Our Story: Month 8

Month 8: Baby!

Age: 8 months

Weight: 18-19 lbs. or so

Major calendar events: First Christmas!

Milestones: Clapping, cut second tooth, giving "kisses"

Sleep: Fabulous (most nights). She's sleeping in crib in her own room typically from 8:00 p.m. or so until about 8:00 a.m. (give or take.) Occasionally, she will have a bad night and cry a lot before actually falling asleep but usually it just lasts for a few minutes. She is however not sleeping in her crib during the day (yes, I am still holding her during her naps if we are at home) although, she isn't really into big naps at this point, and a lot of times she's napping on the go! I think back to this time last year... I thought I was NEVER going to know what sleep was again. Between pregnancy and having a baby I thought it would be 20 more years until I actually got to sleep. But guess what?! I was wrong. Hang in there new mamas - you will see sleep again VERY soon! (I recommend getting baby on a schedule ASAP - we used Helen Moon's "Cherish the first 6 weeks" and it was awesome. Heidi was sleeping through the night at 6 weeks. Babywise is another popular schedule/method!)

Likes: Practicing her new tricks - waves at everything and loves clapping, playing in the bath, saying "mamamama", and smacking her lips together.

Dislikes: There are VERY few things that Heidi dislikes... but eating squash is one of them!

Best moment: Watching Heidi give Ryan a kiss for the first time

Worst moment: I was in a situation where a non-family member was feeding Heidi spoonful after spoonful of canned whipped cream. It was AWFUL. (I wouldn't have been freaking if it was just a little taste - trust me this was more than one FULL adult serving.) Just when I thought we were done, MORE was put on the plate and this person just kept going. I know I should have said something, and I tried to redirect back to crackers (which I was still not okay with seeing as Heidi was given about 10 or so) but I was caught between being two people. One side of me kept saying "just let it go, it's not a big deal, she's going to be fine, don't be that "mom" (I also hate confrontation so I was getting really uncomfortable thinking about snatching my baby back even though that's all I wanted to do.) On the other hand, I was FLIPPING MY SHIT and about to go crazy on everyone. This is MY baby and I'M the mom. You don't give someone else's BABY that much food, especially dairy, ESPECIALLY fake, nasty, chemical-y dairy. I was frozen between these two people (and also kind of stunned) to the point where all I could do was just drop subtle hints ("let's go back to crackers", "I'll call you when it's time to change her diaper tomorrow HA HA") however these hints were definitely not picked up on. To a non-parent, this situation may not seem like a big deal, but when you see your child in a situation like this I promise it will affect you in ways you didn't know possible. You get so possessive and your mind goes to all of the "worst case scenario" places. I don't want to see Heidi unnecessarily uncomfortable (digestionally speaking) and I really hope this doesn't hurt her. You also aren't supposed to give babies a lot of things because giving it to them too early could possibly cause allergies. I really hope Heidi doesn't develop a dairy allergy because of this!)

Eating: Breastfeeding like it's her job every 4 hours and exploring new foods often just for fun. She did not like pureed apples, but prefers to just gnaw on big slices. Bananas are also still a favorite (although, I give these to her sparingly because it makes her poop have all those weird little squiggly looking worms haha!) Sweet potatoes and avocado are also things she likes. (At this point, squash is the only thing she WILL reject!)

Things I want to remember: Uummm... everything?? I don't want to forget about all of the quiet moments where we are just enjoying her. I worry about not getting this time with future babies when life is more crazy. Also, I want to remember what a BIG deal all of the teeny tiny milestones are - and I ALWAYS want them to be a big deal with future children.

Month 8: Mama

This past month was AWESOME! We got to spend so much wonderful time with family and friends and were able to truly enjoy this holiday season. I'm so sad it's over! I can honestly say that life now feels "normal" and I feel 100% myself again. Here are some pictures from this past month.