Eight Months.

Carter, at eight months, you:
- Wear size 3 diapers
- Are wearing size 9 month clothing (for a week or two yet) and are about to transition full-time into 12 months. Oddly enough, you still have many 6-9 month shirts that still fit you. I think the pants are the issue.
- Weigh 23 pounds, 13 oz. as of your appointment on Monday
- Have your very first ear infection right now. They have you on amoxicillin and it seems to have worked quickly.
- Celebrated your very first Christmas and were spoiled to death! You were a lot of fun and humored us by opening gifts and laughing a lot!
- Got your second tooth (on 12/6/10) - it is the lower right one. Both of your teeth actually got much bigger now too, and we can see them every time you smile or laugh.
- Take 2 naps a day at home, and a few catnaps at daycare.
- Were doing super well in your sleeping until your surgery, new teeth, travel for the holidays, and an ear infection. You are not doing too badly right now, but there is room for improvement, mister. You sleep through the night some nights, but still not nearly all. You continue to go down easily, but still wake up fussing (though you don’t always know you are because you are still sleeping!) either for your paci or for who knows what?!
- Are becoming much more mobile. You scoot across the floor on your belly like you are sooo close to getting up on all fours and crawling, and you pulled yourself to standing from a sitting position one time that we saw.
- Look whenever we say your name.
- Try so hard to sit up when you are laying on your back (almost like a sit up).
- Still continue to put everything in your mouth – we think you are getting your top center teeth.
- Started eating some finger foods each day rather than just baby food. You are super good about texture. We have cut down (or cut out in some instances) your cereal to make room in your diet for some finger foods. So far, you have had banana pieces, pear pieces, whole peas, green beans, cheerios, puffs, rice (from a spoon), turkey, and I am sure a few other things. You are also starting to show us signs that you are tired of baby food by turning your head or blowing rasberries and then resuming eating when we put something on your tray for you to pick up.
- You are starting to grasp the pincer grasp too, and can pick up cheerios and some other non-slimey things yourself!
- Still drink four 6.5 ounce bottles a day. Sometimes, we make your fourth one an 8 ounce bottle though, since it is right before bed.
- No longer really care for your exersaucer at our house because our's does not allow you to jump like some other ones do. But you still love your jumperoo!
- Say “da-da” and what sounds like “mom” though I’m certain you have no idea what you’re saying.
- Developed separation anxiety, mostly for mommy, and often cry when I leave the room. Not always though – pretty much just when you are tired and when mommy leaving the room leaves you alone. If anyone else is there, you are fine. You must not like to be alone!
- Laugh a lot and make a funny “signature” sound – you open your mouth really wide and make a “ha ha ha” sound that is raspy (like a creepy laugh).
- Traveled to NJ for Christmas and got to see your first REAL snowstorm.
- Are still on Zantac for reflux, but they increase you to 3 mL twice a day now.
- Are very smart – I often watch you when you don’t know I am and you seem to know how to use many of your toys. I often see you putting the balls into the basketball hoop on your new toy.
- Are getting more and more white-blonde hair like your daddy…it has now grown down over your one ear and sticks STRAIGHT up on top!
- Still love to touch people’s faces – especially their mouths or noses. It’s super cute.
Well, squirt, your personality continues to amaze us and you, many days, keep us on our toes from "son up" to "son down." We love how much you have grown and do now - this is a fun stage! We love you so much and can't wait to see what you'll do next.