8 months under my belt & Merry Christmas!

8 months.  2 weeks late (again), yes, but at least I’m trying, right?  Working 5 days a week in the office has really zapped all of my blogging energy, so I do what I can when I can.   

Here’s my little man for his photo session (which was taken right around 8 months). 

 

Temperament:

Happy.  That’s the one word I would use to describe Joseph.   He’s very easy going, very adaptable to new people and new situations, always smiling and laughing, rarely does he get fussy.  He started a new daycare last week, and his teacher put on his daily report that he had the best first day ever and was smiling and laughing the whole day.  Yep, that about sums him up.  They just left out the part where he’s a ball of energy and constantly into everything. 

Feeding:
I’m still nursing, but at this point it’s mainly for comfort.  Since starting work, my supply has dwindled quite a bit.  I don’t even have to pump in the middle of the day anymore.  He prefers the bottle now.  Since I’m not ready to quit nursing just yet, I’ll continue as long as he will let me.  Call me selfish, but I’m just not ready to quit yet. 

He seems to be less fond of solids these past few weeks, and I’m not really sure why.  He honestly doesn’t seem to have a preference for anything at this point.  I’ve been mixing his vitamins and probiotics with his food, so maybe he’s on to me?

Sleeping:
Nightmare.  Total nightmare.  He’s sleeping worse now than he did as a newborn.  The major problem with this?  I have to work now.  How I’m able to function is beyond me.  It’s amazing just how sleep deprived one can be.  He typically goes to bed around 8:30ish (sometimes a bit earlier) and wakes at 12.  Again at 2.  Again at 4.  Again at 6.  Yes.  No matter what I do before bed – feed him solids, formula, nurse, make him stay up longer, make him take more naps during the day, shorter naps during the day – none of it makes any difference.  So, I’m about to start using the Ferber method on him to see if I can get the boy to learn how to self-soothe.  At this point, I know that’s the problem.  He refuses a paci most days, so my options are pretty limited. 

Milestones: 
This month has been HUGE as far as milestones go.  Here’s what he’s working on currently:

- He can sit up all on his own
- He can army crawl super fast
- He’s starting to lift his butt up in the air and his legs straight in an attempt to stand
- He’s starting to rock on his knees and hands in an attempt to crawl
- He can stand with assistance and even walks a few steps
- He can stand while holding on to something
- He’s starting to pull himself up in his pack-n-play to peer over the side

      

Here’s a video of a few of those things:
 


He’s sprouting about 6 teeth (that I’ve been able to count).  It’s crazy how quickly all of his teeth are coming in. 

Health:
He still has a nasty cough, but things seem to be getting better.  Still snotty, but I guess that’s to be expected.  It seems like kids his age are always snotty.  He had a bad diaper rash for a few days, but some extra-strength Butt Paste really helped. 

Size:
He’s wearing 9 – 12 months clothes and size 3 diapers.  Size 2 shoes.  He’s super long and has out grown most of his pants. 

Activities: 
We took the kids to see Santa this year at Bass Pro Shops.  The Santa there is so nice and believable.  Now that they have a ticket system where you make an appointment and only have to wait about 10 minutes, it’s much easier to get a good shot with the kids. 



We were also able to take some family photos this year.  I absolutely LOVE the way they turned out.  Thanks to my friend Sandra at Eau Claire Photographics for doing such a fantastic job! 



From our family to yours, may you have a blessed Christmas and a very happy New Year.