Eight Months.

My sweet sparkle,
Eight months (and then some)!? How can this be so!? We've held you in our arms now nearly as long as I held you in my belly. And I'm finally stealing a moment to recap some of our antics this past month. Might be a long one, as we have some makin' up to do. Shall we?

• You've developed the most crowd-pleasing funny face lately. We call it the snort-nose. You wrinkle up your little nose and chortle. We all laugh along with you.
• We might mistake you at times for a baby bear cub...you like to growl. Of course it's adorable.
• Car rides are getting more bearable. Glory be.
• We visited the zoo a couple of times (thanks Nana!) and you seem to be increasingly interested in the animals. The human variety are often the most entertaining.
• We celebrated my first Mother's Day with a trip to our favorite coffee shop and a family afternoon nap. I felt lucky to my toes.
• Mama finished teaching! Wow. We took multitasking to the next level over my first semester as a mama. Thank you for your patience with me, sweet girl. (Soon daddy will finish his course too and you know what that means...summer!)
• You and mama take many an afternoon walk over to the pond by our house. You in the ring sling. Mama in flip flops. Rain and shine. This month we've shared the company of Red-winged Blackbirds, swallows, Canada Geese and two sets of Mallards and mama ducks with babies! "Tweet, tweet. You're so sweet, sweet!" says mama. You grin ear to ear every time.
• We also had the honor of hosting a nest of baby robins. What a bittersweet day when they flew.
• Daddy continues to be your prince charming. You nearly flew out of my arms to him several times this month when we went out to greet him after work. The moment you catch a glimpse through the car window, your eyes light up, giggles commence, feet kick and arms flail.
• New foods you've tried and loved: butternut squash, cheddar cheese, pears, yogurt, sweet potatoes, blueberries and (the clear favorite) cantaloupe. Not ranking high on the list: broccoli, tofu and plums.
• Feeding you yogurt is particularly entertaining. And exercise in dichotomy. Every spoonful warrants a sour face, but soon after you're open-mouthed and begging for more.  Silly goose.
• Working up the courage to give you finger foods again after a scary gagging episode. It happens. I know. But this mama struggles with such things even more than she thought she would. That said, you are pretty good at showing a rice husk who's boss and can take down pieces of banana with style. You're pretty handy with your spoon too. 
• A few days after your 8-month mark you started to scoot. More on that later, as I have some fun pictures to prove it. 
• You like to sleep on your tummy now. I can't blame you. I'm envious.
• The laughs. Oh lovely. You make my soul soar with those laughs. A few things that summon those giggles: tickles (particularly under your arms and above your knees), a few lifts high in the sky, someone else's chuckle...you always join in the fun.
• You have spent some great days with our friends. We are blessed to have a cadre of amazing little buddies (and their awesome parents!) to pal around with. This month held picnics, shopping trips, walks, zoo trips and play dates.
• Some of my favorite moments with you have been the quiet ones. We've spent many moments eye-to-eye after you wake from naps. I tell you stories. You roll over and put your forehead to my cheek. It's sweet and I soak it up. 
• You've also allowed me to rock you back to sleep a few times lately. A fact I savor since I sweated that perfect glider purchase like my life depended on it when I was pregnant (What can I say? I was pregnant...lots of things mattered that didn't really matter.) You've not been the biggest glider fan since your early days, but I think you might be coming around. After you drift off, I make sure to spend some extra time with my nose to the top of your head, just smelling your fresh-out-of-the-bath baby goodness.

You are intoxicating, my love. And just when we think life with you can't get any better. It does. Can't wait to see what the next month brings!