8 months old

Mason - somehow overnight (or so it seems) you turned 8 months old! 

I feel like this is the point in your life where I should be getting teary-eyed about you turning 2/3 of a year old, but instead I am so very happy. We are SO enjoying every stage as it comes & instead of rushing to get to the next milestone, I am heeding the advice given by others - "soak up & enjoy every moment while he is little because he will grow so fast" - & it is SO very true. You are growing too fast my little man :(

Weight: You continue to get heavier by the week! 22 lbs is what the scale said last night but I could swear it is more than that - or at least feels that way! I finally packed up the rest of your 6 month onesies, pants & shorts this past weekend. It aways makes me sad to put your cute little clothes away & move on to the next size :( You are exclusively wearing all 9 month clothes now & at the rate you are growing I have a feeling you will be in 12 month stuff soon! 

You & Mommy went on quite the shopping spree this month stocking your closet with much-needed 12 month onesies, shirts, pants, jammies & some Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas outfits/PJ's! I think it is safe to say that 1)you are indeed spoiled & 2)you are officially set for the winter! You are still wearing size 3 diapers & if I had to guess, you will be moving to size 4's by the end of October.

Yep Mom - it fits!! Let's get it!

Sleeping: There is definitely room for improvement in this department! I am SO ready for you to start sleeping through the night & find myself green with envy when I hear other mom's say their little ones have slept through the night since 4 months old. 

You are still a great nap-taker & continue to take your short early morning & long early afternoon nap. The last couple of weeks you have started to drop that late afternoon cat-nap which makes you a very sleepy & fussy boy by 7pm. You are usually fast asleep by 8pm & go down with no problems. 

You start out sleeping on your back but always flip over to your belly & sleep face down with your cute little butt in the air.

And yes, that is a crib bumper in his crib. Please don't judge - I got tired of Mase getting his little leg caught in the slats of the crib during nap-time & in the middle of the night, screaming when he couldn't get it out & risk injuring himself so the crib bumper was placed in his crib last week.

No matter how many times I turn your head, you turn it back...hand under your forehead & nose buried in the mattress. How you can breathe like this is beyond me!? There are LOTS of prayers said at night that you don't stop breathing on us.

Around 11pm you wake up & want your paci & then become super restless! It takes you forever to get back to sleep & after about 30 minutes of back rubbing, rocking, holding & rolling all over your crib I give up & you end up in the bed with mommy & daddy. You of course fall right asleep & sleep like an angel until around 3am where you wake up for a bottle, fall back asleep & sleep until 6-6:30am. 

Lucky for me, on the weekends you like to sleep in like your mommy & I am SO thankful you take after me in this aspect rather than your daddy - who is always up before the sun rises!

I don't know why or what we are doing wrong but what I wouldn't give for 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep! We have tried cereal in your bottle at night, keeping you up later, giving you a last bottle at 10pm & nothing has worked. We have yet to try "crying it out" & as much as I don't want to go there, it might be the only thing that works!?

To be continued...

Eating: Still eating mainly oatmeal cereal, fruits & veggies. You are definitely not a fan of mashed bananas or baby yogurt & you still hate peas. This past week you developed a new love for applesauce & graham crackers. You are getting much better at eating finger foods like yogurt bites, puffs & rice crackers & getting them in your mouth rather than in your lap. The bulldogs love laying under your highchair & can't wait for us to pick you up & catch the food as it falls to the ground. You love to watch the dogs & I dread the day when you figure out that they will eat from your hand. 

Milestones:
- The 1st week of Sept you cut your 1st tooth & then 2 days later you cut your 2nd tooth. I miss your sweet toothless grin but this one is pretty darn cute too :)

- I discovered that you wrinkle your nose when you smile just like your Mommy does :)

- You have mastered the "army crawl" & can get from one end of the room to another in no time flat. For some reason you can’t seem to get the opposite arm/opposite leg concept down & seem pretty satisfied dragging yourself around the room with that one arm! Here is a video...try to ignore my "Mason" voice :)

- I put you down for a nap one afternoon & when I came to check on you this is what I found! You somehow learned to pull yourself up in the crib & you were SO proud of yourself! Unfortunately, you haven't figured out how to sit back down so you get mad & start crying for us to come get you. After seeing your new little "trick" your daddy immediately grabbed his tools & lowered the crib mattress down a notch!

- Your daddy thinks it is the funniest thing to watch you go from an "army" crawl to pushing yourself up to an immediate sitting position. You do it so effortlessly & fast - a real pro!

- Spitting & blowing bubbles are your favorite things to do - especially when you have a mouth full of food! You think it is so funny to spit a shower of green beans & sweet potatoes at your mommy! However, I don't seem to share in your enthusiasm.

- You have now learned how to get something you want. You will spot something from across the room, figure out you want it, crawl over to get it, & pick it up to play with it. Amazing how your little mind works this young.

- You are starting to realize the relationship between cause & effect -- like when you cry in your crib you know that soon mommy or daddy will pick you up or when you drop a toy, Mommy will pick it up & so the game begins....until Mommy gets tired of picking it up after the 10th time!

- Millie & you are becoming fast friends! She has become your little "buddy" & wants to be wherever you are! She absolutely loves to sit with you on the floor & watch you play.

She also loves to sneak kisses & lick the drool off your chin when you least expect it :)

It amazes me everyday the love I have for you. I had NO idea you could love something this much. You are truly the best thing that has ever happened to us & everyday I realize more & more how truly blessed we are & what a miracle you are. 

I want you to grow up having the absolute best that we can give you, to have the feeling that you are so very wanted & loved & protect you with all we have from the evils of the world. I would also love for you to have a sibling as my sister & brother's mean so very much to me but I just don't know if it is in the cards for us. I am leaving that up to higher powers & though I don’t know what God has planned for us in the future, what I do know is that I appreciate & feel so very blessed for our little family of three & if that doesn't ever change than so be it.