Charlie Beth || 8 Months

With the blink of an eye, another month has come and gone. I say it every month, but I truly can't believe how quickly you are growing. It seems like I was just feeling your kicks in my belly and now I'm watching you learn and discover the world around you. This month has probably been the greatest in terms of your development. You are on the move and unstoppable these days! 

We haven't had a doctor appointment since your 6 month well visit, so I'm not sure of your exact stats. I weighed you on our scale at home and if accurate, you are just about 20lbs. You are wearing mostly 12 month clothes, but I've starting stocking up on 18 month outfits. You are still in size 3 diapers with plenty of room to grow. Now that you're crawling, pulling up, and overall more active I think you are slowing down as far as weight gain goes. 

You have a total of five teeth now with your sixth one breaking through any day. Your two bottom teeth are fully in, and they are just about the cutest thing I've ever seen! Your four teeth on top started coming through at the same time, and you are still working on getting them all the way through. You are going to have a mouth full of teeth before we know it! Thankfully, even with all those new teeth, you haven't had anymore incidents of biting Mommy while nursing. :) 

You are officially on the move!! You started crawling during our beach trip last month at 7.5 months old. Now you are crawling all over the house and pulling up on anything and everything you can find. Mommy is in the process of finishing off your playroom so you have a safe area in the house to explore. You are also walking with the help of holding onto mommy's hands as I guide you around. It won't be long now before you let go and take off on your own. I don't think I'm ready for that quite yet! 

Speaking of our beach trip, you had your first beach vacation this past month. We took a family vacation with your Nana and PaPa to Orange Beach. You turned into a beach baby the very moment your toes hit the sand. We had such a fun week, and you were an absolute dream baby the entire trip. Your favorite activity included taking long naps while laying on Mommy's chest down by the ocean. It was Mommy's favorite part of the day as well. I was nervous about getting you out of your routine, but you just went along with the flow the entire time. It was my favorite beach trip to date.

This past month also brought big changes to our family. Mommy and Daddy sold the first home we bought together and purchased a brand new home with more room for you to grow and play. We grew out of our old home the minute we brought you home. Who knew a tiny newborn could take up so much room?! With your mountain of toys and gear, we knew the time had come to find something better suited for a growing family. We found a home that we love and adore not too far from our old home (but in a much more family friendly area). You did so good during the move, and you are adjusting really well to your new home. We still have to paint your nursery and get your room situated, but you don't seem to mind the boxes and chaos. 

You are still not a huge fan of eating solids. I've given up on trying to give you purees. You have no interest in them whatsoever! You do, however, enjoy feeding yourself, so we've decided to take a modified baby led weaning approach. You really like eating avocado, sweet potato "fries", yogurt melts, banana, puffs, and cooked apple. The only thing you seem to hate is carrots. I'm not a fan of carrots either, so I don't blame you for that one. I'm trying to incorporate more of what we eat into your meals. You are still nursing every 2-3 hours, so that is where the majority of your nutrients are coming from. Any solids we can get you to eat right now are just for fun! 

We haven't made many strides in the sleep department this month. You are still cosleeping with Mommy, and Daddy gets booted to the couch most nights. Mommy is determined to get you sleeping in your crib this month. I've been researching several different sleep tactics, and I think I have narrowed down a plan. You're not sleeping through the night, and I am fine with that. I just want you to be able to self soothe and sleep in your crib alone for at least the first stretch of the night. Stay tuned... ;)

You're favorite things this month include: taking walks around our new neighborhood in your stroller, riding in your new big girl carseat, boat rides at the lake, playing in the dog's water bowl, Mickey Mouse, trying to put anything and everything you find into your mouth. 

Oh, and I just had to share this outtake from our 8 month pictures. You were NOT having pictures, and this captured your mood perfectly. I'm going to have my hands full with you, baby girl!

We love you so much, Charlie Beth! You have the most infectious smile, the most determined personality, and the best snuggles. I thank God everyday for allowing me to be your Mommy. You are our whole world, little one.