My 8 month love.

Gloria:

A week late writing this, but nonetheless, it's here.  This month has just been another month of blasts with you.  You continue being so much fun as a baby and developing so darn much! Let's see ...

you said your first sentence "Hi Dad!" You're waving now.  You clap along to songs or to anything really.  You wave whenever anyone says "hi" to you and say hi in response.  I don't remember your sister doing this that early.  I think you learn so much from her!  You're not crawling quite yet, but still get around a room in a heartbeat either by rolling everywhere or scooting your way along.  You're getting on all fours so I don't think it'll be long before you're officially crawling.  Even though you aren't crawling I also wouldn't say you're not mobile.  If I turn around for one second you're on the other side of the room! haha.

One thing I can say about you is you love toys!  I know that sounds weird but your sister really didn't react to her toys.  You, on the other hand, will sit down in front of a toy and play with it unprompted for 45 miuntes without issue. 

You're a big fan of food!  Still probably not as much as your sister, but you LOVE your veggies and would eat the entire container in one sitting if we let you (we try to make it last 2 meals just for budgets sake).  You like your puffs and eat those when we go out to restaurants on our Friday weekly go out night. 

You've graduated to the highchair and carts at restaurants and grocery stores.  I feel like this change in a parents life is substantial and so liberating!  No more carrying around a car seat.  It's just amazing.  I don't even really carry a diaper bag with me b/c you're so predictable in every sense of the word.  It's awesome.

You've also started bathing with your sister by having you both sit in the tub.  Until you were 7 months you sat in your own tub for some extra protection but now you two have the greatest time!  Liliana politely asks if she can rinse the water off your head and you just giggle and love having that water over you, just like your sissy.

You're still an awesome sleeper.  We read you one book, give you kisses, and put you in your crib and don't here a peep until 12 hours later (or more).  Most (like 99%) of the mornings you don't even cry.  We just walk in to your room and you giggle and say "Hi!"  SO easy going.

You are a TALL TALL kid!  You're in 9-12 month clothing and are growing like a weed.  You're still in size 3 diapers and I don't think we plan on changing that any time soon, but we usually just do it when we start having leaking issues, which fortunately we haven't.

A big big change?  You have 2 teeth and got them RIGHT after your 8 month birthday.  Funny story ... we were eating dinner and we had to give you the pacifier TWICE (which for most babies is nothing, but for you that's rare b/c you usually just sit there playing and talking to us during our meal).  Daddy looks in your mouth and says "no wonder you're fussy!  You just broke a tooth!"  An hour later I wanted to take a better look at the tooth and BOOM there was another one! :)  TWO tooth Gloria!  How exciting! This is definitely earlier than your sister (she got hers at 10 months).  Mommy has read in numerous articles that the later babies teeth the healthier their teeth are and my pediatrician said that tends to be true.  Your sister has GORGEOUS teeth so here's hoping that 8 months for your first chompers give you those healthy teeth too! :)

We love you baby girl!  You are such a joy in our lives and oh by the way ... you have that Daddy of yours COMPLETELY and 100% wrapped around your finger.  He often tells me "Baby (in reference to Mommy), this is my girl!  I just love her SO SO much!  I have such a big soft spot for her."  His favorite thing is just rubbing your face up against his and you ADORE it, giggling away grabbing on to his finger.  Beautiful to see such love.

Oh and your sister continues to be SO great with you!  She's only kind, never jealous.  Always sweet, never mean.  It's honestly my favorite thing seeing you two together.  I can't wait to see your relationship blossom more and more each month.  Liliana lives her day for you and always wants to play with you, asks for you, etc.  Her world revolves around you and vice versa.  You're already connected in such a special way.  What a blessing.

Love you lots,
Mommy