammy and Papa got to come over to see you in your silly costume, and they all agreed that you were the best peacock of them all. ;)
You weren't super pumped up about the costume for very long, but after a pep talk from Dad, you were good to go. ;)
Birdie, as I say each month and with each new milestone reached, it is all happening too fast. You are our JOY embodied, and we love you for making us a family of three.
I'll love you forever and like you for always,
Mommy
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