Elba's 8 Month Update

8 Months Old

This is such a fun age, I feel like she looks at me differently. I woke up one day and she was acting older. I told Zack at the end of the day this past month, that I felt like she understood way more and I felt like it happened over night. He said he totally felt the same way. It was weird having her feel so baby like and then all of a sudden she started acting like a kid in some aspects. It was a very weird feeling and I don't think I can describe it very well. Just one day she woke up and looked at me and the world differently and it was so bittersweet. I love how she examines everything that is tiny with her little pointer finger. She is so much more aware of what is in front of her. She is opinionated and strong willed. She is strong and knows what she wants. She has her own little personality forming and it is the most amazing feeling and thing to watch. There is so much more I can add to every category on here, quirks here and there that seem huge that really aren't...like her baby sneezes and the way she rubs her eyes when she is tired. I could write about her for hours on end...but then these posts would get side tracked and very long and I think a good portion of you would check out a few minutes into the post haha. So for now, these are little things here and there that I would love to remember this month that make me happy...I am warning you ahead of time, this is a very picture heavy post! It has just been a very fun summer and we are documenting it all!

Momma's Favorite Things

When she wakes up in the morning she waves and say hi

I love how friendly she is when we are out and about during the day

She is so easy when we are out of the house

I love her two little bottom teeth she got towards the end of 7 months

Her new teeth allow her to make this funny hissing lisp sound

She opens and closes her mouth really quietly to make little popping sounds

When she is tired she is super cuddly

She loves being close to me, sometimes I just need to fold laundry and it is like...chill out on your own for a few minutes girly! But then I know I am going to miss it so much so we soak up those cuddles

Sometimes she will just look at me when we are both being super quiet and she starts giggling and then she thinks it's a game to be quiet and then giggle

When she just looks at me and smiles

She has a newer smile now that she has teeth, slightly more evil looking haha

She loves to FaceTime daddy throughout the day

Definitely a mama's girl

Elba's Quirks

Clapping and saying "yay" when she falls

Waving 'hello' to everyone (even mannequins and figurines)

Says "hi"

Waves 'goodbye' as well

When she gets angry and throws a tantrum she flaps both of her arms really hard and throws her whole body backwards (I think we have a toddler already...)

Started reaching for Daddy more, so cute that she finds a different kind of comfort from him, all I've got going for me is I've got the boobs!

Loves going in the pool

Loves going to the beach to lay in the super hot sand and playing in the waves

Loves going to Legoland

She is loving other kids and cracks up when she watches them play

Makes funny gasping noises

She can drink through a straw

Is not a fan of bottles whatsoever

Not a fan of other people holding her that often

She loves being on the move and hates being cooped up in the house

She loves dogs

She also loves her talking toys, but prefers to play with anything that is not a toy

She tries to do pull-ups on the laundry hamper

Size (Diapers, Onesies, Etc.): Diapers size 3; Onesies 6-9 months; Shirts 6-12 months; Leggings 6-12 months; She hasn't been wearing jammies since it has been so hot at night lately! Some 18 month clothes here and there, but very few!

Eyes: Still a confused hazel color! We will see...maybe they will stay hazel like mine!

Hair: Thick and little mini curls/waves throughout, I love it!

Sleeping: She definitely doesn't like napping this month, that's for sure! But I am sure it is because of her teeth!

Eating: Anything I am eating, she wants! Anything daddy is eating, she wants! She is okay with purees, but she is really into eating regular food in miniature bite-sized pieces because she thinks she is choking and dying on the littlest piece of food when of course, she isn't...lil' drama queen already. Still exclusively breast feeding, which has been a learning curve for us both with her new teeth, but she has gotten better and it doesn't hurt anymore. For a while she was using my boobs to teethe on, ouch.

Milestones: 

• Crawling everywhere! She is super fast and now gets into everything because of it!
• Stands up on her own holding on to something and every so often for a few seconds without holding anything.
• Copying/mimicking very well!
• Showing lots of affection 
• She can say "mama", "dada", "Elba", "Hi" and "yay"....she only says mama when she is crying and says dada under her breath all day until he comes home from work, she says Elba by saying "ba-ba" and her "hi" is her shouting "ayyyyyyyyy" and waving!
• Walking around all over the place when holding her hands
• Trying to climb on everything
• Waving and saying Hi to everyone! It is the cutest thing ever.
• She waves bye as well
• She claps & says 'yay' when she falls (no milking your bumps and bruises over here haha)

We love you to death sweet girl!

XO Sydney

Elba's 7 Month Update

7 Months Old

There is something so painful about saying I have a 7 month old. I think it is because we have surpassed that half a year old mark and we are just speeding towards her first birthday. I can't believe how long pregnancy dragged on in comparison to watching her grow out of the womb. Even though it makes me sad to say she is getting older I am loving it. I am loving this age. Despite the teething and the new mini tantrums she is still so attached to me and dependent on me and I love that. Some days it is hard when I want a second to just shower alone, but every second I am not with her she is growing! I am just appreciating the fact that I get to be with her all day and take in every moment with her. Some moms do not have that luxury and I never want to take that for granted. I am so lucky and truly blessed to be able to raise a child and even more lucky to raise the one I have brought into this world. Every day comes with a new learning curve for myself and my girl, but we overcome them together and we grow together and learn from each other. Watching her experience life everyday is what it is all about.

Momma's Favorite Things

Her kicking and screaming with excitement when we go outside

She cracks up when she see's our dog, Oak

Her open mouth kisses

When she attacks mine and Zack's face with her hands and mouth

When she hears Zack on the phone and her face lights up

FaceTiming daddy and getting excited

When I say "Elba, look at mama" and she looks at me with a smirk

I love her new found love for the beach and the pool

Even though my back breaks I love that she always wants to have her feet on the ground

She still loves our morning walks together with the dog

When I run or walk fast she pulls me closer and grips my shirt tighter

Her smile

She giggles really hard and it sounds like a scream when I chew on her lil arms and legs

I love that she recognizes family and gets excited to see them

I love when she reaches when she knows when she wants Zack or myself

I love her puffy eyes when she wakes up 

I love when she wakes up in a good mood she gets all giggly and chatty

She holds one foot when she is sitting in the ergo

She has this new dramatic grunt cry that cracks me up

I love that she wants to sit with me while I put makeup on

She's definitely a mama's girl

Elba's Quirks

I let her choose a talking puppy toy from Target and she is OBSESSED and cracks up when it starts talking to her

The only song that calms her down all month was Sia's Elastic Heart

She loves being outside, will start whining if I walk inside and she wants to be out

She is starting to love solids, but only if I make it...weirdo

She is loving the sweet potato I make and roasted carrots

The only fruit she likes is blueberries (besides any citrus)

She only wants to shower in her bumbo seat now...goodbye baby bath

Anything that isn't a toy...is her favorite toy

Loves to chew on my leather diaper bag, the ergo, water bottles, the remote, phones, and bottles of lotion or sunscreen

Will wear bows and anything on her head just fine, just NO hats

Loves to have a tickle rub on her back and hair, she gets goose bumps and dazes off, like-mother-like-daughter

Loves the beach and anything with water like the pool or shower 

Tries to take everything out of my hand, including food

I have to be careful of paper or paper tags on things because she constantly tries shoving it in her mouth

Hates the bottle (shoot me)

Using me as a human pacifier as she has boycotted all pacifiers for over a month now

Teething like a crazy person

Has 4 bottoms teeth working on breaking through the gums, any day now...

Started this new thing where she sticks out her tongue like a lizard multiple times randomly throughout the day

Started teething on her bottom lip so it's all chapped and I am constantly applying chapstick to it

HATES diaper changes because she just wants to flip over and crawl away

HATES lying on her back because she just wants to stand or sit

Doesn't like being set down very often because she is feeling needy with all of her teething

Always picking plants and flowers

High-pitched screams when she is excited

Really testing how loud she can scream and laugh in public, cracks us up!

How well she sleeps has been varying, just waiting on those lil' teeth to break through and give her some relief

Loves having her picture taken

Loves watching videos of herself, she thinks she is the greatest thing ever haha

Gets super excited when Zack gets home from work

Starting to SHARE! YAY!

I think she may be slimming out a bit because she is so active. She is still chunky, but I definitely feel like she is losing some of it with all of her movement!

She loves other babies and kids

She cracks up when we whisper in her ear

Cries or whines when I pick her up when she is walking around with assistance

Size (Diapers, Onesies, Etc.): Diapers size 3; Onesies 6-9 months; Shirts 6-12 months; Leggings 6-12 months & some 3 month ones; 3-6 month, 6 month and 9 month jammies! Some 18 month clothes here and there!

Eyes: Olive green & gray/ hazel; They have a cooler undertone to them, we will see if they start warming up if they begin changing brown, but they might stay hazel like mine...

Hair: So much thicker, starting to get curly and wavy like Zack's too, which I think is just so precious! Love lil' curls on baby girls!

Sleeping: Teething has kinda thrown us for a curve, but we are doing what we can and working with it....it is all temporary! 

Eating: Loves the purees that I make her. I have only made her a sweet potato one and a roasted carrots one, she likes them separate or combined. Sometimes I throw in a little baby oatmeal in it to thicken it up. She still prefers breastfeeding and has begun to hate all bottles. I am planning on starting her on some different greens and other types of solids. Gonna makes some new ones this week/weekend for her to try!

Milestones: 

• Crawling, not too well...but it isn't an army crawl anymore. She uses one side better than the other
• Rolls like crazy
• Stands up on her own when holding on to something
• Copying/mimicking
• Showing lots of affection 
• We have been teaching her how to share all month and she has caught on! It is so freaking precious. If I say "Mommy's turn" she will give me whatever she has in her hand or whatever she has in her mouth. I LOVE IT. I Love babies that know how to share.
• Sitting
• Walking around all over the place when holding her hands

XO Sydney