Eight Months

Charlotte Lee,

You are eight months of the way through your first year!  In four tiny months you will turn one year old and I don't want to believe that! 

This month has been so much fun for us with a lot of firsts.  You are so active now, you move all over the place and I constantly have to crawl after you to pick you and turn you around so that you don't get into something that you shouldn't.  But this month you've also become more cuddly than you used to.  The one thing that I dislike about Babywise is that there is no rocking you to sleep and so I feel like I've missed out on a lot of the snuggly time with you.  But this month you started wanting to sit in my lap more and the feeling of having you on my lap with your little head laid on my chest is indescribably one of the best feelings that I've ever felt.  I'm not sure if the change is because you've been teething this month and haven't felt as good or because you got used to so much time on my lap while we went to California but, whatever the reason, I am so thankful that we are getting to share these special moments.

I feel like you have grown so much this month!  You now hate to be in your jumper.  You cry when we put you in it but if we leave you there you will stop and start playing with the things on it.  But we better not leave you there for long or you'll start pitching a fit to get down.  You still aren't officially crawling with your tummy off the ground but you are great at "scooch"-ing around by pushing off with your knees/legs and pulling yourself forward with your arms.  I feel like this takes a lot more effort than crawling would but you don't seem bothered with it.  Memma said that I was the same way only with rolling and I didn't crawl until later so I'm guessing you're just taking after me.  But with all this moving you are quick to make a break for the doors to the patio or the door to the foyer.  I'll say "Charlotte" and you'll look at me and smile.  You know that you're not supposed to go there but you smile and then turn around and keep going.  Here you are with your beloved egg after I've told you to come back.  Do you look like you're coming back?!?! I don't think so!

This month has been a big one for you eating wise.  We moved to only nursing four times a day so that you are taking two two hour naps and you are loving your new schedule.  Daddy loves your new schedule because it means that you are up from the time he gets home from work until you go to bed (at 8) and so he gets to spend more time with you.  You are eating almost every baby food I can find.  You got over your aversion to green beans and eat them fine now.  The only baby foods that we've really found that you don't like are mango's and peaches and we haven't tried green peas again.  You love your puffs (any flavor) and will gobble them right up.  You started getting little itty bitty pieces of bread sometimes if we're out to dinner and don't want to feed you any more puffs.  And this week I started tearing up mini pancakes to feed you for breakfast.  Miss Kelly will be happy to hear that since I was previously feeding you a veggie and fruit in the morning for breakfast and she felt very sorry that you had to eat veggies in the morning.  You also tried some diluted juice while we were in California.  You don't drink it much at home but, despite this picture, you love your sippy cup and put it in your mouth the right way as soon as we give it to you even though there's never anything in it!

This month you started pulling up on things -- me, Daddy, your pink chair, your activity table top.  You can climb over anything that we set in front of you if one of Luca's toys is on the other side!  You will not be stopped!

You had a lot of firsts this month.  First Christmas.  First New Years (although we didn't do anything so you had no idea that this even was something).  First airplane ride.  First time to California or Texas.  First time to see the Pacific Ocean (you and Daddy had that first together!).  First National Championship game.  First trip to the Rose Bowl.  First National Championship win for Alabama.  First tooth.  You were busy!  And always such a trooper!  Despite being a baby who has been on a schedule practically since the day you were born (who am I kidding, since the day you were born) you handle change and disruption amazingly well.  See, here you are all relaxed in your crib!

In the past week you've also started consistently saying "MaMa" and "DaDa".  We love hearing that!  And you are great at throwing your arms up when we say "Up".  It is so cute watching you start to communicate!  And then sometimes you have to think about what you're going to say before you say it....

Charlotte, you are the best baby in the world and your Daddy and I are so thankful that you are ours.  We cherish each and every second that we get to be your parents.  Thank you for the blessing that you are to our lives.  We love you!

love Mommy