8 months old

Avery, YESTERDAY you turned 8 months old! You have really turned a corner this month and you have changed so much, so quickly. Here's what's happening in your world:

*You weigh 19 lbs. and 5 oz. You are 28 inches long, to my best measurement.

* You are wearing 6-9 month clothes and size 2 shoe. You will quickly be moving onto a 2.5, I believe.

*Size 3 diapers cover your bottom, but not for much longer.

*There are two bottom teeth decorating your mouth now, and they both showed up two days after Christmas.

*You are very mobile, as I've shown here before, and you can stand up while holding onto something with one hand....move into the crawling position, reach for something, and then belly flop....run around in your walker....and roll all over the ground like a rolly polly.

*I'd never think you would roll onto your stomach because you hated being there, but now you will roll over and play with toys on your belly for a little while.

*You eat 2-3 meals of solid food a day and I am still nursing you. You start with oatmeal/fruit in the morning, then a green/yellow vegetable mid day, and finish off with oatmeal and a bottle of Enfamil RestFull Bedtime formula at night. I don't think that formula really helps you sleep any better.

*Speaking of sleeping, you are an AWFUL sleeper. You go to bed at 9 p.m., and wake up around 3-4 hours later wanting to chill out with mom and dad. I've pretty much given up on 'training' you to go back to sleep and just let you sleep in the bed with us. I know a lot of other mommies and doctors don't agree with that, and neither did I, but you're one of a kind and no book can tell me how to raise YOU!

*You have no problem talking, screaming, laughing, and making all sorts of noises throughout the day. You are very close to saying "da-da", but not quite yet. I'm working on "ma-ma" with you, and other words like "uh-oh" and "bye-bye".

*Two of your favorite things to do are stand up at the window holding onto the blinds, and grabbing things out of the refrigerator, pantry door, and pots/pans cabinet. We have moved all the rugs off the floor so you can scoot in your walker, along with all of the plants you can grab and eat.

*On your 8 Month Birthday, you celebrated by attending the Hebron Christian Academy Homecoming game. You watched Morgan, a senior cheerleader, get crowned Homecoming Queen, and you worked your magic on the principal, Mr. Garner, in hopes of attending HCA for free in exchange for your cuteness ;)

*There's so many things I want to say about you and talk about all of your little quirks, but most of all I just want to say I LOVE YOU and always will, no matter how many times you cry when I walk out of the room, pull my hair, pinch my face, hit away my hand when I'm trying to give you a pacifier, wake up in the middle of the night, or act like the total high-maintenance diva that you are! Happy 8 Month Birthday baby girl:)