8 months old!

well, our little smile-all-the-time beauty is 8 months old today.

weight: heavy as lead. solid as a rock.

...seriously, about 18-19 lbs.

height: about as tall as nershi.

head circumference: just the right size to fit in this ridiculously cute hat...

we don't have a doctor's appointment (or shots!) at 8 mos,

so here's what she's been up to this past month (in a nutshell)

solids (as in PUREED solids) for 2 meals a day

(most days--unless we're super busy or her nap schedule overlaps)

which solids? peaches, bananas, prunes, berries, apples, pears, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes

the very few she doesn't care about: peas, green beans.

and all of the above are regularly mixed with oatmeal.

(hmm... maybe THAT'S why she's so stinkin' heavy!)

OH, AND PUFFS!

she puts herself to sleep at night--

as in, after bedtime bottle & a book, we simply put her in the crib

she goes to bed around 8-8:30 and sleeps until 6:30 and will usually go right back to sleep after her first bottle until around 8 or even 9!!

ORRRR... she'll wake up around 7-7:30, and stay up until her 1st nap around 10:30-11

she naps about 4-5 hours a day.

what time can totally depend on our schedule and what sort of activities we're up to

...she's pretty good about being alert and awake as long as we're busy

on busy days, she usually gives me one gigantic 3 1/2 hour nap or so.

talking... sorta

i'm convinced she's going to be a ventriloquist when she grows up.

she makes MOST of her consonant sounds...

...with her mouth closed.

seriously?!?

(i'm trying to get it on film...its pretty funny)

anyone else's baby do this?!

she's uttered "mama" and "dada" but not intentionally

enough to where i think she's identifying us...

MISCHIEF.

the latest thing... mischief!

she loves to play in nershi's water bowl

...but its not just the "playing in the water bowl",

its the sneaky grin and looking over BOTH of her shoulders

that tells me she knows better.

clapping & waving bye-bye

as seen here:

the clapping is particularly cute...

she leaves one hand still and uses the 2nd one to do all the "work"

as for the bye-bye...

she DEFINITELY understands what that means

even though she doesn't say it...

she crawls away from us and turns around and waves

(unprompted)

and will wave if she IS prompted

when she or anyone else leaves.

crawling--TURBO CRAWLING.

this. girl. is. fast.

she LOVES to stand and can NEARLY balance on her own

if SHE wants to stand when you're TRYING to sit her down,

you basically have to LAY HER DOWN... flat as a board...

because her legs are LOCKED!! haha

...come to think of it, i'm not sure where she gets her stubbornness from

must be recessive. hmph.

she is at such a fun age--i seriously enjoy taking her everywhere with me!

she's been to some NICE restaurants and i just BEAM with pride

when the manager comes over and says

"she's the most well behaved baby we've had in here"

i'm sure i've left some things out... but she seriously learns something new

every.

single.

day...

hard to believe about a year ago, i felt that first little flutter

and wondered if our little kicking miracle was a boy or a girl...

we are so in love and enjoy every second of watching her bubbly personality unfold