Apparently I never hit publish on this post almost a month ago! Way to go Mommy!
Liam Michael you are
EIGHT MONTHS OLD!
What a month it has been little boy! We had so much fun celebrating Christmas with you (despite the stomach bug that descended upon our house!) and it was awesome to be home with you during Mommy's school vacation.
What are your stats and what does the doctor say?
We went back for a very quick trip to the doctor in mid-December to get the second half of your flu shot. I asked the nurse to weigh you and you came in at 22 pounds, 6 ounces. You are growing like crazy Mr. Man! You are getting more blonde hair by the minute and those blue eyes appear to be sticking around.
What are you eating?
You continue to do well with your four 8-ounce bottles of Similac Advance formula a day. You get your little 2-ounce snack bottle before bed. We haven't cut back on any of your bottles because, while you are definitely eating a lot more real food than you were a month ago, you are not ingesting nearly enough to consider discontinuing any bottles. That being said, you have become much more interested in food this month. Mommy found out that you tend to eat better after your morning nap than first thing in the morning and that switch has definitely helped you to eat more. You have added cheese, pears, apples, chicken, a little macaroni, steak, banana pancakes, blueberries, pineapple, limes (you made quite a face with these), and crackers to your repertoire of food. We are having so much fun watching you explore tastes and textures and learn to enjoy food. Mommy made some broccoli cheese "nuggets" for you to try this week too since broccoli by itself wasn't your favorite! You love drinking water from your Camelbak water bottle.
You enjoyed sucking on the leftover meat on Mommy's steak bone.
When do you sleep and eat?
Big changes happened this month in the sleep department! The weekend before Christmas, we moved you into your crib. This was probably way more stressful for Mommy than it was for you! Mommy and Daddy had agreed to do a modified cry it out method when you went into the crib to help you learn to self-soothe. The first night you were in the crib, you fell asleep with no issue at all. You woke up about 11:30 and cried for a bit with Mommy going in at increasing intervals to reassure you (Mommy cried too listening to you be so sad!). It took about a half hour or so and you were able to put yourself back to sleep. Since then, we have had one or two other CIO incidents but you have done amazingly well in the crib. You do wake up during the night and need a pacifier replacement at times, but you usually go right back to sleep. Naps are hit or miss in the crib and Mommy didn't push this during the stomach bug fiasco during Christmas vacation.
You are usually awake between 5:30 and 6:00 in the morning. Mommy gives you a bottle in your room and then gets ready for work. You still take a short nap about an hour and a half to two hours after you wake up. We usually eat some breakfast after your nap and then do lots of playing on the floor with your new toys. You have your second bottle between 9:30 and 10:00 and then usually play for a little bit before your next nap. This nap tends to be a little longer on most days. More playing, reading books, cleaning, and doing chores before your next bottle around 2:30. You take another nap and sometimes have another little snack when Mommy gets home from school. You have your last bottle around 5:45 and are typically asleep in your crib by 7:15.
You are usually awake between 5:30 and 6:00 in the morning. Mommy gives you a bottle in your room and then gets ready for work. You still take a short nap about an hour and a half to two hours after you wake up. We usually eat some breakfast after your nap and then do lots of playing on the floor with your new toys. You have your second bottle between 9:30 and 10:00 and then usually play for a little bit before your next nap. This nap tends to be a little longer on most days. More playing, reading books, cleaning, and doing chores before your next bottle around 2:30. You take another nap and sometimes have another little snack when Mommy gets home from school. You have your last bottle around 5:45 and are typically asleep in your crib by 7:15.
What do your routines look like?
Your bedtime routine hasn't changed much other than where you sleep. We do a bath and then put on your pjs. Mommy gives you your little bottle, reads you a song, reads a book, and rocks you for a few minutes. Then, you get put down in your crib for the night.
What size clothes and diapers are you wearing?
You still fit in your 6 and 9 month onesies, but your 9 month pajamas with feet are getting a little snug. You got a lot of new clothes for Christmas and Mommy will probably be moving you into some of your 12 month clothes soon. You are finishing up your size 3 diapers, but are wearing size 4 overnight diapers.
What are some things you love?
You are seriously happy almost all the time little man! You are really enjoying your new toys that light up and make sounds. You like to roll around on the floor and will grab at everything within reach. You love screens of any sort and are constantly trying to eat the remote control. Playing with kitchen utensils and containers keeps you entertained for quite a while. You love to stand and hold onto things. Anytime you can put something in your mouth, you are a happy camper!
What are some things you don't love?
You are not a big fan of having your diaper changed lately and need something to keep you amused during the process (the tube of A&D ointment typically does the trick!). You are pretty stubborn and get kinda cranky when you don't get what you want (like the remote control!).
What can you do?
You are feeding yourself more and more each day and are drinking from a straw cup like a pro. You continue to sit unassisted, but are now lunging forward from a sitting position. You will be sitting on your bottom and start to rock back and forth using your legs and feet. You get onto your knees and then immediately fall forward onto your belly. You haven't figured out how to lift your belly off the ground yet, so we don't think crawling is on the horizon anytime soon. You use your legs and feet to push yourself around on the floor, especially if there is a toy you really want that is just out of reach. You are doing a lot of "talking" lately and love to screech and scream. You also learned how to smush your face against the side of the playpen, which Mommy finds absolutely hysterical! You hold onto the outside of our hands and push them together to make them clap. You also lift your arms up when someone goes to pick you up.
How many teeth do you have?
You have four teeth in total now. For a while, you only had the two bottom teeth in the middle. Shortly after you turned 7 months old, Mommy noticed the bump of a tooth on the top. At first, it looked like it was going to be a middle tooth (those are usually the next to come), but we quickly realized it was an incisor to the right of your middle teeth. The top left incisor came next. So, you now kinda look like a little vampire with those top two teeth!
What are some firsts from this month?
This month, you celebrated your first Christmas, saw Santa for the first time, had your first stomach bug, tried some new foods, got your first piece of jewelry (an amber teething necklace you wear all the time), and went out in the snow for the first time.
What are some of your nicknames?
Peanut Pocket, Mr. Man, Little Man, Sunshine
What are we looking forward to in the next month?
This month, we are going to have a playdate with some of Mommy's best friends. We are also going to enjoy some quiet time at home on the weekends, as it has been really crazy with the holidays during the past month.
This photo shoot was a hot mess little boy! You did not want to stay sitting in that chair and kept throwing yourself forward. Mommy had to catch you a few times!
This photo shoot was a hot mess little boy! You did not want to stay sitting in that chair and kept throwing yourself forward. Mommy had to catch you a few times!
Eating the sticker is way more fun than wearing it.
What a fun month with lots of celebrations it has been! Mommy and Daddy think you are just the greatest thing and cannot wait to continue to watch you grow and learn.
