243

That's how many days old I am. Makes me seem old, doesn't it? Oh...how many months is that, you say? Well, that's 8 whole months. I've almost spent as much time in the world as I spent in Mommy's belly. I don't know if Mommy wants to do that again!

So here's what I'm up to now.

I wear mostly 12 month clothes. I still fit into a few 6-9 month things, but Mommy puts things away every week that I've outgrown.

I had a big growth spurt recently. I am now between 28 and 29 inches long.

I haven't gained any weight, though, so my legs are losing their rolls. I'm still not quite yet 19 pounds...about 18.5lbs.

I still wear size 3 diapers and I wear size medium in the fuzzi bunz cloth diapers. Mommy has to change me a lot when I wear them because I am a really heavy wetter and it often seeps onto my clothes.

I still nurse 4 times a day. Zoe says Mommy has these milk making bottles on her and embarrasses her in public when she sees bottles in the store. She says they're just like Mommy's' milk making bottles as she points to them. It makes her have a really red face.

I eat all kinds of things. I'm not sure I have a favorite. I like it all. I think my favorite is a pumpkin/pear mix that my Mommy purees for me. But I also really like sweet potatoes and all fruits. Green beans are my least favorite. They're too watery when Mommy purees them.

Everyone who sees me eat says I look like a little baby bird. Those who know my Daddy really well say I can "put it away" just like him! I can't help it. I'm hungry. And I want to eat fast but my Mommy is slow feeding me...so I open my mouth for her and just wait. Slow poke!

I wake up in the morning between 7 and 8 and eat about 4 ounces of cereal after nursing in the morning for breakfast. Then I nurse and eat about 4-6 ounces of fruit and veggies at noon for lunch. Usually I get some cheerios with that. Then I nurse again at 4 and eat dinner at 6. I eat a lot for dinner. Usually about 12 ounces of stuff...some cereal, some fruit, and some veggies. Then I nurse one more time before I go to bed at 8.

I'm starting to eat solid finger foods. Mommy started with some little puffs. I graduated last week to cheerios, and have also started eating small chunks of sweet potatoes, pears, peaches, bananas, and cheese. I can't quite grasp things yet, so I rake it all to one corner, grab a handful, and shove it all in my mouth. Sometimes I smile and it dribbles out the sides.

I still love sitting to play. Now, I go a lot from a sitting position to a crawling position or to my belly. I haven't figured out how to go from belly to sitting yet, though.

I still only get on my knees and rock back and forth. I can't quite figure out how to move my knees and arms in sequence to make me go. But that doesn't mean I don't move. I go everywhere! And fast! But I do it all on my belly.

See? I told you I was fast. And that was my "leisure pace". I get even faster than that if Mommy leaves me in the room alone. I HATE to be alone, unless it's time for me to go to sleep.

I hit the attachment phase last month. I wouldn't go to anyone new w/o crying and reaching for my Mommy or Daddy.

I'm trying to pull up. I can't quite get my legs under me, but if I crawl up on Mommy and Daddy, I can get to a semi standing position.

When I can get Mommy to put me standing against the couch, I move along the side of it. She says it's me starting to cruise...or something like that. I only do it if I see something on the other side of the couch that I really want...and I'm still sort of wobbly doing that. She has to keep her hands right behind me to make sure I don't topple over.

I can give kisses and high fives if someone asks me to. My kisses are really slobbery...Mommy loves them.

I like reading. I get one book a month from the Imagination Library and like looking at them and being read to.

I love my big sister and want to be everywhere she is and do everything she does. She gets mad at me sometimes, like when she's playing with her dollhouse and I go and swipe all the furniture out of it. She likes to make me laugh. We have lots of screaming matches to see who can be the loudest. Don't think Mommy and Daddy like that too much.

On the negative side, I've had my 4th ear infection in two months. I think if I have anymore I might have to have tubes put in. They hurt. I won't eat, don't nap well, and am cranky. I had one over Christmas and wasn't happy. Once I got meds and numbing drops, I started eating again and sleeping a little better, but I stayed pretty cranky until just a couple of days ago. Mommy says she's happy to have her happy boy back. We finish our 4th round of antibiotics today. Hopefully the new year will bring less infections!

I think I've told you everything.

Until next month...when I'll be 274 days old...