8 Months

Dear James,

You are growing so fast, I cannot even believe it. Everyday brings new milestones, and I can hardly stand it - it's exciting and sort of sad that you are growing so quickly. You have been a VERY busy boy this past month. And, you are a "boy"! You are not so much a "baby" anymore :( I cannot believe how cute you are. Just look at this picture I took of you yesterday. What a precious gift to Daddy and me you are! You did great sitting on the step for me to take your picture. You will never, ever, ever, ever know how much I love you. I am overwhelmed with thankfulness that God allowed ME to be your mommy! Okay, I know, too sappy...I have to move on with what you've been up to!! And, first of all, I have a few pictures.



First, I just need to highlight that I am very organized and prepared when we leave you for a while. I got your bottles and food ready for Ms. Karen a few weeks ago and just laughed looking at the counter. Not only did I leave this for her with notes on each bottle, I left a two page typed note to her with your schedule. I have to tell you this though. I always tell whomever keeps you to NOT WORRY if things go crazy - just do whatever you have to do to survive! I also leave the baby CPR brochure on the table each time. I have to do these things because I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

We had visits this past month from both Nanna and Grandaddy and from Grammy and GatorPa! Here you are with Nanna and Grandaddy before church on Sunday. You were very happy, but it's hard to get you to smile on demand where I can quickly catch it! We had a great time with them.

Here's a picture I took of you when I caught you trying to climb into the clothes basket in our room. You were making such funny faces! Is this a personality filled face or WHAT?

And, here you are with Grammy and GatorPa. Now, this was after church. After you went pee pee on your clothes (which Grammy and GatorPa tried to dry in the dryer before bringing you to church), then spit up on your clothes in the nursery, we just had to change you into your spare outfit in your bag. So...that's why they are dressed up and you are not. But no worries, I made you wear the cute outfit again the next Sunday :)

And, here it is. This is what you were supposed to wear the Sunday Grammy and GatorPa were here. I took your picture before we left for church the next Sunday - I even hairsprayed some of your hair!!! Yikes! I love a side part!

Oh my goodness....

You are sitting up so great now that I can take you from room to room and just set you in the floor to play. Here you are playing with tupperware in the kitchen. You are very serious playing with things sometimes - as if it is a real full time job - which, I guess it is :)

You always try to pull off your diaper if I give you a chance. I had to run do something with the washing machine and set you down in the floor for a second before I came back to put your clothes on. I thought you looked so cute! The pictures I didn't show are when I came back and you had taken your diaper off...

So...not only are your crawling, but you are starting to try to pull up.

You are getting to be a pro, and nothing is stopping you. You just climbed through the bottom of the end table here.

You and Daddy outside together...Daddy raking...you playing!

How sweet :)

You and Daddy are my favorite boys! Look how you have your arm around Daddy's arm - I don't know why, but I think that is so funny!

You have started sitting up really well after crawling around the floor. So...the other morning, Daddy went to get you up and brought you straight in the bedroom to tell me you were sitting up in the crib. We knew we needed to lower the crib, but it was a Saturday and a busy day, so we were going to wait. Well, when I put you in bed Saturday night, the first thing you did was just sit right back up...so...we had to lower the crib. Right then.

I tried one of those bath hats because you hate getting water in your eyes. It didn't used to bother you but in the past couple months has become a problem. It didn't work all that well, but you sure are a doll.

So...let's see...what else?

- You are still not a good eater :( I have done everything I know to do! I finally had to go back to giving you milk before food because you weren't getting the 24 oz a day you were supposed to be getting. And, you were having some bathroom issues, so the nurses (my bff's, you know) told me to put oatmeal in your milk instead of rice cereal. So, that's helped with your bathroom stuff. Although you aren't a good eater, what's funny is that you love anything you can pick up with your hands. You will eat puffs and yogurt melts all day long. I mean, you open your mouth WIDE. It's foods I try to feed you with a spoon that you will not tolerate - You shut your mouth and the jaws of life can't open it. You are chewing GREAT! I tried to give you a mashed up piece of banana a couple of weeks ago, but I still don't think you're ready for that. You are eating milk about 7am, breakfast at 8:30, milk and lunch at 12, milk and dinner about 5, and then one more milk before bed about 8:15pm. I am (as always) concerned because it's like either your a good milk drinker or a good food eater - but not both. So...I know I have to go for the milk. BUT, I am worried that you are not getting nutrition you need in the fruits and veggies. Ah...the saga continues...

- You were sick this past month - sicker than you have been before. You had croup! It was not a bad case. It started out with a cold, and then when you started coughing it sounded like a seal barking. Very distinctive. They gave you a baby kind of prednisone...which didn't go well. We tried giving it to you right after you ate because they told us your tummy should be full. Well, twice you vomited up everything you had just eaten :( It was bad. They didn't think you were allergic to it though because you were vomiting it back up so quickly. It became Daddy's job to give you the medicine. We would wait til in between feedings, and Daddy would give you the medicine. It worked, and you got better quickly, but it was a scary few days for me. Good grief I would be sick with ANYTHING if you didn't have to be sick!

- You are doing funny stuff with your mouth still. You are saying Dada and Mama...but you don't associate them with us...still :) I'm hoping it will come soon! I think you said uh oh the other night when I was looking for your paci underneath the crib. You are blowing a lot - which is hilarious - and you are making a lot of "pppppp..." noises with tons of spit. You are checking out all the noises you can make, for sure!
- You are CRAWLING!!! You are still doing the army crawl, but you are everywhere - going from room to room, trying to pull up (but not quite there yet). The big day I noticed you really start crawling was on 02/09...so I guess that makes you 7.5 months when you started to crawl. On 02/14 I noticed you going from crawling to sitting for the first time - and once you got that...you got it QUICK. You are a pro for sure.
- You are really into looking upside down now. You like to be upside down.

- You are making these whiny grunting noises when you don't like things - it drives me CRAZY!! I can tolerate a lot with you without getting impatient...really. It must be a gift from God to a mommy thing. BUT, that noise you make that whiny grunting drives me up the wall. I have to take deep breaths.

- You have started waving bye bye a little bit - but never at the right time yet. If someone waves bye bye to you, you just stare at them, but then at random times, I can see you waving bye bye. Also, I think you have started trying to give us kisses. It is more like a lick up our faces with your open mouth, but you're not trying to bite us (which you frequently do) so it's clearly something different in your mind. Since you are not a cuddler, your kisses are very sweet! I picked you up from the nursery last Wednesday night and as soon as I got you, you kissed me - I loved it!!!

I have a few stories...like always.

- You rode the carousel at the mall for the first time while Grammy and GatorPa were here. I rode it with you. You didn't seem to care, but it was hilarious what everyone was doing. Grammy and GatorPa yelled your name everytime we passed and waved and waved and waved. Daddy was funnier though. He ran alongside the carousel beside you until there was a wall (the elevator) he could not pass. He did this everytime we came by - it was really, really funny. I think it was clear you are a first grandchild to Grammy and GatorPa and that you are very, very loved - no matter if we're all making fools of ourselves or not! We don't care!
- I took you on a walk the other day in the umbrella stroller. It did not go well. You started crying halfway through. I had to take you out and try to carry you and push the stroller. Um, you are heavier now, and I was already tired, so that was really difficult. Finally we had to just stop and sit on someone's driveway for a few minutes so I could rest. Then, you actually let me put you back in the stroller. Trust me, we headed home right then.

- Ms. Mandy kept you in the nursery a couple of Sundays ago. She was telling me that by the time she finished changing your diaper, she was sweating all over. Ha - I thought this was hilarious because that is my life everytime I try to do anything with you! You are a major mover...not a still baby. As soon as you lie on your back on the changing table you immediately start trying to flip over. I am also always sweating by the time I finish - especially if I'm trying to, say, put your pajamas on (which are kind of tight fitting to your body) and change your diaper. Yikes. I appreciated having someone who could identify with me.

- Finally, I have a sweet little story. I did not ask Daddy's permission to put this in, but it's just too precious, so I have go ahead. I'll take it out if he asks me to. On Sunday morning I was practicing the church music with Uncle Eric. Nanda was watching you. I knew Daddy had been down there visiting with you for a minute in the pew you and Nanda were playing in. Daddy came up on the platform to tell me something, and before he could tell me, he started crying. I thought it was something about the morning, or the song we were practicing was moving him to tears, but I said, "What, what is it?" And he said, "I just love James so much." So, of course, then I wanted to cry to. Make no mistake, sweet baby, you are loved with all of our hearts. Daddy's heart was just bursting with love for you last Sunday so much that he couldn't even hold it in.

You are growing so quickly. We are going to Granny's next month, and I am so excited for you to meet Granny and our Winter Haven family. I love you. I'm sure I will have even more to report next month!!!!!.....P.S. ....still no top teeth....I keep feeling every single day...but not yet. Lots of drool, lots of fussing, but no teeth on top yet!!

Love,

Your Mommy