She's Eight Months Old

Aubrey Lane, you are already eight months old.  Actually you have been eight months old for a whole week now.  That's 2/3's of a year... TWO THIRDS!!!  You are growing so fast, my sweet girl.
  

I'm excited to actually be able to document your weight and height this month because I just took you to see your pediatrician for an ear infection...


At 8 months old you weigh exactly 17 pounds and you are 27 inches long.  I'm not sure what percentage that is.  You wear 9 months and some 12 months clothes, size 2 shoes, and right now you are back in a size 2 diaper because we had some left over ;-)


Other than the ear infection, you've been pretty happy... well maybe not completely.  You have been cutting your top front teeth, and they haven't been that fun for you.  But now you have 3 teeth.  


You aren't crawling yet.  Actually, you don't seem to really have any interest in it.  You army crawl or roll everywhere you need to go.  You even lunge from sitting onto your belly, but you have no interest in getting that belly off the ground and onto your knees.  Pediatrician says not to worry a bit, but I try to work with you on it.  (The result of being a "therapy mom" with Jude for over 4 years) You hate it.  Every bit of it.  However, you have started pulling your self to standing using the safety bar in your stroller.  You love your stroller and you hop and dance in it every time.  I'm a little nervous you're going to hop right out of it.


Since you are teething, your eating habits have been a little off.  You are not always interested in spoon feeding; however, I've started you on stage 2s, but I'm a little disappointed over their lack of texture.  So I've just started mashing fruits and veggies with a fork and feeding you that.  You love it!  You love mangos, sweet potatoes, pears, and avocados.  


A couple of weeks ago, I offered you some puffs and you love them.  You haven't quite perfected picking them up, so I bought you some Mum-Mums for you to hold and eat yourself.  You are officially a Mum-Mum addict.  You LOVE feeding yourself, and you cry for more when you have finished.

You also put everything you can find in your mouth.  We call you our little nanny goat because your favorite thing to eat is magazine paper. 

of course I had to take a picture of you before I took it away

You don't want the sippy cup anymore.  You are more interested in playing with it than drinking from it.  I'm trying not to stress over it because I know that you'll get it when you are ready.  BUT... I'm a stresser, and the fact that you don't want to do anything but nurse makes me a very nervous for you during this week when Jude has surgery.

Eating isn't the only thing that teething has thrown a wrench into.  My sweet little girl, you have slept through the night since you were 8 weeks old... until now.  You wake up between 3 and 5 lately.  And I, the mom that said, "Babies sleep in their own bed", have been putting you in bed with us and nursing you back to sleep.  I actually think you want to get in bed with me more than you want to eat.

You are a good player.  I've packed away the bouncer and swing, and I'm about to pack away your jumper because you are not interested in playing in it either.  Instead, you love to sit and play with your piano and dance to it.  You love to roll around on the floor and pull out my magazines and tear them up.  I don't know why I'm in a rush for you to crawl when you are already into everything.  


You also love whatever toy your brother has and you are always right next to him trying to play with him.  Jude, on the other hand, has started testing the waters.  And he's not exactly your biggest fan.  He hits you, pushes you, pulls you down when your sitting, and kicks you.  And you have turned into quite a sensitive little thing.  You burst into tears at his every physical assault. 


You are doing some really sweet things right now.  You are snuggling your face into everything when you are sleepy.  When I'm holding you, you spontaneously lean in and give me open mouth kisses on my face.  

You have started showing some stranger anxiety.  We were in JC Penny the other day, and you were happy as a lark riding and hopping in the stroller.  Then a young man leaned down to say hello to you. You. Squalled.  You just lost it.  But you were fine as soon as he got out of your space.  


You have started taking to your daddy a little more.  You cutely say "Da Da" every time you see him.  I can't lie... it makes me a little jealous, but I'm glad you are finally taken with him.  


You are a pretty easy baby.  And pretty easy going too.  You are still "quietly curious", as you daddy calls you, and you would rather quietly examine you environment than dive right into whatever is in front of you.  You are generally pretty happy and content.  The only things that make you upset is taking a toy away and changing you.  


That's right, you dislike being changed, and you HATE the changing table.  I think it's just the laying down part because you start screaming the moment I lay you down to change you, but as soon as I sit you up, you are fine.  And oddly, it's worse on the changing table.  I've gotten to where I don't even like to use it because you put up such a fight. I just lay a blanket down on Jude's toddler bed or the floor.  Hopefully that will get a little better as you get older.


We have had a full month of sweet memory making.  One of those noteworthy moments was going to visit Maw Maw Katie and Paw Paw Steve.  Paw Paw Steve had only seen you a few times, but you are his only granddaughter, and he is smitten with you.  We went out to eat, and you were so fussy, so Paw Paw Steve swooped you up, rocked you, and sang loudly to you in the restaurant.  Y'all were both happy as two peas in a pod.  When he would stop singing you would jump and give him a couple tugs on his shirt to start again.  It was pretty stinkin' sweet.

Another on of those moments was yesterday at the zoo.  You are still the community streaker.  I'm starting to think you strategically poop on your clothes so you can be naked.  You wait until I've exhausted all extra outfits before you strike again. And the zoo trip was no different.  About two-thirds through the trip you ended up streaking again.  Here's a picture of the streaker and Uncle Joey.

Tonight, sweet girl, is the first night you will spend away from Mommy and Daddy.  I miss you bunches, but I know you are in good hands with your Maw Maw Lucy.  Plus, I know it will be good for both of us because we are pretty attached to one another.  But that's okay.  You are only a baby for a tiny bit of time, there will be plenty of time for you to be independent later in life.  For now, I'm just soaking up all these sweet baby moments with you.  


I love you, sweet Aubrey girl.