8 Months Old

Dear Carder,

I can't believe you are 8 months old!  I have such a hard time believing that my tiny little baby is getting so big!  I don't have specifics - but I know that you are somewhere around 28 1/2 inches tall and approximately 19 pounds.  Your car seat is only rated for up to 30 inches or 22 pounds, so your Daddy and I need to start investigating your next car seat!  In addition, we have had to rotate out your clothes in these last couple of weeks - most 6-9 month sized clothes are too short.  So, my little premie is now wearing 9-12 month clothes.  If someone had told me that when you were born, I would have given them the stink eye.

Right now, it seems like you are growing up so fast.  Every day, you seem to be doing something new. 

In the last several days, you have really started practicing pulling yourself up.  You will be sitting there playing with your toys and then you will half turn your body and "crawl" up into my lap.  You work really hard to get yourself to standing - here lately you love to stand looking over the back of the couch, standing on my/Daddy's lap, standing next to the coffee table, standing in your pack and play... Daddy and I will also be lowering the mattress on your crib very soon as I am afraid that one day I will walk in and find you standing there!

You have also started to "dance" when you hear music.  So far, your dancing consists of bouncing up and down by bending your knees.  It is really cute to watch.

Last week, you said your first words - Mama - and it was the sweetest sound ever.  You are really close to saying Dada (most of the time you grin like crazy when we say it to you).

You are sitting like a champ now - although I still put a pillow behind you if I am not sitting with you just in case you topple over.  You also voluntarily lower yourself onto your tummy now and play happily there for a while.  You are really good at putting your knees under yourself and I suspect that crawling isn't too far away.

You really are a very happy little boy.  During this last few weeks when you have been quite sick, you have still been in pretty good spirits.  Even with a temperature of 104 and an IV in your arm, you charmed the nurses with your sweet gummy grin.

Now that you have finished your strike on eating, you are still eating 4 bottles a day and 3 meals of solids.  You love most foods - although our first attempt at eggs didn't go so well.  Your most recent favorites are blueberries and yogurt.

Still no teeth yet and - although I have been saying it for months now - I really think you will have one sprouting any day.  I guess only time will tell.

Your current favorite toys are your Elephant, your jumperoo, blocks and your stackable rings.  You are also quite intrigued by the singing ape your Grandma sent you for Valentines Day.  You still love "One Blue Fish" and "I Love You Stinky Face" too!

I also have to tell you - just in the spirit of full disclosure - that this past month we had our first major parenting fail.  On our way to the Little Bracha dinner at church, your Daddy and I both thought the other one had buckled you into your car seat and you ended up riding in the car with nothing but your Bundle Me to hold you in had there been an accident.  Luckily, the trip was short and uneventful and you weren't harmed - but I was extremely upset with us for putting you in harms way...

I love you, my sweet little boy!