8 months already?

Okay, so maybe this is a little bit sad. But SO fun. It's true what they say. Growing up happens so fast, and while it is a little bitter, it is so much more sweet. It is so much fun watching your child conquer new things. Let me be a little bit honest for a second. Okay, I'm pretty much always honest, so let me get on with it. I never loved babysitting. Interesting huh? I mean if you knew me in college, you know that was my main source of income. I babysat a lot. And I was a great sitter. I cared for the kiddos well, I fed them healthy meals, I played with them, I hugged on them, I loved them, and I followed the parents directions. But when the parents came home, I was ready to leave and get on with my independent life. Out of the many, many kids I watched, there was actually one family I loved being with. This is because I started when one was born and the other was two. The two year old even made it in my wedding. I adore that family and am still close with them. Anyways, I never loved babysitting, so this concerned me...will I like being a mom? Will I like my kids? My mom always assured me that it is different when the kid is your own. And she was so right. So let me encourage all of you out there that do not enjoy other people's kids...your own do not come close to comparing. I even asked a friend one time if she got bored staying at home. She said, "no, it's so fun watching your kid develop." Of course I didn't understand it then, but I do now. And she was right.

So, here we are. Eight months later, and this is A's latest update.

~ First real sickness. This actually happened this past weekend. She had a fever that got up to 102 on Sunday. We went to the DR on Monday and it turned out she has an ear infection. She seems to be feeling much better now that she has antibiotics running through her system.

~Crawling. She just made her first crawling movements yesterday! She is pretty slow right now, but I know with a little more practice I may not be able to keep up...

~Food. She is still eating jar food. I was going to make her food, but our food processor is broken, and since we are moving, there is no need to buy a new one. Every now and then I give her Puffs. The main reason is for her to get used to texture in her mouth and practice chewing. This month I will slowly integrate table food such as whole wheat pasta, larger bites of fruit/veggies, beans, etc. I would love for her to be on mostly table food by the time we move. She needs to get use to the texture and chewing.

~Sippy cup. She doesn't know how to use it yet, but I really want her to be using only a sippy cup (no more bottles!) by the time we move. I place a sippy cup of water near her while she is eating solids so she can get used to feeling it and seeing it.

~Teeth. She has her two bottom teeth, now working on her top!

~Pulling up. She is starting to pull herself up but hasn't figured out how to get all the way up on her feet yet. She pulls up on her knees...looks like we are going to have to lower the crib. Again.

~Personality. She is so funny to me. She smiles and laughs constantly when she has napped and her belly is full. She also sticks out her tongue often these days and will sometimes copy me if I stick mine out at her.  She will let you know when she is tired because nothing can make her happy except sleep.

~Sleep. She is a champ. She is been taking 1.5-2 hour naps in both the morning and afternoon. AND she typically goes to bed between 7-7:30 and wakes up between 6:30-7:00.

Current Schedule:
7:00- Wake up, feeding
9:00- Nap
10:30- Feeding
12:00- Solids
1:00- Small feeding (2-4 oz), nap
4:30- Feeding
6:15- Solids
7:00- Bath, feeding
7:30- Bed