Happy eight months, baby boy! There are so many things I miss about the newborn stage (all those sleepy snuggles, itty bitty baby cries, those slooowww blinks and yawns), but every new month just gets better and better. I always say that I wish Jameson would stay this small (and part of me really does wish that), but the truth is there’s another part of me that is just so excited about each new stage and getting to see Jameson’s face light up as he experiences and accomplishes new things. I really really love being a mother. Here’s what’s new in Jay’s world for this month…
Weight & Length: No well visit this month (not until 9 months) so I don’t know his height or his percentile rankings, but we did happen to go to the doctor this week because of a low-grade fever so we found out that he’s 19 lbs, 11 oz! Once again, about a pound bigger than last month (that seems to be his pattern). And look at all that yummy chunk. š
Clothing: It depends on the brand but he’s in mostly 9 month and even some 12 month clothes! He wears a lot of Gymboree outfits and for that he’s in the 6-12 month size they have. Diapers are still size 3 for now but I’m guessing the next box we buy will be size 4. Homeboy’s got some chunky thighs.
Eyes & Hair: Olive green/hazel for the eyes and a whole mixture of colors in his hair! He’s got light brown, hints of red, and golden blonde all throughout. I’m so curious to see what color it turns into when it gets thicker! He’s also starting to get some curls in the back and by his ears, which is just the cutest thing! I figured he’d get some texture eventually because my husband has the curliest hair ever and my hair used to be super curly when I was little (although it’s more just wavy now). I’m guessing Jameson will be somewhere in between.
Sleep: He’s down for the night around 8:30 these days (sometimes earlier), wakes up around 6am (at which point Alex brings him into bed to snuggle with me), and then he’s up for the day around 7 or 7:30. Nap time is still not as consistent as I’d like it to be, but he’s typically ready for a nap every 3 hours which makes it a little easier to plan out the day. He’ll nap for either 40 minutes or an hour an a half. Rarely anything in between that and rarely anything more. I’m hoping we can get on a more solid schedule just because I like routines, but if not then I’m okay with how we’ve been going. He sleeps really well for the most part so I’m not complaining!
Eating: Still going strong with nursing but we’ve also been working on having three set meals throughout the day, just to get him in the habit. He very rarely eats a ton all at once but he is getting better about eating what I give him. For breakfast he’ll have some vanilla yogurt or some baby oatmeal/rice cereal with a fruit puree mixed in (favorites are apple/blueberry and prunes), a real fruit (favorite is blueberries which I cut up small because I’m terrified of him choking), and Cheerios (which he loves and gets so excited to feed himself). For lunch we do a vegetable puree (he’s pickier with veggies and tends to like something one day and then refuse it the next. But ones he has liked are sweet potatoes, carrots, and green beans) and I’ve been trying to give him a protein too, like chicken nuggets. Still working on that though. For dinner I usually give him bits of whatever we’re eating if it’s baby-friendly, like potatoes or bread or baked mac ‘n cheese. In general, I’ve noticed he prefers to eat what we eat rather than specific baby purees so I’ve been trying to gear everything towards him a little more and it’s been working better.
Milestones: He pulls himself up to stand on everything now, even things that aren’t very stable which is nice and terrifying for me. I basically spend every day just following him around and pulling him away from stuff he’s not allowed to touch. I can’t wait until we move into our new house at the end of this month because we’ll finally have some more space for this little explorer. This month he’s also started trying to stand on his own…he’s only done it a few times but he gets so excited when he does! He’ll pull himself up, let go with one hand, and then very occasionally let go with the other hand and kind of sway for a second. Scares the crap out of me but he loves it. He cruises around on the furniture too (especially in his crib) and can move from one piece of furniture to another if it’s close by. And if you hold both of his hands he can walk veryyyy slowly haha. Another big milestone this month is that… HE FINALLY CUT HIS FIRST TOOTH!!! He didn’t complain much about teething and his gums never got that swollen so I was kind of shocked when, earlier this week, I just happened to see the tip of his left bottom tooth sticking out! That little booger is sharp too, so look out. I’m guessing he’ll get the other bottom tooth soon because I’ve heard they often come in twos, but who knows! I’m just excited that he has one haha.
Sounds: I think I’m going to change this category to be Communication because “sounds” isn’t broad enough anymore. For example, he understands a lot more than he can express. He knows what I mean when I say “water,” “more,” “no” (although he doesn’t always listen haha), “all done,” “I’m gonna get you,” “one, two, three!” and “hi” for sure. And he’s finally officially in the babbling stage. He used to just babble here and there but now he’s a lot more consistent with it and seems to have lots to say. š His favorites right now are “dada,” “baba,” “nana” (almost sounds like “no no” and he only does it when he’s upset), and “mama.” I am fully confident that he has no meaning associated with any of these “words” but I still love hearing his little voice.
Loves: Mommy first and foremost (he will always choose me over anyone and anything else, which I kind of love), Daddy (a very close second), Charlie and anything associated with Charlie (included his water and food bowls, his toys, his tail, etc.), cousin Madelyn, those springy door-stoppers (ob.sessed.), his blankie, Puffs, when you nibble his fingers (or even when Charlie nibbles his fingers haha), standing up on everything, “Llama Llama Red Pajama,” being tickled, getting his ears cleaned, playing peekaboo (more like high stakes peekaboo because the better you can scare the crap out of him, the more he loves it), playing with anything he’s not supposed to play with, music, banging on Alex’s guitar (really banging on anything at all…he’s such a boy), OJ pops (I literally just freeze orange juice and he loves it), his sippy cup, his walker toy, brushing his teeth (aka gnawing on a baby gum massage thing while I brush my teeth), and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (he squeeeals every time he hears the theme song).
Hates: This is a new one this month (and I don’t think it will be going away for a long time)…he hates when you take something away from him, especially when he knows he’s not supposed to be touching it (like a wire or Charlie’s food dish). He’s pretty easily redirected and distracted at this point so that’s good, but still…he has his own ideas and he doesn’t like when you get in his way. Oh boy, toddlerhood is going to be fun with this boy haha. š
Things I want to remember:Ā The way you yell “ahhhh!” and shove your face at Charlie with your mouth open to kiss him whenever he’s near you, how your mouth goes into a little “O” and you start waving your arms around really fast when you’re excited about something, how you know when your daddy is home before you even see him (because you hear the door opening) and how you getĀ so excited and start looking around for him, your big belly laugh which I hear so often because you find everything so funny (I just have to open my eyes wide and you’ll start cracking up), the cheesy grin you give me right after you’ve just woken me up by smushing my face with your hand, how you attack your lemur stuffed animal with a vengeance and eat its nose, how you lean forward and tilt your head to peek around things, the way your face lights up when you see me coming in your room to get you after a nap, how you useĀ everythingĀ as a boost to stand up on (even really short and flat things haha), the way you sometimes decide to look at me while you’re on my hip and how you have to lean allll the way back and tip your head backwards to see my face, how you follow me aroundĀ everywhere (your dad calls you a little duckling because you just follow your mama around all day) and how you’re always looking around for me to make sure you know where I am (even when someone else is holding you), the way you shove your hand in your mouth whenever you get really excited, how you’ve started reaching for people to hold you (but only people you know very well), the way your little hand touches my face ever so gently when you’re nursing, and how much youĀ love reading and will just sit with me while we go through book after book after book.
Thank you Lord for allowing us to be this wonderful little boy’s parents. We love you more than anything, Jameson Andrew! ā¤
Milk with a Meal 