Autumn Makes Me Sing: Eight Months

Autumn,

Eight months! I said that to you in the bath tonight. "Eight MONTHS!" You looked at me and then went back to sucking on your bathwater washcloth. Eh, just another day, Momma!

First off, where are those teeth?!?! You've been working on them for at least three months now. 3! I can see two little bumps there (when you accidentally let me look in your mouth), but the progress is going so slowly! The last time I thought, "This is it. This is teething." a few weeks ago, it ended up being a tummy ache. What?! Every time I'm sure it is teething, it isn't. I'm sure that those teeth are going to come in and I'm not going to even notice. You did all this grunt work leading up to the actual teeth popping through, and then they'll just POP! that easily. That is sort of how you started crawling, so we'll see if this follows suit.

Crawling. You did it! Yay! You did all your practicing and falling on your face before you actually started crawling. The first time you got up on all fours and actually went someplace, you were gone! Daddy and I really expected you to get your crawling legs slowly, but there has been no turning back since the moment you started. Now when I leave a room I can almost be sure you'll follow. But only to the edge of the family room where the carpet stops and the tile begins. You're not so sure about the tile. Even if you make it over the threshold and onto the tile, you still have to stop and inspect everything. You feel the carpet. Then you feel the tile. Then the carpet. And so on. If you decide to go on the tile, you stop in the first square and sit down and continue your inspection. There have only been a few times that you have crawled past that square. And once was to put your palm in Phoebe's wet food. What fun! Speaking of Phoebe... She is so curious about you that she forgets her "Cone of Safety" and you actually get a hold of her tail. Lucas on the other hand, never forgets his "Cone of Safety". He never lets his guard down around you.

Driving has improved a bit lately. We drove up to see Gram and Grandpa and you did really well. We left right before your first nap around 10:30. You stayed asleep until just past Navasota (not nearly long enough!). I was able to keep you entertained and fed until Hearne, but then you needed a diaper change and we needed lunch. Daddy rode in the back with you for the rest of the way while I drove (Momma gets carsick easily!). Coming back we stopped in Waco for lunch and Daddy rode in the back with you after that. We stopped in College Station to get some bread, milk and eggs because we were told our local stores were out of those due to Ike. In other driving situations I've figure out the one thing that keeps you VERY happy. You sit and babble and laugh and just have a merry old time. What is it? A spoon! I now carry about 5 in my purse at all times. It is the funniest thing. I can tell when you drop it out of reach because it gets quiet back there. And then the unhappiness arrives. I hand you back another spoon and the lovely babbling begins again!

We stopped using the boat in the bath. For the most part you sit there nicely and play. But sometimes there is a lot of struggling to get you to stay seated. And I think you figured out the squeeze toys a few nights ago. You take the whale and push down on it with both hands under water so it sucks water in. Then you bring it up to your mouth and squeeze so the water goes in. What is it with you and bath water?

Eating is so much fun these days. You eat 2-3 containers of 2nd foods a day. Usually a fruit in the morning and veggies or meat for lunch and dinner. Yesterday I fed you the last of a jar of ham and then started opening a package of veggies and you went crazy! Legs kicking, arms waiving, all because you knew you would be getting something that you really like from that shape container. Your mouth was open and I was shoveling it in, spoon after spoon. Oh, and Cheerios? We LOVE Cheerios. I love giving them to you and you love picking them up and completely missing your mouth 4 out of 5 times. When I pick you up after eating there is a handful of Cheerios in your high chair.

Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2030! (oh boy!)

She loves her Daddy!

A few days ago she knocked that flower picture off the wall!

Packing to go see Gram and Grandpa!

You still LOVE to stand. All the time. Your cruising (holding onto furniture and walking around) ability is just remarkable. You are so good at moving from the coffee table to the denim cushion to your activity center and back. And back and forth and back and forth.