8 months old

Now you are 8 months old! This last month you experienced a lot of physical development: you got two teeth (on the bottom; they came in at about the same time, with only one day of misery), and you started pulling yourself to a stand! Your legs are very strong. You really want to get places, and will reach out and try to grab onto things to climb up, like mommy’s shirt or pants leg. Right now you’re obsessed with pulling up! You can do it on the bed frame in your nursery if your legs are in just the right position, and you are always turning to Mommy or Daddy so that we’ll put our hands out for you to grab and use for leverage.

So far you can only get around by rolling, which you mostly do in your crib, but you are definitely trying to figure out the mechanics of climbing over things and getting place. For now, you like to lunge in the general direction of whatever interests you, like the cats, and fall over onto your face! But you don’t mind. You just lie on your tummy and kick and look around and reach.

You don’t want to sit anymore, you want someone to put their fingers out for you to grab onto so you can hoist yourself to standing. Your legs are so strong you can stand up holding onto something for seven minutes—your Daddy timed you! He also helped you to walk, by holding your waist or hands. What a big girl you are getting to be! When you are happy and excited, you make a silly sound (huh, huh) and if you are sitting, you bounce up and down and rock back and forth and pat your hands on the ground! You’ve also figured out the secret of the walker, and you can go really fast; you like to chase the doggies around in it! You can even pop wheelies in that thing, and you wander all around the downstairs. We have a bouncing stationary baby entertainer that you just figured out how to jump in, and you find it so very thrilling to do so. You’re starting to learn how to get on all fours, so either crawling or walking, I bet you’ll be getting places soon! Too soon for Mommy, at least.

When you do sit and play, you have a basket of toys you find very entertaining; it has blocks, Mardi Gras beads, a baby cell phone, rattles, teethers, a wooden truck, cloth caterpillars, a froggy bell, and a laughing butterfly (it has a recording of a child giggling—your Daddy refers to it as the toy that mocks you). You also really enjoy your giraffe toy your godmother B gave you. Your Daddy has noticed that you will have a toy in each hand and consider them, choosing which to stuff in your mouth (usually you choose a wooden block). And sometimes you’ll just move your hands and watch them. You have a curious mind and find anything fascinating. It’s so interesting to see what intrigues you—ceiling fans, children playing, a magazine. One thing you think is particularly funny this month is when Mommy takes off her glasses (usually because you keep pulling at them).

You’ve been vocalizing a lot (you are especially loquacious when you are tired), saying “ah eh ih uh ew.” Other things you say are “blah blah blah” and “daaa,” often with your finger in your mouth. I personally believe you have attempted to say several things, like “yeah”, “hi” and “clap,” but only your Daddy believes me. Sometimes it appears that you try to imitate what we say. And from time to time, it seems like you are singing to yourself. But your favorite way of communicating is through blowing raspberries and making your “stinky face” with your nose all crinkled up, and blowing air in and out through your nose very fast. You will do this over and over again, and love it when we join in! It’s so funny. You’ve also started to try to give us kisses: you’ll open your mouth wide and smash it into some part of our face or neck. It is so sweet! Your Grandmama especially loves it when you do this to her!

You are a very, very good eater. This month you’ve gobbled down so many things: spinach, blueberries, peaches, avocado, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, squash, string cheese, Russian cheese, cream cheese, kefir, pastry from Uzbekistan, applesauce, pear sauce, salsa, egg yolks, bread, tofu, chicken, salmon, turkey, tortillas, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cereals, soups, potatoes, various herbs, yogurt, marinara sauce, noodles, tomatoes, kale, barley, carrots, beets, the list goes on. You’ll eat anything! I feel like a mama bird when I feed you, with your big open O of a mouth waiting for food.

You are a very, very good sleeper, too. When it’s sleepytime, you go right to bed with your thumb in your mouth, and sometimes before naptime, you play in your crib for a while. You have a rabbit rattle your Aunt L gave you that you are delighted to see at naptime, and you bang it up and down and roll around with it in your crib and talk to yourself before settling down, invariably, on your tummy in some far corner of your bed to sleep. Sometimes before you sleep, or when you wake up, you smile and giggle at me through the slats of the crib, and it is so sweet.

And what a cuddly baby you have been this month. You reach your arms skyward when you want to be held, and you give hugs and wrap your arms partway around my neck. I love when you are cuddling in my arms after eating, and you reach up and touch my face and smile and talk to me (and grab my hair and glasses, too!)

This has been a wonderful month with you. I feel so lucky to be your Mommy.

With all my love,
Mama