You are getting so big!! Since your Daddy came home a week before you turned 8 months old, things have been a whirlwind. I didn't get a chance to write your 8 month post so I figured I would just combine the two. Well month 8 was a big one for you! You started to crawl very early in the month, almost right after I wrote your 7 month post. The first time I saw you crawl, you and I were out on the deck with the dog. Bailey's toy was a few feet away from you and the next thing I knew you were scrambling for it! You were clunky and awkward at first, but isn't every baby? I was so excited and immediately took a video.
Since you started crawling, you really haven't stopped. You are already into everything! You would pull all the dirt out of Grandma's plants and head straight for underneath the coffee table. You figured out quickly how to crawl through them and the house became a jungle gym. You began to pull up on ANYTHING you could get your hands on...people, couches, TV stands...decorative vases....It was all just a means for you to stand up. You do the same thing still. You love to be upright!
As you progressed on to almost 9 months, you have started clapping. A few days after we arrived in NC, you began to do the clapping motion and you made your Daddy and I get a little teary eyed. We were so proud to see you do that! You clapped for an hour in your crib that night instead of sleeping because you loved your new skill so much.
You also began eating actual "food"! We started with those baby mum mum crackers and you moved on to the little cheerio like pieces you can buy in the store. I was so scared you were going to choke so I would still break them up into tiny pieces. One day when I wasn't looking you grabbed a whole piece and ate it on your own, (without dying like I thought may happen) and I knew from that moment on you were way ready for bigger pieces of your own food!
Since Daddy came home we made lots of visits to family and got to see some of our favorite couples get married. We made a big journey to Michigan for some of our very close friends Katie and Josh, and this was your first long car trip. You watched Elmo on repeat for 9 hours there and home. You loved it! It was the reason we got through the trip. Mommy and Daddy listened to Elmo for 10 hours there and home. Not so much love to Elmo at that point from us.
Finally, in the middle of September it was time to leave our wonderful family in NY and head back to our home in North Carolina. Our family was so wonderful to us while your Daddy was deployed and we all miss them terribly. We did another 12 hour drive back to NC with a U-HAUL. And more Elmo...
It has been so nice having our family together again and your Daddy has loved spending this last month with you. You say da da da to him a lot and it is the cutest thing ever. We are glad to be your parents and you make every day a wonderful adventure.
We love you!
Mama AND Dada (finally) :)
Car trip back to NC with your bff Bailey
9 month pictures to come!
