8 Months Old

Anna turned 8 months old this past weekend. Where is the time going? She is growing so fast and it is so much fun, but (as I've mentioned before) part of me feels sad that the baby stage goes by so quickly. I LOVE the stage she is now--still my snuggly baby, but starting to show some signs of independence too. I love watching her interact with other people, especially Catherine and Will. I love seeing her expressions when she sees or hears something for the first time. I love her baby babbles. And oh my, her smiles still melt my heart every day. I am so thankful for this sweet baby girl.

In the past month, Anna has learned to crawl, now has 3 bottom teeth, sometimes sleeps all night but usually gets up once around 4 or 5 am to eat, sucks her fingers almost all day and night, has eaten some of Eli's dog food and loves to eat baby food, sits in the big bathtub all by herself (with very little water in it), and loves to pull hair (especially Will's when he tries to love on her while she's nursing).

She is a pretty easy going baby for the most part, although her separation anxiety can make her less easy-going for people other than mommy. As long as she's with me, she's happy (most of the time). For example, today I had a dentist appointment. Catherine and Will were at preschool, and I took Anna with me. She sat on my lap the entire time I had my teeth cleaned and saw the dentist while she ate cheerios, one by one. She never fussed and or even tried to squirm away--which I think is unusual for a baby who has recently learned to crawl and wants to explore everything. I'm not saying she's always peachy perfect--she did literally scream and cry and refuse to be put down for 2 or 3 straight days last week (teething pains and a fever were the culprit), but on the whole she is such a lovable baby.
We're excited to celebrate your first Christmas with you, Anna! (Although according to Catherine, it's her 2nd Christmas. She just couldn't see what was going on last year because she was still inside.)