Eight Months

My mommy is going to be busy turning 30 years-old Wednesday when I really turn eight month and so we have to do an update on me post today.

I should have been busy in my seventh month.  But instead of learning to sit up on my own, rolling from my tummy to my back, getting up on my hands and feet, and dare-I-say crawl I spent this month freaking out and regressing.  It all started with my two top teeth coming in. They caused me a lot of trouble because they hurt really bad and I couldn't sleep very well.

When the teeth stopped bothering me I began to go through what my Auntie Lala says is object permanence.  This is an important time for babies my age because learning object permanence helps children become emotionally well-adjusted.  Kids that don't learn it will develop attachment and other mental health disorders and will show up in Mommy's office in a few years.  They often grow up to have problems being in relationships, have trouble regulating their emotions, have temper problems, and are at a high risk to abuse drugs and commit crimes.  Modern science has shown that kids who do not learn object permanence actually have physiological differences in their brains=brain damage.  Even though my mommy and daddy about went crazy they knew it was important to be patient with me even when I cried all night and was grumpy all day.  This lasted for three weeks and now that it is over Mommy, Daddy, and I are sleeping a lot better and we all are in better moods.  

My Daddy took me to the doctor when I was really out of control and he checked to make sure I was still healthy.  The doctor said I am very healthy even though my acid reflux (which actually should be called GERD due to the painful symptoms I have) is very bad.  The doctor is still not worried about me though and this time the doctor explained patiently to my Daddy that there is nothing that will really help me except growing up and growing out of it.  Even though my Mommy got frustrated with the "there's nothing we can do" answer, it has helped her relax a little bit and feel more assured that I will be okay.  They added a new formula twice a day to make the formula heavier in my tummy so I don't spit up as much--it sort of works but it is even more expensive than my Soy formula which makes my mommy feel stressed out when she goes to the store to buy it for me.  That didn't stop her from buying me this puffy vest though.

  

Today my second cousin, who is 10.5 months-old, came over and crawled around my house like he has been crawling since he was six months-old (oh, he has been) and my mommy told me to watch him to learn how.  I didn't want to watch him and I felt offended that she was comparing me to him. Maybe I won't ever crawl.  Some people say that babies who don't crawl have problems reading which of course makes my mommy worry even more.

I still love my mommy and daddy best.  I really like my daddy to rough house with me and I like it when he throws me into the air and makes me ride on his head.  My daddy says it hurts his feelings that I refuse to allow him to feed me before bed but it's just that my mommy does it so I feel content and sleepy.  I love my kitty and I love books--especially ones that pop up.  I love my babysitter and her son who is my best friend--we give each other kisses.  I play kissy-face with my mommy too.  I like to sit in the front of the shopping cart and in a high chair at restaurants.  My favorite food is cherry and apples mixed together and any type of squash.  My mommy tries to give  me treats to crawl but I still refuse to and then I demand more treats!

I can say lots of different sounds now but I don't really know what any of them mean yet.  My Grandpa Con thinks I am going to be a great intellect but not a very good athlete...which makes my daddy mad and my mommy laugh.  My mommy says it is just too soon to tell.

I am about 20 pounds now and I am busting  out of my nine month clothes.   My mommy doesn't mind because she loves to shop.  Just not for formula!!!