8 months!!
Weighing in our 8 month birthday (Drs next month for height!)
Gracie Jean - 21.10 lbs
Quinn Scott - 23.15 lbs
Harper Jo - 16.12 lbs
Oh boy. I keep saying that THIS is the month that the most has changed. But, really, thus far, eight months tops it. Three eight 1/2 month olds have gifted us so many surprises, logisticalnightmares challenges, emotions of pure downy comfort, sadness they are growing and that I forgot to bottle it all up (including that newborn smell that got lost in the sweet potatoes and formula crust from a self feeding baby) and most of all - FUN. The three of them together is just really cool. They really shine as a threesome after dinner for some reason. This is when they sit in a circle, stripped down from the day's grime and just "crack jokes", jabber in some type of growling/laughing chatter and touch each other and just look at one another like that baby next to me is the coolest, funniest thing in the world.
On the flip side, this last month has brought it's own set of challenges. They are BIGGER and have way more of an opinion about things. They also can flip,flip,flip out of anything (ahem,diaper changes - sparing no flipping shame even with the poopiest of poops). It has become increasingly hard for me to leave the house alone with them. My circus act of a double stroller and a bjorn are pretty exhausting (but thankfully still doable). We still are home quite a bit because of the heat and the helmets. We have also had a month of congestion and what I call rubber glue boogs. Gracie also had an ear infection - YUCK! I also think in the last month I have had more poop and puke on me than I have the whole rest of the seven months combined. As fun as all the new tricks are, sometimes the excitement of a new ability keeps babies up from napping. As in, I will lay them down and will walk back in to find Gracie sitting straight up looking at me or Harper trying to pull up to peer over to Gracie. The chatter between the girls has already started during nap time and also aids in keeping them up! God love Quinn, I cuddle him & sing to him and lay him down and he is lights out...he likes his naps. But not to complain - just fair & balanced that with all the joys - at the end of the day, it's work! Everyday is full of new physical and emotional journeys!
Feeding,Sleeping and all the essentials - 11-12 hours at night (with a few "rough" weeks of gently reminding Quinn & Gracie how to self soothe when those eyes open at 2 am. Think we are back on track, for now). 2-3 naps a day Good & bad - we are always crib nappers.Down to 4 bottles, 8 ozs each. Breakfast,lunch & dinner at the high chair- 9- 20 ozs at a feeding (split 3 ways- yes that is a range - such are our days) We are working on picking up food with puffs,egg yolks & sweet potatoes!
Toys - Loves toys that aren't toys - playing with anything shiny - mirrors or stainless steel bar stool bottoms. We "kiss" the baby and laugh at that funny baby in the mirror! Love anything that shakes & rolls (Old bottles w/ dry black beans or puff containers. Makes us practice our crawling moves!) And we shake,shake shake anything that makes noise to music. Other things we love that mean mom always takes away - poopy diapers (yep), remotes, cell phones and dirt on the ground (how do they know where to find it? Nap times = vinegar + water scrubbing tiles and vacuuming daily..) But we do still love books and story time and it remains one of our best times together during the day!
New tricks - sitting up from belly is a fan favorite around here (7 months). Crawling (8 months) Pulling self up in the works but mostly just standing with help and stomping feet and looking around.
Creepy crawlers - I think I thought this would be far off in the distance like college. It comes with no warning and is real! And yes, they all go in different directions! This has been such a proud and fun filled time for us to watch you all discover and literally move to the world around you! Right at 8 1/2 months, Harper and Quinn took off and a couple days later, Gracie had enough and had to jump in too! Rolling is still the fastest mode of transport, but crawling sure is more fun because you get your sights set on what you want & go get it! I also especially love that this month has introduced the babies to want and desire. For example, when they see bottles on the floor - its a mad dash to get them. Or, my personal favorite, crawling over to me and then reaching out to get up on my lap. Ah, steal my heart.
And to my individual snowflakes ...
Quinn Scott - my little man.  You continue to be our sweet boy I always imagined having. Your curly locks and eyelashes already steal hearts, mostly mine. You are never short of a very enthusiastic smile and gasp of joy when we say your name or come to pick you up from your crib. You love all food and are, once again, very enthusiastic about eating while saying "mmm" after bites and getting so excited and giggling when we get puffs out for your "appetizer". You do this sort of funny weird hang over your highchair with a serious face to peer over at the girls to make sure they don't have anything better than what you have. And when you get table food, you shove,shove,shove in your mouth...pause, and then dive and growl for more. Funny every time. You prefer to feed yourself your bottle.You are such a boy - on the go, flipping out of every diaper change, pulling handles and crawling towards everything you shouldn't be, just to explore. You are much more into things than your sisters and you love any toy that isn't a toy. (Stones on the fireplace, backing under the couch, cell phones, remotes, corners of dirt, drawer handles, diapers, lotions...) You are a pretty fast belly crawler and can get those knees up, but prefer to crank along like a snake. Favorite things right now are your attempts at mama (more like a jaw grinding maaaaa) and ba - random attempts, no consistent "words" yet. Your grown up closed mouth grin and your big open mouth I could explode I'm so happy smile! And the top of the list - how you slow down right before a nap, let me cuddle you, sing "Sweet Baby 'Quinn' " and watch you melt and yawn everytime...
Harper Jo - monkey. You blow me away with how sweet you can be. You are starting to really learn how to  cuddle and now that you can crawl (the 1st official crawler!) - you crawl right over to me, climb on my lap and just want a snuggle. You are so happy when you are happy and you may propel yourself to the ceiling when we come to get you from the crib the way you kick your feet and throw your arms! You crawl around like Bambi - so cautious and stop for breaks to just sit up. Sometimes as you are still working on technique, you plop forward onto your head and then just keep going - very funny & cute. Your looks are really changing from your helmet. People always comment how pretty and petite you are! I love your little face and sort of bald head. You are doing great with your bottles and could care less about breakfast,lunch & dinner! You get bored and have to hold a spoon or baby bowl or sippy cup! You also HATE texture and tell us by barely touching your puffs and just spitting any foreign chunk back out of your mouth and let it run down your neck. You often look like you were in a battle at the highchair after a meal. You still love holding everything with your feet, our monkey. You are so content playing alone and love your pack and play time. You love baths and are so playful when you get one on one time. You really crave one on one attention and I love giving it to you! But you do love laughing at your brother & sister, other little kids and getting to see new faces at Target or the mall. It will be a sad day when you outgrow the Bjorn because you squeel with delight looking out at the world from my chest! I just look at you and feel so happy! I really think you are going to me like me -- is that good?? I hope so :)
Gracie Jean - pumpkin pie.  Hello, World! You have changed so much - you are awake to the world and literally ready to reach out and touch it all! We sing "She's got the reach..."( insert "Shes got the jack" sad, I know, we don't get out much) to you because you can sit in your perfect little upright position and reach and grab things and get back up to that upright position in no time flat. When you sit and we talk or sing to you, you kick your feet and legs while giggling, but never coming out of that sitting up position. You are a sneaky grabber and sometimes those grabs are stealing from you know who #1 and #2. You belly crawl but only if it's for something you deem important enough to go and get (outside of reaching limits), like a remote, cell phone or stacking bowl or book (you love books and stacking bowls!). You are so content to just sit and look. You are such a quick learner..if somebody shows you something, you do it. Your First Steps lady showed you how to get from belly to sitting - you mastered it a week later and can't stop. She showed you how to get to one knee and pull to standing - you were practicing that same afternoon. You love,love your bottle and may be going to kindergarten with your bottle. I can't imagine you ever giving it up because you just love it, it is your comfort. It may or may not be to blame for all that love in your belly :) You love your puffs at meals and really can chew your food well. In fact, you already are over purees and prefer to have table food. Your dark hair is growing in so beautifully and everyone still comments on those beautiful eyelashes and coloring, I'm jealous! You chatter, giggle and squeal all day! Sometimes during your naps, even. I will come in and find you just sitting up, looking around and babbling and making your voice sound high pitched during a nap. You light up a room and bring joy to us with every smile, giggle and roly, poly cuddle ! |
You continue to be our sweet boy I always imagined having. Your curly locks and eyelashes already steal hearts, mostly mine. You are never short of a very enthusiastic smile and gasp of joy when we say your name or come to pick you up from your crib. You love all food and are, once again, very enthusiastic about eating while saying "mmm" after bites and getting so excited and giggling when we get puffs out for your "appetizer". You do this sort of funny weird hang over your highchair with a serious face to peer over at the girls to make sure they don't have anything better than what you have. And when you get table food, you shove,shove,shove in your mouth...pause, and then dive and growl for more. Funny every time. You prefer to feed yourself your bottle.You are such a boy - on the go, flipping out of every diaper change, pulling handles and crawling towards everything you shouldn't be, just to explore. You are much more into things than your sisters and you love any toy that isn't a toy. (Stones on the fireplace, backing under the couch, cell phones, remotes, corners of dirt, drawer handles, diapers, lotions...) You are a pretty fast belly crawler and can get those knees up, but prefer to crank along like a snake. Favorite things right now are your attempts at mama (more like a jaw grinding maaaaa) and ba - random attempts, no consistent "words" yet. Your grown up closed mouth grin and your big open mouth I could explode I'm so happy smile! And the top of the list - how you slow down right before a nap, let me cuddle you, sing "Sweet Baby 'Quinn' " and watch you melt and yawn everytime...
cuddle and now that you can crawl (the 1st official crawler!) - you crawl right over to me, climb on my lap and just want a snuggle. You are so happy when you are happy and you may propel yourself to the ceiling when we come to get you from the crib the way you kick your feet and throw your arms! You crawl around like Bambi - so cautious and stop for breaks to just sit up. Sometimes as you are still working on technique, you plop forward onto your head and then just keep going - very funny & cute. Your looks are really changing from your helmet. People always comment how pretty and petite you are! I love your little face and sort of bald head. You are doing great with your bottles and could care less about breakfast,lunch & dinner! You get bored and have to hold a spoon or baby bowl or sippy cup! You also HATE texture and tell us by barely touching your puffs and just spitting any foreign chunk back out of your mouth and let it run down your neck. You often look like you were in a battle at the highchair after a meal. You still love holding everything with your feet, our monkey. You are so content playing alone and love your pack and play time. You love baths and are so playful when you get one on one time. You really crave one on one attention and I love giving it to you! But you do love laughing at your brother & sister, other little kids and getting to see new faces at Target or the mall. It will be a sad day when you outgrow the Bjorn because you squeel with delight looking out at the world from my chest! I just look at you and feel so happy! I really think you are going to me like me -- is that good?? I hope so :) 
Hello, World! You have changed so much - you are awake to the world and literally ready to reach out and touch it all! We sing "She's got the reach..."( insert "Shes got the jack" sad, I know, we don't get out much) to you because you can sit in your perfect little upright position and reach and grab things and get back up to that upright position in no time flat. When you sit and we talk or sing to you, you kick your feet and legs while giggling, but never coming out of that sitting up position. You are a sneaky grabber and sometimes those grabs are stealing from you know who #1 and #2. You belly crawl but only if it's for something you deem important enough to go and get (outside of reaching limits), like a remote, cell phone or stacking bowl or book (you love books and stacking bowls!). You are so content to just sit and look. You are such a quick learner..if somebody shows you something, you do it. Your First Steps lady showed you how to get from belly to sitting - you mastered it a week later and can't stop. She showed you how to get to one knee and pull to standing - you were practicing that same afternoon. You love,love your bottle and may be going to kindergarten with your bottle. I can't imagine you ever giving it up because you just love it, it is your comfort. It may or may not be to blame for all that love in your belly :) You love your puffs at meals and really can chew your food well. In fact, you already are over purees and prefer to have table food. Your dark hair is growing in so beautifully and everyone still comments on those beautiful eyelashes and coloring, I'm jealous! You chatter, giggle and squeal all day! Sometimes during your naps, even. I will come in and find you just sitting up, looking around and babbling and making your voice sound high pitched during a nap. You light up a room and bring joy to us with every smile, giggle and roly, poly cuddle !
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