8 months old!

Our little E is growing up!

If we're friends on facebook, you've seen the monthly photo I post of Eli in his chair.  I just love seeing how he has grown each month!  It blows my mind!

Prior to restarting this blog, I have been keeping an "Eli journal."  I started writing entries every week after we found out we were pregnant - how I was feeling, what I had learned about his development, what I craved, and how we felt when we learned "punkin" was a boy!!  I also wrote Eli's birth story and have been keeping track of his milestones there.  I intend to give it to him when he's old enough to care (then again, he is a boy... will he ever really care?).  ;) 

Anyway, I am going to continue the monthly post here and attempt to write more about what typical days are like for us at this stage!

Eli at 8 months old

 Dear sweet little Eli,

You are absolutely a ball of joy these days!  You are such a fun baby - you are so curious about the world around you that when we are out you hardly make a sound... you are just taking it all in!  We love introducing you to new things - you get so excited!  Last week we had Thanksgiving with two different families in one day and you were passed around all day.  I was a little nervous because you had started showing signs of stranger anxiety, but you never cried once!  Everyone loved on you and you loved every minute of it!

You have been growing so much lately... I hear more about how big you are rather than how skinny you are, which is a huge relief to me!  You wear 6-12 month & 6-9 month clothes, and some 9-12 month clothes (PJs and tee shirts).  Pants with elastic waistbands fit you best... the others are still a bit loose on you!  

You weigh approximately 18 pounds.  Some days 18.5, others 18 even. You don't eat as well when your teeth are bothering you, which seems to be a constant issue these days!  You have FIVE teeth - and are working on the 6th.  I can't see it yet, but I expect to see it any day!  You are drooling like a madman and constantly have your fingers in your mouth!  And, you grind your teeth (uuggh - even the thought of it now sends chills down my spine!) and smash your jaws together right now, which has always been a sign of a tooth near its debut!

You have mastered so many skills lately, it's hard to keep up!  You learned how to sit up on your own around 7 months,  2 weeks.  You love sitting up and playing with toys, looking around, or taking your socks off!  Sometimes you sit up, then get back on your hands and knees, only to spin around and sit facing the other direction.  It's pretty funny!  You also learned how to pull up this month!  You pull up constantly now - during bath time, during naptime, and during play time!  If I get my fingers or hands close to you, you are clamoring after them so you can pull yourself up!  Daddy had to end bath time early last night because you refused to sit down!  You are still army crawling, which you started a little after 6 months old.  I tried crawling on my knees the other day and it hurt!!  I don't blame you one bit for army crawling!  

Attempting to pull up on daddy

OH!  The funniest trick you do these days is pushing your little sit & stand toy.  It's so funny!  

You eat three meals a day.  We typically start breakfast off with yogurt - you love it!  You haven't enjoyed cereal for a couple of months now, even when I add cinnamon or fruits.  So, we give you cheerios instead.  For lunch and dinner, we typically eat veggies.  You LOVE roasted butternut squash. 

Enjoyed prunes so much you wanted some on your nose for later.  Typical - at least one sock is pulled off. 

 I just love this picture - Bill and Eli going to spend some QT out at the garden on a beautiful fall afternoon.
  Bill loves his garden and loves sharing it with Eli!

I'll write some about our garden.  Unfortunately, the latest freeze wiped out all of our veggies besides the turnips.  If anyone has turnip recipes, please share!  :)  Bill's experiments usually result in experiments of my own in the kitchen!  ;)  Don't let that scare you - Bill has requested I not try new recipes with guests.  :)

Family pic from O'Connor Christmas. 

 Over the Thanksgiving weekend, we finally got to introduce Eli to Caden.  These boys are 6 weeks apart and Em and I have shared so many similar mothering experiences.  Talking to her through these last several months has helped spare my sanity.. it's always sooo nice to talk to people going through similar experiences!  Caden is such a sweet and animated little guy... these two are going to have a blast playing together in the future!

 Bill thought the pics through the chair were strange.  I was just trying to get ONE picture of them both looking at me!  It didn't work.  But, thought these pics of our guys were too cute to not share!

I thought the pics below were funny.  This was during an attempt at his 8 month pic.  You can see the moment he spotted his jumperoo next to him, then his steps to get there!  Look at the excitement in his face!

 

I guess I should show the last picture, too.  You can see where this is headed.  By no means can he walk.  Nor has he mastered getting off his chair into a standing position.  It usually ends this way:

Delayed reaction of putting the camera down... but at least I got my foot up there??!  ;)

It's OK though.. many moms remind me bruises and falls are necessary evils at this age.  Well, and probably will be for another 15 years, at least.  Gotta love boys!!  :)

Love!