Baby Update

I keep putting off blogging.  Not because I don't want to, and not because I don't have something to say.  It's just that everything I have to say has to do with our little 8 month old. 

I don't want people to get tired of reading about our little one.

But that's our life right now.

And it's just the beginning.  She is number one (out of some unknown number...).  This talking-about-my-kids thing isn't going away anytime soon. 

So if you don't like reading about it.  Don't.

And if you do...

~  Little Jackie just figured out that those little syllables "ma-ma" and "da-da" she's been babbling over and over for the last 4 months actually refer to us.  Melts my heart every time she looks at me and says mama!

~  Jackie has learned to crawl.  Actually, that's old news.  She figured that one out about a week before she turned 7 months, and ever since then she's been OFF to the races.  Moving anywhere that she can fit.  She has gotten stuck under the bar chairs twice now.  The first time she actually stood up.  Silly girl!

~  In her 8 month life span, Jackie has fallen out of the baby swing, off of the bed, been pinched by a zipper, and most recently, taken a tumble down 6 (thankfully carpeted) stairs.  I promise we really do watch her.  I'm not exaggerating when I say this girl is on the move with some serious SPEED.  (Not sure who she got that from...)  At least no one will be able to say we babied her and protected her from every-little-thing.

~  I now fully understand the phrase "sleep like a baby."  The first 4 months or so I was not so sure how people thought that made sense.  Have they never tiptoed to the bathroom across the house hoping that the teeny tiny vibrations in the floor didn't wake up the baby?  (Not that Jackie was a bad sleeper as a newborn, just woke up easily).  Now she sleeps for 11+ hours every night and takes good solid naps at home. 

~  I can thank the above mentioned sleeping routine to her "awake" schedule.  It's like this.  Crawl into the living room, pull up on the couch, fall down, crawl to kitchen, pull up on the dishwasher, fall down, crawl into the bedroom, play with the door stopper that makes AWESOME noises, crawl to the bathroom, pull up on the tub to see if it's bath time, fall down, crawl into living room pull up on toys, play with toys, fall down, bump head, cry, crawl into dining room, pull up on chair, fall down, crawl into kitchen...repeat 5 times then eat.

~  The first place Jackie goes to look for me is the kitchen.  I guess I spend a lot of time there.

~  Jackie had a little bite of brownie at daycare last week.  I guess one tiny bite wasn't enough for her.  It didn't take her long to scope out the brownie of the little girl sitting next to her.  One quick swipe and that little tasty treat was Jackie's!

~  Everyday Daddy takes Jackie out to the garage to play with the doggies.   She just giggles and giggles as she watches them run around.  Her favorite game is when daddy holds her on their backs like a pony.  The smiles are priceless!

~  There are few constants with an 8 month old.   No guarantees.  However, there is one sure fire way to calm our cranky baby down.  All she has to do is hear the bathwater running and she makes a bee-line for the tub.  It's probably a good thing she isn't tall enough to get herself in yet!

~  Poor baby has been working on her teeth for MONTHS!  She got her two bottom ones early, at three months she started teething and by 4 she had them in.  Now these top teeth are taking F-O-R-E-V-E-R.  I keep thinking we'll see something soon.  Until then poor little one is drooling, gnawing, and putting anything in her mouth to help.

~  The Christmas tree is up, and so are our defenses as she discovers lights, prickly green things, and shiny balls.  My main fear is her trying to grab the branches and pull herself to a standing position (her favorite activity).  That will bring the tree down on top of her.  Maybe she would leave it alone after that...