Lila at 8 months

I haven't done many "snapshot" posts about Lila on her month-days.  Moooostly that is because until recently she lived in my arms. ;)  But since she often naps IN BED in the afternoon, maybe I can at least wind down her first year with some special posts.

Lila at EIGHT months...

• eats: nurses an average of every 3 hours during the day.  Sometimes 2/2.5 hour splits around naps or an occasional 4 hour stretch if we're out somewhere.  I think she could make it 4 hours most of the time, but given the weight gain drama all our babies have had, I'm just not inclined to push it. ;)  She usually wakes once at night to nurse, often between 4:30-6:30.  Lila also started solids around the time of her 6 month check up, but she didn't really get the hang of it until 7 months.  She has tried peaches, pears, avocado, oatmeal, sweet potato, and butternut squash.  She's also tried sweet potato baby puffs and carrot + blueberry puffs.  As with our others, I'm making her baby food myself.  It's fun to make a week or two at a time and mix and match flavors. :)  Lila eats 1-2 cubes of baby food around lunchtime and 2 more around dinner time right now.
• sleeps:  a pretty reliable afternoon nap that begins in the 2:00 hour and may last up to 2.5 hours.  The length varies depending on if/how long she cat napped in the morning.  She will often doze while nursing mid-morning, while driving if we're running errands, or in the Beco carrier if we're at church (and I walk the halls bouncing and patting her).  Very recently, she's all but demanded a REAL morning nap (a blessing and a challenge).  So some days she adds a real (in the crib!!) morning nap of about 1-1.5 hours.  NO way. :)  Waking her varies depending on if Asa has school, when she woke to eat in the night, etc.  But usually I get her up for the day by 8:30 and she goes to bed around 7:30.
• wears: mostly 3-6 months and 6 months sized clothes.  She is built a lot like Asa. :)  And the little "lag" means her size matches perfectly with AR's winter clothes for this year!  I thought the girls would be opposite seasons given their birthdays, but it's actually worked out pretty well--ha!  She's in size 2 diapers.  When she gets a little bigger, I'm hoping to switch her to my cloth stash.
• has:  2 adorable bottom teeth and LOTS of dark, fluffy hair. :)
• says:  mama, a-dada, lala... lala is the favorite right now.  It sounds like she's trying to say her name. :)
• laughs: when tickled, at Asa, and sometimes at Sammy (but sometimes she cries at Sammy, too)
• sits: up on her own!  She's stable as long as she wants to be, but look out when she's done--she drops back (with a thud) which inevitably elicits tears.  She also sits in her high chair while we have meals.
• plays:  in the exersaucer, jumper, and high chair.  Annnnnnd (dun dun duuuuuuun) scooting allll around the room wherever she wants to go.  If something catches Lila's eye, she WILL make her way to it!  She's not crawling "up" on all fours yet, although she has pushed up on all fours.  She still inchworms across a room using her head as a fifth appendage. :)
• baths:  Lila likes baths--yea!  She has learned how to splash and loves when I sit her up in the baby bathtub to let her splash before I wash her hair.
• rolls: over onto her tummy to sleep most of the time.  Not only does she sleep in the crib, but around 6.5ish-7 months she started letting me gradually put her in bed less and less asleep.  When she first started sleeping in the crib, we had to get her COMPLETELY out before we could set her down.  Something "clicked" right before/around 7 months, and that was a game changer.... not having to spend an hour after nursing to rock her to sleep at night..... getting out of her room before 9:30... I got my evening back!  Plus it's just peaceful knowing she feels at rest enough that she can be sleepy but not actually asleep and doze off on her own.
• not a fan: of being apart from Mommy.  She's okay with Matt most of the time (unless it's a wonder week or something), and she's even okay with G-Ma and G-Pa *if* she's not reminded of me (hears my voice, etc.).  If she remembers me, it's over.  And as the church nursery has told me ;), the girl has some lungs.  I'm hoping as she gains mobility she'll be easier to distract with explorations in the church nursery while I'm at Bible study.  As it stands right now.... she's made it as little as 20 minutes or as long as an hour (for my 2 hour Bible study)... then I get paged and bring her to my study with me. ;)
• trying: to get her attached to a lovie blanket to help alleviate the above situation.  Who knows if it will actually work, but she does smile and reach out for it now!  It's her little Angel Dear hippo blankie we received for Christmas last year.
• rolled: around the block in the stroller.  It's noooot her fav.  But she resigned herself to it (until now I wore her on walks).  Hopefully Lila and the stroller will make peace. :)

Pics to come!!