These 8 month pictures were only possible because Daddy was there to entertain you and keep you on the chair...
This time you were foiled by Daddy's knee :)
Bubbles :)
"Nope, not gonna happen, parents. I'm off."
This is how most of our photoshoots end.
"Seriously. I'm done, you guys."
We didn't have a doctor's appointment this month, and no shots to go in for, so I didn't get a weight at 8 months. I did take you in on 10/04/12 because you were wheezing a lot (turned out just to be a mild upper respiratory virus) and you were 21lbs 12oz with your clothes and diaper on. All your other weigh-ins have been "nekkid" weights :)
We have moved you up to size 4 diapers all the time now. They just contain things better :) You are in 9 and 12 month size clothes. Now that you're walking around (holding onto things) I've started to put shoes on you when we go out - you wear size 3 shoes... but it's hard to find shoes that will fit over your fat little feet! The Striderite brand seems to fit the best so far.
What you LOVE:
Water - any shape or form, as always. This month you've been purposefully dunking you head under the running water in the bathtub, and you just think it's so funny. You like to drink water too, but only out of a normal cup or water bottle... you won't have anything to do with baby sippy cups!
Getting around - you LOVE to be mobile. If you are free to wriggle and squirm and crawl and pull up and cruise around you are usually very happy to entertain yourself for 10 to 20 minutes at a time (as long as you don't get into trouble...).
You LOVE to walk around holding onto our fingers... you even take off "running" like this and we have to move fast to keep up with you!
You LOVE anything that goes "BEEP" - you laugh so hard! Our microwave beeps when it's done and you always stop what you're doing and crack up! The other day at the grocery store you were sitting in the cart while the check-out clerk rang up our groceries - every time she scanned something it went "BEEP" and you were laughing so hard! All the people around were laughing with you - it was very adorable :) You also laugh when our phones beep or ring.
You still LOVE playing peekaboo, being tickled, and PINGU - it's really amazing how captivated you are by Pingu. You never stay still, but whenever I put Pingu on, you sit perfectly still and watch it raptly.
What you don't like:
Now that you're very mobile on your own, you do not like your jumperoo very much - you used to LOVE it so much because it gave you freedom to stand and jump, but now that you can do that all by yourself you do not like to be "trapped" in it! You always protest loudly when I try to put you in it. Sometimes I can get you to calm down enough to realize "oh! jumping is fun!" for a little while, but most of the time you cry to get out immediately.
You still hate getting your diaper or clothes changed... too much keeping still for your liking!
You don't always like be left somewhere without momma or daddy... especially without momma. You have become very attached this month, which is all normal.
What you've been up to this month:
This month hasn't been so much about new things as it has about perfecting all the things you figured out last month - you are now a speed crawler and you can pull up on anything, even a flat wall or a pant leg or very unstable things like the bouncy part of your jumperoo. You have very good balance, and have started standing alone for around 5 or 10 seconds - until you realize that nothing is holding you up and you plonk down on your bottom! You're walking around holding onto things and you love to take off running while holding someone's fingers.
You've started "dancing" when you hear music! So adorable - you bounce on your feet if you're standing, and wiggle and wave your arms around if you're sitting.
You've been talking a lot more - combining different sounds. Instead of just mamama, dadada, bababa, gagaga... you now say things like ba-boo-ba-boo, ma-boo-ma-boo, da-boo-da-boo, ma-ba-ma-ba, ga-goo-ga-goo. You say "mama" for me, and you're starting to say "dada" more specifically for Daddy too.
You're being more dramatic this month too - you will gasp and squeal and pant when you find something exciting. This kind of works against you, though, because I always know when you are getting into something that you are not allowed - you start panting excitedly as you speedily crawl over to whatever you're not allowed to play with and then squeal when you get it! So even if I can't see you I know that you're doing something you're not allowed to do, haha :)
You are such a little monkey - you KNOW what you are not allowed to touch/do, and when we say "Judah, no!" you look up and grin at us cheekily! Consistency is key, as I've been told by many people, so we are trying our best to be consistent with what we do not allow you to play with (ie. the remote control, the Xbox, other breakable or potentially dangerous objects). You now know very well what things are off limits. You are starting to understand "no" and "that's not for Judah", and sometimes you'll stop what you're doing... but most often you go right ahead and we have to intervene :)
You are noticing more of the world around you - whenever you hear lawnmowers, or sirens, you look around for the source. When you hear a car drive up and a door slam you get all excited and look for Dada... and then when you hear the lock turn in the door you get even more excited because Dada is home! Whenever you hear a new voice or a new sound in the room you crawl over to investigate.
Eating - you are liking solid foods a bit better this month, still not consistently though. I'm lucky to get one solid "meal" into you a day because you take so long to eat... you prefer to play with your food. I'm not worried, though, because you are still going strong with nursing and you are definitely healthy and chunky :) You have your favorites - broccoli, scrambled eggs, sweet potatoes, stewed apples, most fresh fruit... and you like to suck down mixed fruit and veggie pouches (Plum Organics & Ella's Kitchen & Happy Babies).
Sleep - You go to bed around 9 or 10pm and are still waking up around 3 or 4am to nurse. You wake up around 8am and nurse and then fall back to sleep until 9 or 10am. You usually take two 1.5-2 hour naps during the day around noon and 4pm.
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You are a very studious baby - you love to try and figure out how things work and what they do. Often you will find something that interests you, like our plastic clock, and sit and study it for a long time, turning it over and over, trying to get at the moving hands. You have an engineering mind like your Daddy. You are also so active and mischievous - you just love to go straight for the things that are off limits, and with your smart little brain figuring things out daily, you always find new ways to get at things. You have a strong will as well - you don't give up easily on what you want. We sure have our hands full with you!
You have become such a little person recently - you've always had a mind of your own but your little personality is bursting through more every day. I love love love being able to watch you learn and grow every day - so thankful for your Daddy who works so hard at his job and grad school so that I get to stay home with you - it is a blessing that I do not take for granted. Parenthood is such a marvel - every day there is something new that we have to figure out. Sure, there are hard days, and I have never felt so exhausted... and yet I am fulfilled and deep-down happy at the end of each day, and I love it.
We love you Judah William! We are just LOVING watching you grow into your own little person. [Just slow down a wee bit on the growing up part, though, ok?]
