Eleanor :: Eight Months Old
Eight. Months. Old. Two-thirds of your first year gone by... wow! Eleanor, it is such so fun to watch you grow (well, kind of grow - haha!), learn, interact, get excited... everything is still so new to you, so intriguing and so FUN for you. I have learned to appreciate things that I have so easily taken for granted as I have gotten older... the little details that we all skip over, you notice. You can definitely tell the inflection of people's voices; you have a hearty-addicting-contagious laugh; you are not afraid to let us know when you are uncomfortable, tired or unhappy; you LOVE people (especially kids!); and you just are the cutest little crumb in the entire world.
*So... our teeny little girl, although today you turn 8 months old, you currently still wear size 3-6 month clothes. You can still fit in some of your newborn outfits (they are just too short) and sometimes you can wear 6-9 months (dresses or onesie long pajamas). You are tall and skinny... but you still have SOME little rolls... they are too cute. I weigh you every once in a while on our scale... fully clothed and with a diaper you are about 14.9oz... nice.
*We are still on our schedule - you vary it up almost daily by about 15-30 minutes, but for the most part you are up at 7:15 to nurse, nap around 9:00 for about 1.5 hours, 11:30 you nurse again and eat some kind of solid (you love everything, EXCEPT rice cereal), nap around 1:15 for about 1 hour, 3:00 you nurse again, nap around 4:45 for about 45 minutes, nurse and eat around 6:30... bed by 7:30.
*You are officially a crawler!!! Now, you still lack the coordination to be up on your hands and knees at the same time, so you are just a mess getting wherever you are headed... but you get there fast! Currently, your favorite items to dart for are toes, shoe laces, tile, rug corners, my hairbrush and dust bunnies (awesome). Note to self, Momma and Daddy need to baby-proof. and hire a maid.
*You still exercise all. the. time. Literally, if you are not asleep, eating or sitting in our lap you are laying on your back kicking those legs. Maybe that is why you can't gain weight... you work out all day, every day. You have, however, added a new element to your work out... we call it "Freeze Frame"... you will kick, kick, kick for about 10-15 seconds and then strike a pose (hold it for about 3-5 seconds) and then resume kicking.
*Still NO TEETH... but teething all the same. Drool, blowing raspberries and the occasional night-time need for Tylenol is still very much part of our routine. Where are those pearly whites?
*Your hair is still kicking up some major curl... it is no longer just one little one, but rather the entire top is known for it's little loops. The sides and back however, are completely straight. It is coming in BLOND and you are getting more every single day, noticeably more!
*You have learned how to give Momma and Daddy kisses!! Nope, it does not look like this, however it is opened-mouth, slobber everywhere, awesome, my favorite kind of kiss. I think your nose was itching in this picture, but it sure does look like you have mastered the pucker. Don't be fooled.
*Riding your poodle is your favorite activity... I think you really believe it is a dog, which would completely explain your excitement for her. Dogs are your absolute favorite... be Cha-Cha or a 50lb lab, you don't care, they make you scream and kick your legs until we let you get a close up!
*Don't have a picture of this, but EVERY time we change your diaper, you insist on assisting us. Meaning, you try really hard to pull your diaper off and once we do, you try really hard to grab that dirty little one away from us. I assume it because you are wanting to be helpful, and not knowing that what you are trying to do every time is actually quite disgusting and causes more work for us :).
*You have started to pull up on things, not to standing yet, but to get to the sitting position. You most often do this while we are changing your diaper or your clothes on your pad... I think it because the sides are a bit raised... almost every morning you are trying to pull up in your crib, but the sleepsack just does not work in your favor!
*We have finally found a book that you will let us read to you! Thank you Auntie Kristen for the story about a duck... when Eleanor isn't eating the book, she actually lets us read it!
*More often, however, Eleanor likes to eat this book. In fact, Eleanor likes to eat everything. Her very favorite is the noses of all her stuffed animals.
*Notice the miniature pink poodle.... thank you, Junior (again)... now, Eleanor has a puppy just her size. She thinks it is real... seriously! All we have to do is bark and she goes nuts. This girl will scale the walls trying to get her hands on her fluffy pup!
*Your piercing blue eyes melt Momma's heart!
*And I am pretty sure this smile has your daddy wrapped around your teeny little fingers!
*You have started talking! I hate to say it, but your first word was not Momma. It wasn't Daddy. It was Ba-Ba. um, okay... well, from a little more investigation and a sharper listening ear, I think you are actually trying to say Paw-Paw... so he has won the prize! Obviously spending one day a week with your Paw-Paw is rubbing off on you :). You also are trying to say Puppy.. yes, puppy (this girl LOVES dogs). It kind of sounds like: "pffump". So maybe you are trying to say Pup, not puppy... regardless, we are still waiting on those syllables that will melt our hearts.
*You LOVE to be in your Sassy seat.. once hanging in the doorway you BOUNCE and JUMP like crazy! You entertain yourself for a good 10-15 minutes and then always encourage us to come and swing you....
*You still love going on walks... really anything we do outside you enjoy. I have yet to take you to the park to put you in the swings, but that is on our short list of activities we hope to take you to do now that the weather is so nice!
*Earlier this month, we took a little trip to San Antonio to see your Mimi... Eleanor, you are SO blessed to still have your Mimi - she loves, loves, loves you!! You are like the 100th grandchild, but she still acts just as excited as if you were her first... we spent two days with her and did nothing but stay at her house and play! You were perfect... you smiled, laughed and played all day with her and she just ate it up!
*While we were there, a bunch of your Aunts and Uncles came to visit you... your favorite was definitely playing with cousins Bella and Nicholas (again, because they are kids and you love kids!)... Bella was hamming it up for the camera...
*Nicholas, however, was mad at you... but rightfully so, you kept stealing his toys. He just wasn't having it.
*Someone found herself in the mirror... and you think you are hot stuff. You will stare, laugh and KISS the mirror all day if I let you. Of course I couldn't get a picture of you kissing the mirror because you pause whatever activity you are doing when a camera gets in your face, darn!
*We introduced the sippy cup this month... you don't necessarily get it, yet. You let me give it to you like a bottle or you will drink it upside down... otherwise, it is just another toy to bang.
*Feeding you food has become more of a challenge... you are all up in everyone's business... we cannot leave you alone for a second, because you have mastered the art of wiggling out of the Bumbo. You also want any and everything that we leave on the table, so it has to be completely clear. You are NOT interested in anything but spoon-fed items... we tried to give you puffs and you gagged, such a drama queen.
And well, this picture sums it all up. This is you. This is how you make your Daddy and me feel. We love you with every ounce of our being and praise our heavenly Father with trusting us to be your parents. I am humbled every time I have the opportunity to rock you to sleep, wake up with you in the morning, take you on walks, snuggle your neck.... humbled. Our God is too good to us and Eleanor, he loves you so... much... more than Daddy and I ever will get close to. I am so thankful every day when I remember that.... because we love you to the moon and back, times infinity.
1 John 3:1
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"... and we pray every day that you, too, are His beloved.
*So... our teeny little girl, although today you turn 8 months old, you currently still wear size 3-6 month clothes. You can still fit in some of your newborn outfits (they are just too short) and sometimes you can wear 6-9 months (dresses or onesie long pajamas). You are tall and skinny... but you still have SOME little rolls... they are too cute. I weigh you every once in a while on our scale... fully clothed and with a diaper you are about 14.9oz... nice.*We are still on our schedule - you vary it up almost daily by about 15-30 minutes, but for the most part you are up at 7:15 to nurse, nap around 9:00 for about 1.5 hours, 11:30 you nurse again and eat some kind of solid (you love everything, EXCEPT rice cereal), nap around 1:15 for about 1 hour, 3:00 you nurse again, nap around 4:45 for about 45 minutes, nurse and eat around 6:30... bed by 7:30.*You are officially a crawler!!! Now, you still lack the coordination to be up on your hands and knees at the same time, so you are just a mess getting wherever you are headed... but you get there fast! Currently, your favorite items to dart for are toes, shoe laces, tile, rug corners, my hairbrush and dust bunnies (awesome). Note to self, Momma and Daddy need to baby-proof. and hire a maid.*You still exercise all. the. time. Literally, if you are not asleep, eating or sitting in our lap you are laying on your back kicking those legs. Maybe that is why you can't gain weight... you work out all day, every day. You have, however, added a new element to your work out... we call it "Freeze Frame"... you will kick, kick, kick for about 10-15 seconds and then strike a pose (hold it for about 3-5 seconds) and then resume kicking.*Still NO TEETH... but teething all the same. Drool, blowing raspberries and the occasional night-time need for Tylenol is still very much part of our routine. Where are those pearly whites?*Your hair is still kicking up some major curl... it is no longer just one little one, but rather the entire top is known for it's little loops. The sides and back however, are completely straight. It is coming in BLOND and you are getting more every single day, noticeably more!*You have learned how to give Momma and Daddy kisses!! Nope, it does not look like this, however it is opened-mouth, slobber everywhere, awesome, my favorite kind of kiss. I think your nose was itching in this picture, but it sure does look like you have mastered the pucker. Don't be fooled.*Riding your poodle is your favorite activity... I think you really believe it is a dog, which would completely explain your excitement for her. Dogs are your absolute favorite... be Cha-Cha or a 50lb lab, you don't care, they make you scream and kick your legs until we let you get a close up!*Don't have a picture of this, but EVERY time we change your diaper, you insist on assisting us. Meaning, you try really hard to pull your diaper off and once we do, you try really hard to grab that dirty little one away from us. I assume it because you are wanting to be helpful, and not knowing that what you are trying to do every time is actually quite disgusting and causes more work for us :).*You have started to pull up on things, not to standing yet, but to get to the sitting position. You most often do this while we are changing your diaper or your clothes on your pad... I think it because the sides are a bit raised... almost every morning you are trying to pull up in your crib, but the sleepsack just does not work in your favor!*We have finally found a book that you will let us read to you! Thank you Auntie Kristen for the story about a duck... when Eleanor isn't eating the book, she actually lets us read it!*More often, however, Eleanor likes to eat this book. In fact, Eleanor likes to eat everything. Her very favorite is the noses of all her stuffed animals.*Notice the miniature pink poodle.... thank you, Junior (again)... now, Eleanor has a puppy just her size. She thinks it is real... seriously! All we have to do is bark and she goes nuts. This girl will scale the walls trying to get her hands on her fluffy pup!*Your piercing blue eyes melt Momma's heart!*And I am pretty sure this smile has your daddy wrapped around your teeny little fingers!*You have started talking! I hate to say it, but your first word was not Momma. It wasn't Daddy. It was Ba-Ba. um, okay... well, from a little more investigation and a sharper listening ear, I think you are actually trying to say Paw-Paw... so he has won the prize! Obviously spending one day a week with your Paw-Paw is rubbing off on you :). You also are trying to say Puppy.. yes, puppy (this girl LOVES dogs). It kind of sounds like: "pffump". So maybe you are trying to say Pup, not puppy... regardless, we are still waiting on those syllables that will melt our hearts.*You LOVE to be in your Sassy seat.. once hanging in the doorway you BOUNCE and JUMP like crazy! You entertain yourself for a good 10-15 minutes and then always encourage us to come and swing you....*You still love going on walks... really anything we do outside you enjoy. I have yet to take you to the park to put you in the swings, but that is on our short list of activities we hope to take you to do now that the weather is so nice!*Earlier this month, we took a little trip to San Antonio to see your Mimi... Eleanor, you are SO blessed to still have your Mimi - she loves, loves, loves you!! You are like the 100th grandchild, but she still acts just as excited as if you were her first... we spent two days with her and did nothing but stay at her house and play! You were perfect... you smiled, laughed and played all day with her and she just ate it up!*While we were there, a bunch of your Aunts and Uncles came to visit you... your favorite was definitely playing with cousins Bella and Nicholas (again, because they are kids and you love kids!)... Bella was hamming it up for the camera...*Nicholas, however, was mad at you... but rightfully so, you kept stealing his toys. He just wasn't having it.*Someone found herself in the mirror... and you think you are hot stuff. You will stare, laugh and KISS the mirror all day if I let you. Of course I couldn't get a picture of you kissing the mirror because you pause whatever activity you are doing when a camera gets in your face, darn!*We introduced the sippy cup this month... you don't necessarily get it, yet. You let me give it to you like a bottle or you will drink it upside down... otherwise, it is just another toy to bang.*Feeding you food has become more of a challenge... you are all up in everyone's business... we cannot leave you alone for a second, because you have mastered the art of wiggling out of the Bumbo. You also want any and everything that we leave on the table, so it has to be completely clear. You are NOT interested in anything but spoon-fed items... we tried to give you puffs and you gagged, such a drama queen.And well, this picture sums it all up. This is you. This is how you make your Daddy and me feel. We love you with every ounce of our being and praise our heavenly Father with trusting us to be your parents. I am humbled every time I have the opportunity to rock you to sleep, wake up with you in the morning, take you on walks, snuggle your neck.... humbled. Our God is too good to us and Eleanor, he loves you so... much... more than Daddy and I ever will get close to. I am so thankful every day when I remember that.... because we love you to the moon and back, times infinity.1 John 3:1
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"... and we pray every day that you, too, are His beloved.
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XOXO,
Aunt Mindy