Happy 8 Month Birthday!!

Eight months already? It seems to hard to grasp, but here we are once again amazed at how fast time goes when you are trying to keep up with a changing, growing, learning, and happy little boy.

There have been lots of changes this month, the biggest being that I have spent most of it at home with Graham full time! Being a full time mommy has been fabulous thus far. I am already convinced that there is no way I will want to go back to work in August. Perish the thought! We have settled into a nice routine that involves sleeping in (for the most part 8 or 8:30 every morning), eating, singing songs, playing with toys, eating, getting dressed and heading out on a morning adventure, eating , napping, eating, more playing when Daddy gets home, going for walks, eating some more, etc., etc., etc.

Are you starting to see a theme here? Eat, eat, eat!! I feel like we spend the better part of our day eating! And Graham is into eating lots of different things. We have expanded his culinary tastes beyond just baby foods this month, and he is LOVING it! He has had bananas, berries, potatoes, mum mums, and cheerios to date. The two new additions this month, his two bottom teeth, are making eating a whole new sensory experience as loves to use his “chompers” to crunch all different things, both food and otherwise. Graham is also trying, though not with much success, to use sippy cups and straws to drink water and frappuccino as well?!?! One morning this month, I was holding Graham on my hip with one hand and a frappuccino in the other hand. I turned my head to look behind me and when I turned back around, Graham had his mouth on my straw and was desperately trying to suck up my drink! Let’s hope he doesn’t inherit his daddy’s Starbucks habit quite this soon!
All this eating has definitely led to a lot of growing. Graham is about 15 pounds and 26 inches long. He has lengthened out a LOT and we are starting to have problems with clothes. The onesies and shorts that fit best around the middle are getting too short, while the ones that fit lengthwise, are WAY too big around the middle. I am sure that he will eventually even out, but in the meantime, it would be great if they made baby suspenders! =)

Eating and growing have also definitely helped Graham’s mobility. He is now big enough to fit comfortably in the stroller without a car seat and loves the new world around him, finally being able to face forwards and see out! We are also officially “on the move” in our world! This month, he finally got the hang of using rolling as a means of transportation and will roll his way around the floor, room, crib, etc. While Graham will get on all fours and bounce on his knees, he still shows next to no interest in crawling and wants to spend the majority of his time standing up. He would stand in his stander or holding onto one of us for hours, if we would let him. He loves to tell us that he is ready to stand by sitting and leaning backwards against us, in a kind of reverse plank, so that his feet reach the floor. Graham’s strength (and stubbornness) amazes both Chris and I, as when he is ready to stand, there is absolutely NO bending him back to a seated position.

When we can get him seated (or even when we can’t!), Graham loves to play. He still loves to play with the cats has only gotten hissed at on one occasion when he got a hold of Rescue’s tail and held on a little too long! He continues to love playing peek-a-boo and will find things he can hide behind. One morning, he was sitting on the floor in the bathroom and he had a blast playing "Peek: The Shower Curtain Edition".Graham has become a big fan of bath time and it seems to take longer and longer each night! He enjoys playing with his rubber duck and a good old Wartburg Cup. Daddy enjoys playing with Graham's hair, and he has gotten plenty of interesting "bath time do's" (don't's as I say!)!Graham also loves to play with his toys, and can dump an entire bin of toys all over the floor in a matter of seconds.
And although he has a bin full of toys, I think his current favorite “toys” are my phone and the remote control! He takes after his daddy with that one, so much so that Chris went and found one of our old remotes and gave it to him since everything still goes straight to his mouth. Speaking of mouth, have I mentioned this month that Graham loves to talk?! He is imitating all kinds of sounds and stringing more and more sounds together. This month he has discovered how to whisper and thinks that it is hilarious! While he loves whispering and can crack himself up for hours alternating between loud and soft sounds, he is also extremely tickled when we imitate him and whisper his “ba ba ba” sounds back at him! Graham definitely understands conversation patterns and responds to his name and sounds coming from all different directions. We have also seen an increase in his receptive skills and his understanding of the signs for more and milk. He laughs and smiles for “more” and since it is usually presented in conjunction with food, he will either hit the high chair tray or open his mouth in excitement rather than imitate the sign as a request. When asked if he wants milk with sign only, he will reach for me and nuzzle in towards my chest. It is pretty gosh darn cute!

Graham is adorable and still loves to interact with…well anyone and everyone who will smile in his direction! He has gotten lots of attention this month as we have enjoyed a family wedding in Kansas City, complete with another airplane ride,

Chris’ first Father’s Day, Sunday mornings at church, and story times at the library. He has also been on a few playdates. He loves being around other kids and is definitely watching everything they do. We have also been finding ways to stay cool, and Graham has been a real trouper in dealing with our hotter than average summer thus far! We have been swimming in both indoor and outdoor pools and are learning to enjoy wearing a hat to keep the sun at bay! This is such an amazing time, and I feel so fortunate that I get to spend the next few months at home with Graham. Chris and I are both so proud of our little boy and are having a blast watching him change from a baby to a little boy, complete with his own spunky personality and sense of adventure! And what an adventure we are on!!