His eight month tricks:
He can hold his own bottle! I can hardly believe it, but it's true. He drinks a 7-8 oz bottle 4 to 5 times a day. He is also chowing down on solids. He loves to eat and gets really fussy when he doesn't get enough or if he's waited too long in between meals (very much like his daddy)! I'm thankful that, so far, he likes everything we introduce to him. I've been very slow and deliberate in what I've tried: rice cereal, green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, squash, bananas, and apple sauce. I just want to make sure he doesn't have any negative reactions to any of the foods. It's hard to believe that for the first 5 weeks of his life we were so concerned about his eating/weight. Now he's turned into a big boy; I'm thankful for our great eater!
He is now over 29 inches long and weighs over 22 pounds.
He is sitting up all by himself, rolling all around the floor (his preferred mode of transportation), and trying so hard to crawl. He is very social and loves to make babbling sounds and play with other kids. Any time he has the opportunity to hang out with another toddler, he begins to work so hard on his crawling. He can't wait to start exploring; he is very curious. He loves books (he likes to eat them). But he also likes it when we read to him. Yesterday we were reading Bear in the Square. Jeremy read the English and I the French. When I started the French, Jackson turned and looked at me and made a babbling sound and it seemed like he was communicating to us, "mom, you aren't speaking the right language." It was too cute. (Thanks Uncle Jeremy for getting us these books! Jackson loves the big, bright pages.)
Playing with his sweet friend, Gabriella. (She is 20 months and they are almost the same size!)
We are getting more and more sleep at night (probably jinxing myself by saying that). He tends to go to bed around 7:30 p.m. and get up around 7:30 a.m. He likes to sleep with his monkey, lion, monkey blanket, and pacifier. Can't forget the paci! He is still taking a morning and afternoon nap. One is usually around 2 hours and the other 45 minutes.
He likes to chew on EVERYTHING and drools like nobody's business. Right now I think it's because he's working on his top two teeth. I'll be thankful when they finally cut through! He loves to play with the little tags on his toys, clothes, blankets, or anything else. He is fascinated with them! Other than that, he loves any toy that rattles or shakes! He also still likes music. I think his favorite song is still "Twinkle, Twinkle" and he likes it when we sing it in a round.
He wears size 9-12 month clothes and size 4 diapers. I had a few size 3 diapers left and was squeezing him into them, but decided it wasn't worth it after having to wash multiple outfits due to blow-outs.
He is a very independent little guy, and prefers not to be cuddled. That kinda makes me sad because I always want him to snuggle, but he is not interested. He is too busy checking everything out. He does like to laugh and is very ticklish under his arms and on his belly! He also likes it when you give him kisses. He thinks it's so funny (I think he likes the sound). He loves looking at himself in the mirror and will laugh with a wide-eyed expression whenever the wind or a breeze blows across his face. (Sometimes we lightly blow in his face to calm him down...he loves it.)
He has crazy, curly blond hair that we still haven't cut. It's getting pretty long!
He loves his mommy and daddy. He definitely recognizes our voices and will turn when we speak to him. He has also started to reach out for us. I love that! It's just so cute! And when Jeremy comes home from work Jackson is so excited to see him! It's amazing that at 8 months he visibly shows excitement when he sees his daddy...that make me so happy!
It's been a busy and sometimes stressful/exhausting 8 months, but I'm very happy. I love being a mom and seeing how my little guy grows and develops each day. It is so amazing! Our family is loving the fall, and I'm excited for Jackson to experience all of the fun holidays that are rapidly approaching!
Go Colts!
