8 months
Who can believe we have an 8 month old?? Where did the past 8 months (or 17 months for that matter) go?? We waited for 10 long years for Cole to arrive and now his first birthday will be here before we know it!! People always say that time flies faster when you have little ones, we'd never have believed just HOW fast! The memories of waiting so long aren't far from my mind, so I always send out prayers for others who are waiting too. Memories of being pregnant seem like they were yesterday and how could it possibly be that long ago that we brought home the itty bitty 4 lb & 14 oz bundle??
At 8 months old....
Cole weighs 21 pounds!!
He wears a size 3 diaper, though not for much longer! He wears size 9 month clothes, the 6-9 months are mostly too small. He wears 12 month jammies and one piece outfits. He's torso is long, his legs are short like his Mommy! His belly is now hanging out of my favorite little striped sweater *sigh*.......
He eats food 3 times a day, still just jar baby food though. He gags when we attempt any kind of finger food or table food. He usually eats 2 jars of food at lunch & supper. At breakfast he has a very large bowl of cereal with a jar of fruit mixed in. He is drinking about 24-30 ounces of formula a day. He drinks juice mixed with water out of a sippie cup from time to time, more for fun than any other reason. Occasionally he will munch on his "food mesh munchie bag" with something inside, not often though.
A few of his favorite toys are his music, mirror, lights contraption from his Mimi & Pappy for Christmas. He loves to laugh at himself in the mirror and now knows how to make each musical instrument work on the stand. He loves the Lightning McQueen ride on car that his Grand Daddy (aka: Grumpy) got him for Christmas too. He will just sit on it and push the buttons for sounds, holding the steering wheel as long as you will sit with him! He loves his little bowls and uses those for toys as well. He loves anything that rattles and he can shake to make noise, he likes banging things together or on the table, wall or floor. He loves a little phone that came with the Lightning car, it has a clicky button on it. He still loves his giraffe and well, just everything he can put in his mouth. He's still totally in awe of his Elmo Live that Santa brought, it was a fantastic choice Santa!! He likes to laugh, be bop his head and put his hand in Elmo's mouth while he talks or sings.
Cole is finally back to sleeping at night again. The month of the sickies really did a number on his sleep schedule, but just the end of this past week we have gotten back into our routine of not waking up during the night. If he does, it's usually early around 9:30 and only for a few minutes. Otherwise he sleeps from about 6:30ish - 6:30ish!!
Cole usually naps 2-3 times a day. If he takes a long nap, an hour or longer, then the other nap is short and it's just 2 for the day. If his naps are short, 30ish minutes, then he usually takes 3. Just the last two weeks we have started making sure that all naps are in his bed, his pack n play if he's at Granny's. He had previously taken naps in the swing and being held often, especially on the weekends when he & Daddy napped together. Granny liked to hold him and he & I napped together in the afternoons sometimes too. We've discovered he naps much better in his own bed, now that he's use to it. (Wasn't so easy in the beginning, lots of waking up and crying!) He also sleeps better at night now.
Cole loves to be on the go. He likes to people watch and flirt. He typically enjoys shopping or going out to eat. He can now sit in a high chair or buggy (shopping cart for those of you not from the South ;) with his little seat protector. I'd highly recommend the Eddie Bauer one from Target that has little strappies to attach toys too, what a life saver!
Cole doesn't mind riding in the car during the day usually. If he's hungry or tired, he will cry himself to sleep. He will look out the windows, "talk" and play with the toys on his car seat. He can now pull the "jitter bug" toys down himself and likes to hear the noise and watch them jitter back up again. He HATES riding at night in the dark though, he screams until he tires himself out and to sleep.
Cole loves outside, walks to the mail box, riding in the stroller and looking at trees. We can't wait until it's warmer and we can spend more time outside!!!!!!
Cole has two walkers now, one at his Grandparents and one at home. He can RUN all over my parents house in the one Grumpy bought him. They have hardwood floors and he's all over the place!! At our house, with the carpet, he's much slower. He can get around, but doesn't love it yet. He will scoot around the kitchen and play while we eat supper though. He likes to bang cabinet doors that have child latches, so they only open half an inch. He banged so hard yesterday he ripped a knob off. *sigh* Life with a boy huh?!?! He rotates between that and playing in his high chair with his toys when we eat or cook.
Cole likes to put a paci in his mouth to bite on randomly. He was never a big paci baby, he would take it in stages. When he was teeny tiny he'd use it, but over time it became more of a last ditch effort that didn't often work. Now he has a few scattered in toy boxes and he will take them out on his own to chew on when he wants. I think it makes his gums feel better, rather than for a sucking on comfort thing.
He has started be-bopping his head around like dancing and it's the cutest thing ever!!
He now babbles Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma a ton!! In the beginning I think it was more of babbling sounds than actually for me. I do think now he knows it's me, but sometimes it's hard to tell. I've heard him babble Da-Da-Da-Da a few times, but Andy hasn't heard it yet. Same thing, we're not sure if he associates it with his Daddy yet or not. Other than that, he babbles, grunts and yells a ton. He will let out some huge squeals and yells if you aren't talking to him and he wants attention!!
He loves bath time now, good thing with those 3 times a day soaks this week. He likes to have a tub full of plastic friends. He loves to kicky kicky kick and splash splash splash!! There is a toy attached to his tub that he's discovered makes a loud banging noise when he hits it against the side of the tub. He loves that!!! He also cracks us up when he lays back, propping his head on the edge of his tub and kicks his legs up to prop on the outside. He looks like a play boy and it's a hoot!! He use to prop one arm behind his head to lay there, OH MY!!
Our newest fun trick is that Cole is crawling. He has been rolling where ever he wants to go for a few months now. He could get anywhere fast. He was also caterpillar crawling, backwards! He hadn't really mastered creeping at all.... ever. Before we knew it last weekend he got up and crawled a few times in a row. He would do it randomly. Suddenly in the middle of this week, he figured it out and would get up to go anywhere and everywhere. The last two days his speed has taken off and he's literally all over the place. Yesterday I had to put an ottoman in front of the stairs, we bought a gate and his Daddy hasn't put it up yet. This morning I've already had to shut the door to the guest bedroom and bring him back from various places tons of times. Our son is now VERY mobile!! Life is changing~
Above are pics of Cole crawling, fast straight for the stairs!! Him sitting in a cardboard box that Ms. Terry sent him a new Sesame Street quilt in. Him with the new quilt. He's munching on animal crackers in the mesh bag chewie. His New Years 7 month picture, his 8 month old picture. Him pulling toys from a box, one by one. (He'd take one out, examine it. Throw it over his shoulder and keep digging. So funny!!) His car and sitting in a box of toys, just to contain him a few minutes while we played!!
Who else would take over 50 pictures of playing in the tub??? Me!! Cole had an ingrown toenail that came off, got infected and caused all sorts of craziness last week. He's been on meds and last week had to soak 3 times a day in a bath with Epson salt. We're soaking once or twice this week and he's grown to love it more every day. He was already really enjoying bath time, oppose to the screaming fits he'd have the first few months..... but now he just loves loves loves bath time!! He plays with toys, bangs on the side of the tub b/c it's loud and he loves noises, splashes with his hands and kicky kicky kicks like crazy!! It's fun to watch and play with him, so this afternoon I brought the camera along for fun!!
Who else would take over 50 pictures of playing in the tub??? Me!! Cole had an ingrown toenail that came off, got infected and caused all sorts of craziness last week. He's been on meds and last week had to soak 3 times a day in a bath with Epson salt. We're soaking once or twice this week and he's grown to love it more every day. He was already really enjoying bath time, oppose to the screaming fits he'd have the first few months..... but now he just loves loves loves bath time!! He plays with toys, bangs on the side of the tub b/c it's loud and he loves noises, splashes with his hands and kicky kicky kicks like crazy!! It's fun to watch and play with him, so this afternoon I brought the camera along for fun!!
Mommy this bath tub stuff is so funny!!
Ok people, you've had your fun.
