IttyBittyBabyTait is almost 8MO!!

This begs the rhetorical question: where has the time gone ? But seriously, where?? I can scarcely wrap my head around the idea that you are approaching 8 months ... I have also been meaning to write this post since you were 6MO. Time has clearly gotten away from me.

What can I say about you ? Where do I even begin ? You are one amazing little baby guy. You are very smiley, giggley, & are you ever a flirt!!! We quite often describe you as a flirt & a stinker. You kind of have your own agenda. You are very, very curious. When we hold you in our arms, you attempt to get your cute, chubby little mits on whatever we are holding. You like to "help". Anything is fair game from the craft beer we are sipping in to your medicine (Prevacid for reflux) to food to toys to mommy's coffee. Anything within arm's reach you go after. You really keep us on our toes!

You are an independent sitter, too! You sit so well all by yourself! Every so often you might topple over , particularly if you lean over too far or if you fall victim to your sister's efforts to push you over (hmm, I think she is a stinker , too!)

You are beginning to become mobile, too. When you are on the floor you are able to rotate around in a circle with your belly as the axis. You are trying soooo hard to push yourself forward on your tummy!! You can easily slide backward, pushing with your arms on your belly. But that isn't what my guy wants, he wants to go forward in pursuit of his toys ... & his sister ... & the cats ... & Dexter ... (there are so many interesting things in our house for an 8 month old!!)

Yesterday you demonstrated that you can clap ... For real & not just coincidentally! Oh my goodness, it was just sooooo sweet how innocently proud of yourself you were as Grandma Deuby, Daddy, Grandpa Deuby, & Mommy & Quinn cheered you on & clapped with you ! Such fun ! I just can't get over how sweet & innocent & lovable & cuddly & amazing you are!!

What else about you at this age ... Baby Taitadactyl. You can make lots of noise!! & you love to get our attention by doing so. So fun & so silly! ... You have quite the arm, too. Beyond grabbing after everything in your swath, you can toss a toy like nobody's business ! & far!

I can scarcely believe you are 8 MO. I want you to stop getting older & growing ... But I also love each new & stage for a multitude of reasons. Bittersweet is the best way to describe my feelings!

All my love for always ,
Mommy

Tait says Mama!!!

Dearest IttyBittyBabyTait -

I can't stop beaming.  You know why??  You can say "Mama"!!!!  At first, early this week, I thought it was a fluke.  But, then you said it again each morning while Mommy was changing your diaper.  And then yesterday when I came home from the gym ... & then when you were eating ... you get the idea.  =)  Mommy loves it!!!!  Not even 8MO & saying "Mamamamama" already!!  ... I love you SO much & I am SO proud to be your mama!!

All my love,
Mommy

Seven Months Old ...

& your personality is really shining through!  You are extremely curious, attempting to get your hands on whatever looks interesting in about a 2foot radius.  [insert pic fr doc where eating

Slept.All.Night.Long ... Wait, wha??!!!!

Nine-thirtyPM to 6AM.  That's 9:30PM - 6AM.  8.5 HOURS!!!!  In the event the title of this post wasn't a dead give-away, IttyBittyBabyTait, you slept all night long!!! ... And for 8+ hours!!  Woo-hoo!!  Can I get a woot-woot up in here!???  So proud of you!! ... A bit of background is in order, I feel.  This was the very first time you ever slept all night.  In fact, you managed to develop a sleep association with nursing that had you up at least 3, if not 6, times per night.  For the past 7.5 months (you are 7.5MO ... yawn).  Mommy was at my breaking point of exhaustion, frustration, lacking ingenuity & stick-to-itiveness in the middle of the night (resulting in me nursing you each & every time you woke up, thus perpetuating the sleep association of Mommy as Human Pacifier).  I physically, emotionally, & mentally could not take the drain of sleep deprivation any longer.  It was time to heed the advice of the pediatrician (advice your stubborn should have taken when it was offered, BUT I didn't want you to cry!).

So Mommy read up in Ferber's book on the Ferber Method of prolonged waiting to check & console the baby.  It goes a little something like this:

• Put the baby down to sleep drowsy, but awake, leave the room
• If baby cries/protests, let the baby cry for 5 mins.  
• Check on Baby & hang out for 1-2 mins.
• check, console w/o picking up, & get to new kids on the calendar.

Let me be the very first to say that the crying was AWFUL.  That was the whole reason I didn't want to start sleep training you!  First night = cried for 1.5 hours, second night = cried for 1 hour, third night= cried for 2 hours, fourth night = cried for 1 hour ... & then slept through!!!  You were JUST full of it this morning after all that consecutive sleep.  So silly, flirty, & crazy guy in your exersaucer.

We are ALL very excited & happy for you (& me ... Us).  It will be very interesting to see what tonight brings.  I will pump before bed just in case you sleep all night again!! Mmmmhhhhmm, & you have popped back up, you little stinker.  

Mommy loves you so SO so much, IttyBitty!!!

Proud of my BabyGuy,

love, 

Mommy