A Letter: Eight Months

Dear Bug,

Baby girl, you are eight months old. Eight months!

This month we finally moved you into your own room. I know some may look down upon the fact that we had you with us for so long, but the timing finally felt right. We are getting settled into our new home and the first room we finished was yours. It has a big, beautiful purple wall and all of the things your Lolla has made just for you. And you just love your room! We spend a fair amount of time in there, and you love to cruise around, checking out all of your stuff. Your favorite part? Your books. You love to read, be read to, and chew on all of your wonderful books. Once I set you down, you crawl straight for your bookshelf and start pulling them all off! You are your mother's daughter, that's for sure.

Before people think we moved you into your room and everything was hunky dory, I should add that we are still fighting nighttime. You nap like a champ (either one big morning nap and a second, hour-long nap in the afternoon or three, 45-minute to one-hour naps throughout the day), and you go down for bed like a champ, but you do not stay asleep. It shouldn't surprise me because neither your Daddy or I are good sleepers, but I keep waiting for the night you decide to sleep just a little bit longer. As of right now, you usually go to bed between seven and eight but are up to eat by midnight, sometimes later, sometimes earlier. You're up again between three and four, and at that wake-up, I bring you into bed with us. I love our snuggles for those couple of hours, and you wake up at 7 like clockwork. You are always so happy to see both of us. Minus our nighttime struggles, you are one happy little girl!

You are such a little person these days; your fiery personality is shining right through your baby-ness and giving us daily flashes of toddlerhood. I'm not going to lie, some days it scares me a little bit - like the first time you had watermelon and threw a legitimate tantrum when it was gone. A tantrum, little Bug! You were so mad and wanted MORE and had no other way of communicating that frustration than to turn red and scream. Needless to say, we haven't given you watermelon a second time. There are plenty of other foods that don't illicit screaming, so I think we'll stick to those for now.

You are a mercurial little person, little Miss. You can go from happy to mad for no apparent reason at all, and then back to happy two seconds later. You have definite likes and only a few dislikes, and it is wonderful being able to read you so easily. One thing you are insistent upon is feeding yourself. You will not let us spoon feed you whatsoever! Our approach has become to include a Lily-friendly item at each meal, set it on your tray, and let you go at it. You have a blast making a mess and eating with the family, and we don't spend hours trying to airplane food into your mouth. It's a win-win, really. Speaking of family, your puppies are your favorite thing (second maybe to Mom and Dad), and you love taking them on their walk, riding along in your stroller and enjoying the outdoors.

Oh! Speaking of walking - one of your biggest milestones this month is that you are standing and cruising! You actually did them both on the same day, you little overachiever. Now we can't keep you off of anything. You are our little spiderwoman; so focused on standing, you pull yourself up with your crib rails, with Mom and Dad's legs, the dog dish, the wall... anything, really! Your favorite item in the house is the laundry basket. Forget the toys, the laundry basket is where it's at! When it's flipped over, you can use it like a walker and push it around the house like the big girl you are, smiling the whole time. When you crash into a wall, you just cruise around to the other side and start in a new direction. Such a smart cookie!

Every day you do something new, but clapping is definitely your favorite new skill. We sing songs and you clap along. If we say "Yay!", you clap and squeal because you know you did something good. And then sometimes you just clap to clap. Why not? You play peek-a-boo with anything you can get your hands on, and if you can't find something, you play with your arms or our hands. You also wave, give hugs and kisses (love those slimy kisses!), and are very intrigued by other children. Whenever there is someone around relatively your size, you stare at them for a while and then crawl right over and pinch them, you little stinker! We'll have to work on that.

Out of all of those wonderful, adorable new things you do, little Bug, guess what my favorite new skill is of yours?

You said Momma.

With meaning.

And reached for me.

Queue: heart melting.

We are also pretty sure you say "Hi" and "Hello," but of course the Momma just melts me. It also makes it worse at night when you want me. You start to fuss and end up standing in your crib, sticking your face down the hallway and yelling "Mamamamamamama." Needless to say, you get me. Every single time.

Oh my, little Bug, I have become a softie. I tear up thinking about how far you've come since February. Every time someone comments on how big you are, or asks a second or third time "She's HOW old?!", I grin proudly and my heart just melts over and over again. Right before your eight month birthday, you stood by yourself. By yourself! You were more shocked than I was when you realized what you were doing, so you sat down. Hah! I have a feeling that walking is just around the corner and my life will never be the same.

Who am I kidding? It already won't be, now that you're in it.

All my love,
Momma

Eight month stats...
Weight: Approximately 19-20 pounds (18lbs, 11oz on October 12th)
Clothing Size: 6 months
New Nicknames: Goobie, Buggie


Eight Month Milestones...
9/29: Clapping, slept in your own room
10/2: Pulled to semi-standing on low items
10/4: Pulled to full stand in crib, started cruising
10/12: First sickness (croup)
10/18: Said Momma!
10/22: Stood by herself