8 Months

Today is Eli's 8 month birthday. Poor guy has a little cold, so he just hasn't been himself the last few days. He has been such a hard baby, but such a joy at the same time. I don't think there is a happier baby on earth. His smile is like a hippotamous, mouth wiiiide open and the rest of the face disappears. He is so happy to see everyone. The best thing is his laugh. Huge and guttural, it always makes me laugh right along with him. No matter how frustrating he can be, I love him deeply, and always will. He is truly such a joy. He just makes people feel good. I love to see how much he loves his big sister and how much she loves him. Precious.

His fine motor skills are right on schedule. He enjoys feeding himself cereal, green beans, and fruit dices. He can get a spoon of food in his mouth and drink from a sippy cup with a little help. He leans in and gives me big, wet kisses. He waves and claps his hands, and can reach out and grab anything before you realize it... his favorite thing being his sister's hair.

His gross motor skills leave a little to be desired. He has been able to get on his hands and knees and rock for long periods of time for over a month now, with little to no forward motion. He just doesn't seem interested in trying. He loathes tummy time; always has. He spends most of the day on my hip or sitting up straight surrounded by toys. As soon as the toy he is interested in moves out of immediate reach, it's all over. The alarms sound. Deafening screams ensue until he is picked up and rescued from his misery. Trying to reach for the toy is completely out of the question. I can't wait until he takes off. I don't think there will be any stopping him once he finally decides he is ready to go.

He has two teeth. Bottom front and center. A third (also on the bottom) has been playing peek-a-boo for the last few days. The most exciting thing that has happened lately is that within the last couple of weeks he has begun to fall into a semblance of a schedule, including sleeping all night long. Meaning a full night of sleep for mommy and daddy, making for a much happier home :)