Friday, August 1, 2014

8 Months Old


Today you are 8 months old baby, and what fun you are! You have come so far in the last month alone! You learned to sit up properly earlier in the month and a few weeks ago you stood up for the first time yourself -and now it is a daily occurrence, actually nearly non stop! I've gotten used to the little bumps and bruises you've accumulated along the way, although my heart still leaps every time you go boom. But I guess you have to learn what goes up must come down. Here are a few other things that you like/have happened this month
One just isn't enough...
You love to munch Organics tomato slices and carrot stick snacks while you wait on your lunch. Though I have to watch you now as you love them so much you shove the whole piece in your mouth! Thank goodness they dissolve quickly. I also chop up bananas for you and you love to feed yourself. Sometimes more bananas get on the highchair than in your mouth but that's OK! Keep trying!

I try to make the bulk of your food from scratch weekly/biweekly. You love chicken, quinoa and vegetables (usually butternut squash or sweet potato and carrot) and you tolerate my lentil veggie bake (lentils, tomatoes, carrots and zucchini) but that is mostly because they didn't break down enough (I'll do mushier next time!) Cooking for you is easy, healthy and saves a lot of money, but when we are busy you love to eat Ella's Lamb Tagine - well any Ella's Kitchen really. The lamb you seem to like because of all the spices - cinnamon, cumin, coriander all go down well with you. Garlic is a big yum as well. I put some in with pasta stars and carrot parsnip puree and it is gone in seconds. Like mother like son with the garlic and cinnamon!

You also had yogurt for the first time this week as a dessert and you were a little perplexed by it, but still gobbled it up. You eat everything presented to you even if you protest at the start, so I hope to keep changing it up as much as possible before that bland toddler palette sets in!

Sleep


Oh my, I am very proud of you and your sleeping. What a big boy! It was a rocky month, coming back from vacation where mommy indulged you with the odd night feedings and extra early starts (lots of 5 AM walks with Grampy on the beach). You were very confused from the time difference but I knew this would pass, and it did. You started protesting your naps at the beginning of the month, and the time had finally come for you to cry it out. This is what worked best for you as you would only cry harder if interacted with. I knew you just wanted to spend more time with us, and sleep seemed so BORING! But with frequent checks we stuck it out and you learned how to put yourself to sleep from awake instead of drowsy as you rarely like being rocked anymore. So sad for mama, but I'm so happy that you are able to comfort yourself. The night feeding carried on for a few more weeks (just once around 3 or 4) so I gave you a little less every night and then you just stopped waking for it! Now you sleep from 7-7 most nights, straight through, and everyone is getting great rest. The positions we find you in when we check on you at night are so funny, and daddy and I love seeing which way you choose to sleep next. Usually it's with your bottom in the air. Must be comfy! Or you just fall asleep mid crawl. Crawling at night - you are very busy!

Play



We've started to run out of options to contain your curious spirit when we aren't able to mind you. This week you were half way over the side of your walker before I turned around and caught you! My nerves! You are a little daredevil and really have no fear as you love to explore. Now we really only have your playpen and cot, if we really must turn our attention from you, although you try to stand in them constantly so it's only a matter of time before we are run off our feet!



Pass the dodi - This is a new game we play when I wake you up from your nap. You stick your dodi (pacifier) in my mouth and find it hilarious. I'll then pass it back to you or pretend I am a baby too and you laugh and laugh.

Your toys are boring you a bit so I pulled out a bucket and shape set (with balls, blocks and triangles to sort) that nanny got you for Easter. You love the different shapes and spend ages taking the shapes out and putting them back in. Most of your other toys have started to bore you, so I took out a pot and pan and a wooden spoon and you got tons of enjoyment out of that. When your cousin came over, we made "soup" and you helped him stir. I love to watch you learn through play.

Read



Moo, Baa, Lalala
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes

These two books are your favorites at the moment and we read them before every sleep. More on these tomorrow.

Sing

You are My Sunshine
I'd Like to Visit the Moon
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Rubber Ducky

We used to sing "Puff the Magic Dragon" during your bedtime routine and you would turn right in and close your eyes, but now that your a bit more wiggly, one verse of "You are My Sunshine" is all I can manage before you squirm out of my arms and reach for your cot. Sometimes I sing "I'd Like to Visit the Moon," and we dance in the living room. You got a great kick out of Grammy singing the "Itsy Bitsy Spider," complete with hand motions, while on vacation and sometimes you try to join in with your hands too! "Washed the spider out" is your favorite part. And every time we go for a bath I sing "Rubber Ducky" to you and you absolutely beam. You cannot wait to get into the tub and play with Rubber Ducky. I showed you the old Sesame Street recording and you were filled with glee. BEST.THING.EVER.

Talking/Waving/Laughing

You've started saying back to us; mama, baba, dada (limited) and papa. You model them back pretty well, an you do call to me sometimes. You love baba at the moment. Especially when you play with the baby in the mirror. We pulled some pictures of baba's out of a magazine and you love to talk to them. Just yesterday you were trying to say hi back to me. You haven't got the diphthong yet, but you do say HA for hi sometimes. It's very cute. You also wave to the baby in the mirror and sometimes to me when I say goodnight or when dada leaves in the morning. It's getting easier to make you laugh as well, and sometimes you find things that are funny all on your own, without us "performing" for you. I love catching you smile or giggle to yourself.

I can't wait to see what 9 months old brings, but for now, I'll savor these memories and milestones!













Just look at the mischief in those eyes!


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