8 Months

At this point in time, there are way too many milestones to put here. Every day there is something new and exciting, so I will only list the most notable and cute things:

• Everett has learned how to point. He has also learned he gets the most sensory experience when he uses the pads of his fingers. Instead of smacking things or pounding them with this fists, he learned to grab them between his thumb and index finger to lift it closer to his face and examine (and sometimes put in his mouth).
• He is crawling, opening drawers and cabinets, standing with assistance, and can sit himself up from the crawling position. The first time he sat himself up was an accident in the crib, and he got completely freaked out. 
• For a while, Everett was content to crawl around his little play mat. Now he is realizing the extent of his abilities, and he knows he can go anywhere. Time to cover those outlets!
• He is eating purees, and also some other solids that are fun to chew . However, he is VERY good at biting off large pieces of food, and I am super stressed that he's going to choke. To date, he has sucked an entire slice of cucumber to the back of this throat, swallowed a huge mouthful of watermelon, and bit off an epic portion of an apple. All three events caused panic attacks for Mom and Dad. Because of his enthusiasm, I am a little worried about transitioning to other non-pureed foods. Any advice or suggestions are welcome! Does anyone have any experience with those net things?
• Everett graduated from swim class. This means he can float and roll over in the pool. Should he ever fall into the water, he can hypothetically save himself.
• We are still nursing 6 times a day, though he is kind of over the feeding before dinner. 
• He takes 3 naps during the day. On the weekends he sleeps in and takes 2 long naps instead. 
• His swaddle blankets have become comfort objects, and he cuddles them extra tight when we put him down for naps and bedtime.
• He cut 3 teeth in the month of July (2 on bottom and 1 on top), and the second top tooth came soon after he turned 8 months old. He has recently started grinding them together, and has the funniest little pouty face when he does this. 
• My most recent favorite thing is to set him in front of his toy box (a storage bin from Ikea). I will put him about a foot away and watch him pull the box toward himself, then rifle through everything. He smiles and laughs at himself when he grabs a toy, then goes in for another. 
• He loves to sing. He doesn't sing anything I can recognize, but it's a beautiful melody in my opinion.
• He loves playing in his exersaucer (garage sale find), and is fascinated by the dog and cat. He is also a fan of any toys that require interaction (xylophones, balls, etc.).
• His favorite song is the Hokey Pokey.
• He is the sweetest little guy, and we can't get over him. My heart melts every time I see his silly little grin. I believe having an Everett in your life is good for the soul.

The Many Smiles of Everett

 

Toofs.

Photo by Marbar.