8 Months

Dear Elise,

You have grown and developed so much in the last month.  It's exciting to watch you explore everything around you.  You want any and everything you can get your hands on.  Those things in turn go in your mouth!  You snatched a pencil off the notepad under the coffee table this morning and went to town gnawing on the eraser.

This is just the beginning of not being able to take my eyes off of you for a second!  You are easily entertained and will play on the floor with your toys.  You roll from your back to your side to your belly.  You desperately want to crawl, but will settle for scooting for now.  You can get up on all fours, but you just haven't quite mastered moving your hands and knees accordingly and face plant into the floor.  I know it won't be long, though!

We took you on your first road trip, and you did awesome!  While we were gone, Daddy discovered your first tooth poking through on the bottom.  He found out the other day that the one next to it is also making its slow debut.  It took seven months, but you started sleeping all night.  I guess sleeping on your back is for the birds, because recently you've been rolling onto your tummy when you sleep.  The first night I noticed you on your tummy, I went into your room 4 times in the middle of the night to check on you and roll you back over.  It was hopeless because it didn't take you long to get back to where you wanted to be.  It won't be long and we'll be lowering your crib mattress.  You have found the fun in using the bumpers to pull up on so you can peek out and over the crib to see what's going on!

Your schedule these days goes a little something like this...  Daddy gets up to get ready for work around 7:30am.  You wake up and come get in bed with me.  You nurse and then we snuggle up and go back to sleep.  You sleep until about 10am and most days I sleep with you.  Other days I'll branch out and get up around 9:45am.  This is almost embarrassing to admit.  But, I figure I might as well enjoy it while I can because I'm going to be looking for a job before too long.  Anyway, we get up and get you changed and ready for the day.  You play in your walker for a bit while I get some breakfast, do some picking up, or finish some laundry from the night before.  Then you nurse again.  About noonish I make you something to eat.  Maybe sweet potatoes or squash.  Daddy plays with you for a bit while he's home for lunch.  About the time he goes back to work, you go down for a nap in your crib.  Usually without protest.  You will nap for an hour and a half to two hours.  Then we play some more, or go to the park, or for a walk.  You love to be outside, so even just sitting on the front porch or going to get the mail is fun for you.  You nurse again before I make you dinner.  After you have something to eat, you get a bath, lotion, diaper, jammies, and we snuggle with you for a bit before we put you down around 9:30pm.  You are a really good snuggler.  You love to be held and loved on, and we love curling up on the couch and laying with you.

You and the dogs have really taken a lot of interest in each other.  When they come up to give you kisses you laugh and breathe really fast and loud.  It's so funny to see you so excited to play with them.  You are a paci snatcher, and must have your paci if it's in eyesight.  Every night after your bath while I'm putting lotion on you, you grab all the paci's out of the caddy.  One goes in your mouth and you hold onto the rest.  You have tried to put two in your mouth at once unsuccessfully.  I don't know how (or when) we will wean you from your paci!  I'm sure it won't be pleasant for anyone in the house!


Please pardon the grunting and red face....

Every night before Daddy and I go to bed, we quietly go into your room and cover you up and kiss you goodnight.  On our way to bed, we always tell each other how much we love you and what a sweet baby you are.  Some nights we let you sleep in between us just because we want you to.  You are so easy going, so happy and sweet... I don't know how we got so lucky!

Love,
Momma