Hannah: 8 Months

19 pounds 7 ounces

27.5 inches

My Darling Hannah,

You are 8 months old!! (Technically, after the lateness of this post you are now 8.5 months old, but for balance I'll just be writing about your 8 month things). We have made it through 3 quarters of your first year. Insane. I know I say something along those lines every month, but it truly is mind boggling how fast time flies.

This month you decided that belly sleeping was the best way to get a good rest. We lay you down in your sleep sack and you toss and turn and wiggle around for a big before settling on your belly, at an angle, with your thumb in your mouth. At first Dad and I were pretty nervous about the belly thing, but we've come to accept it's your preferred way of sleeping and trust that you'll move if you need to. We still check the monitor semi-compulsively.

We've moved to stage 2 foods, which are combined flavors and you love it. You definitely prefer hearty flavors like chicken and rice, turkey and vegetables, chicken noodle, etc. You will eat fruits but foods with a little of a more tart flavor aren't your favorite. We shoot for 2-3 solids a day (purees technically, but still) and sometimes we hit the goal, but sometime life is busy and we don't get any solids in. You're still taking 4 bottles a day and average about 28 ounces of formula a day so you're still getting your fill from bottles. We've got to time it right because if you're too hungry you don't want the food, but if you're too full you obviously don't want the food either. We still have not given you anything that isn't pureed mush. That day is fast approaching, but I'm just not ready.

We took our first family vacation to Blue Ridge, GA and in preparation for that trip we got your big girl car seat! At first you were a little unsure of the convertible seat but you've adjusted to it and seem to really like it. It's more padded, sits up higher and is generally much more comfortable. Unfortunately for the trip we put it in Dad's car and it still hasn't made it's way back to mine! So we're still using the bucket seat Grandma got us and it definitely has its pros as well. Thankfully you are still a great car rider and usually play happily and then go to sleep when you're tired. So glad you don't scream every car ride!

We've made a wonderful transition to fairly consistently taking 2-3 solid crib naps each day. You aren't on a set schedule but we know how often you nap (an hour a half after first waking in the morning, then 2 hours after waking from there on out). We tried stretching to 3 hour wake times and you will stay up that long but you aren't very happy, and unhappy babies are no fun, so we put you down after 2 hours and you most always go to sleep fairly easily. Yay! 

A big step we've decided to take is registering you for a Mother's Day Out program. You will start June 16 and do a 6 week summer program 3 days a week. In the fall you'll go 4 days a week, from 9-2. I am so excited for you to start this program, for multiple reasons. It will be so good for you to get that social experience of being with other babies. You love other kids and I think it will be hugely beneficial for your growth. It will also be great for me to be able to get a few hours a few days a week to work uninterrupted. This will help me get things done and be able to spend more quality time with you. I cherish having you home with me every day, but some days I'm not able to be fully involved with you because I'm struggling to get things done during the day and end up working in the evenings after Dad gets home and comes on duty. I want to be able to finish my work during the day (like a normal person) and then be able to enjoy the time with you and Dad, not work while you two play. We are all very excited about this new chapter and the positive effects it will have for everyone. Just another couple of weeks!

Hannah you are so close to sitting unassisted, but you just aren't quite there yet. You will sit great for 30 seconds, then "trust fall!" and you fling yourself backwards, or sideways, or forwards. It's a little annoying, but in some ways it's so endearing that you have so much trust in the world and others that there's no fear that you won't be caught every time. So when you fling yourself, I still catch you every time, but you've got to take a few falls to learn. So you fling yourself, fall a ways and when I catch you right at the last second, you look at me and smile, or sometimes laugh like it's a game. And I just melt.

On our vacation you showed us you were ready, able and sometimes willing to sit in restaurant high chairs! This has been a great skill for when we go out to eat. Even though you are physically capable of sitting in the chair, that doesn't always mean you choose to. The last few times we've gone out you are a great happy girl, until the food comes. Then you refuse the high chair and just want to be held and walked around. It's a work in progress I guess.

You've acquired a few new words lately. You now say ya-ya, ba-ba and da da in addtion to the /g/ sounds you already had mastered. Daddy was pretty excited about the da da, and while I was so proud, I was also a little bummed that mama didn't come first. But of course I haven't taken it personally. The /d/ sound is just easier to say. You're pretty proud of yourself (and of course we are too!!) with these new noises. You've also learned how to make Indian noises by rubbing your hand over your mouth and do this all the time. Another favorite sound that we hear a lot of is "ah!" You'll repeat it over and over while playing. It's so cute.

We did a fun outing to Oak Mountain with our Cheesecake coworkers and you were a hit. You're just so cute and smiley it's hard for anyone to not like you. So we went to the cook out and watched Dad play beach volleyball (he was a winner!), ran into Aunt Teresa and Sofia and hung out with friends. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. You eventually passed out in your stroller and we headed off for a quiet walk to get a good nap in. 

Another big experience during this last month was -- teeth!! Your bottom two teeth came in! And one of them came in on Mother's Day...yeah. So my first Mother's Day was rough. You were inconsolable pretty much all day. I can't blame you, I know your mouth had to hurt. We survived, but the next day was another hard day (for Dad this time, he took duty so I could sleep in). After that you were the happy, proud owner of 2 shiny little white caps! They haven't come through very far but they're slowly making their way out and peeking through. You look so different with your teeth. Your gummy smile isn't quite so gummy anymore!

We took part in our first 5k as well. There was a race for Ovarian cancer research that we signed up for with some Cheesecake coworkers in memory of one of their friends. Grandma and Kristina joined us and we were off! Grandma ran it like a pro while you, me and Kristina did a run/walk couch to 5k style. You were so interested in all the people with bright colors and tutus. You eventually fell asleep (we had to be in Homewood by 8 am, so it was a very early day for us!) in the stroller and slept through the last leg of the race. We hung around for a little while after but things got a little dicey with your mood so we came home and took a nap. 

Overall we had such a fun month. We had lots of new experiences, new places and big smiles. For the most part you're a go with the flow kind of girl. We had a couple of tough days with new teeth and such, but we toughed it out. 

We love you so much baby girl! Happy 8 months!!