Bear is EIGHT Months

Little Big Elf,

What a month! We got in the Christmas spirit this month. You cut down a Christmas tree (and ate a plate of refried beans at lunch afterward), saw Santa, decorated the house, appreciated Christmas lights, took your first vacation, and for the first time had a slew of babysitters as Mommy and Daddy were both working. You didn't get sick even though Juliet, Daddy, and I all were pretty sick this month.

Here are some pictures of you all in your Christmas jammies. This was after Leah's Christmas Show on the last day, so she still has a bit of make-up on. 

You continue to love to eat.  You now have 7.5 teeth (it was a big month for your mouth!). Your favorite foods seems to be meat! Meatballs, rotisserie chicken, and meatloaf are all very appreciated by you. Failing the availability of those, then you seem to like cottage cheese or string cheese the best. This month you learned to pull up and are doing it non-stop. In the past few days you've been experimenting with standing up one handed, or even just with a finger or two. It won't be long before you are standing (tears!). But, you still love Mama best and one of my favorite things is when you frantically crawl to me while making loud screaming noises.

This month Daddy went back to work. He was off for about a month with both of us and about a month with just you after I went back. You really liked "dude time" and it was wonderful to see your bond get a little deeper as you two spent your days together. I loved (and was jealous at the same time) when Daddy told me about your days and about how you would sleep so long on him that he would have to pee and eventually have to wake you up so he could use the restroom. It was funny that I was the "breadwinner" for a few weeks there (thank God that has ended or we would be living under a bridge). You spent your days with Daddy watching various "dude" movies and completely inappropriate for children TV shows, taking long walks around the neighborhood, and playing while Daddy looked for jobs. Daddy would try to get projects done, then tell me how hard it was to do so with a baby (I've been telling him that for years!).

You are no longer the great sleeper I used to brag about. You now are up several times a night and move around the bed like a wild man. I can't count the number of times I've woken up to a slap or hair pull by you. I try my best to put you back to sleep with out nursing for too long and that often means that we wrestle around until you give up and go back to sleep. That lands us in some interesting positions. You love to stick your head into pillows which I hate,  but at least I know a monitor will go off if you can't breathe. 

You went to Chicago which you LOVED. Save for about 10 minutes both ways there and back when you had a little bit of a car meltdown, you were amazing. You barely slept as we explored the city because you wanted to take it all in, too. You would take catnaps in the Ergo, but just mainly wanted to be awake looking all around.

When Daddy went back to work we had various people watch you until we could find a permanent babysitter. You did great with all of them! You still seem to need to be held during naps which we will have to work on with the new babysitter (but not with me. I will hold you until you are 15 if you'd like).

This month you started biting when you are tired. Mainly just me. I have little bruises all over me compliments of you telling me you are ready to go to sleep. When I tell you "NO" firmly, you stick out your lower lip and cry with despair that you somehow did something wrong. You get a look on your face like, "You have it all wrong. I'm perfect." You always forgive me, though (then bite me the next time you want to go to sleep).

You now can real crawl, but when you want to be fast you still army crawl. You LOVE getting to things that are not yours. The stick for the doorwall is one of your favorite toys. You also love to crawl all around and under the kitchen table. You love to get to the animals and pull their fur. They usually don't mind because you share your food with them so often. At a Christmas celebration you showed us that you can climb a flight of stairs all by yourself.

 You are still big. Many 6-12 month clothes are coming close to being too small. You weigh 24 pounds, which is much less than we thought (Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma and Grandpa all took bets--ranging from 25-30 pounds--I won with my 25 pound bet). I just had to buy you a bunch of new clothes so that you don't freeze in a few weeks when you officially outgrow everything. You wear all size 4 diapers.

We love you SO MUCH, Bearsey Boy. Wait to be EIGHT months. Please slow down just a bit, though.