7 & 8 months.

Oh my goodness! How did this happen? I missed your 7 month update so I'm going to squash it in with your 8 month update. ;)

Søren,

These past few months have been the best yet. When you were a little teeny tiny, I never wanted you to get any bigger. I wanted to keep you my tiny babe in arms forever. Part of me still wants that and there's a tiny voice in my head screaming 'Slow down!! Stay my little squish for always!'. However, I feel like we are really, really getting to know each other now. I hear all the little nuances in your cries - the 'I'm hungry', the 'I'm tired', the 'that was scary mama' and just the plain old 'I'm not getting my way and I am pissed off'. I get you, and you get me. I'm not sure how it's possible but my love for you grows every day. I'm not so anxious for you to stay teeny tiny any more - I like the person you're turning into too much. Being your mom these few months has been especially fun. You say 'mama' now, and you'll call for me in the mornings or if you don't want to go to bed. You're learning to give kisses and it is my favorite freaking thing ever. Currently you love to stand at the mirror and give yourself kisses. Sooo cute.

Also, you are so independent! You're crawling like crazy (that happened somewhere between 7 and 8 months!) and you love to get into everything. This week I have fished out of your mouth: dog hair, an onion peel, a sweet potato peel, paper, leaves, grass, a dry lentil bean and a 4 inch piece of yarn. I have to keep my eyes on you all the time and even so you're like a freakin' Ninja, kid! I'm impressed. Currently, you only want to stand. You stand and do these crazy dance-y push up type things holding onto a chair or a table. It looks a little bit like you're short circuiting. You hold on and walk yourself along whatever you're holding onto.

You LOVE to eat (just like us!!) and are happy with anything we feed you now. Apples? Yes, please! Bananas? Why not! Peas with mint? Gimme them faster! You're also starting to let me know you'd rather have food you can feed yourself because you're pretty sure the job gets done faster that way. I'm fine with that. The last few nights at dinner I made some roasted veggies and put a bunch of chunks of sweet potatoes in front of you and you went to town. You're using both hands to eat, not favoring one over the other yet. Anyway, I'm trying to be laid back about it and let you try things and feed yourself. Plus, we have time to feed ourselves that way! Bonus.

We took you to Disney World for the very first time on May 14th 2013 and you had SO much fun!!! We stayed all day, way past your bedtime, but you were so happy and good the whole time. You rode the safari at Animal Kingdom, watched a (really loud and fun) street party in africa and a Bollywood street party in asia (which you slept through!).  We let you play in the grass for the first time on a little lawn near Expedition Everest. You met a sweet little Aussie boy named Finn there and you both had fun playing in the dirt and grass for the first time ever. At Epcot we took you on Maelstrom. You loved it! So brave! We got you a little Viking helmet to wear for your first birthday party in a few months. We ran into your Uncle Ken, Aunt Colleen and cousins Rory, Liam and Ronan. Rory is one of your favorite people, so when you saw him there I think your little baby mind was blown. We went on other rides (you really liked the Nemo ride and looking at the Manatees) and there seemed to be a soft spot in your heart for the giant fountain on the way out. We stopped so you could watch the water show. You were captivated. When we left, we strapped you in your carseat and were pulling out of the parking lot when I said to your dad, 'He's so quiet! What's he doing?' Sure enough, before we even got out of the parking lot you were fast asleep. When we got home your dad scooped you out of the truck and changed your diaper, then laid you in your crib. You woke up but fell right to sleep when you hit the crib mattress and didn't make a peep all night. The next morning you woke up with big smiles on your face! We were stoked you had so much fun, because we did, too.

I'm so excited for what's to come. You are the sweetest and most fun. 

Love, mama

From your 6 month check up:

Weight 19 lbs 10 oz (85th percentile)

Height 27" (75th percentile)