The Pair of Scates: Eight Months Old: JUMP AROUND!

The girls are EIGHT months old today! Hard to believe time has moved this quickly…it was about this time last year that Matt and I were about to announce to the world (read: post on Facebook) that I was pregnant. It’s amazing the difference a year makes.

I don’t have official weights – I’m hoping to get that on Wednesday when we take the girls in for their flu shots. And I’m horrible at guesstimating the weight, too. But even seeing them every day, I can tell they are getting bigger (and even cuter, if that’s possible). J

So, things going on with my eight month old girls:

Hazel is a rolling machine. If you put her on her back, she’s on her belly almost instantaneously. Of course, if you put her on her belly (say for some pictures), she then decides that is a great time to roll onto her back (this makes her sound contrarian, but she usually does it with such a cute smile on her face, you can’t help but laugh and be amused). Watching her on the monitor during a nap (or just prior to the nap, I guess) is hilarious. She immediately rolls over to her belly, and usually scoots all around the crib from one corner, to the other corner, and sometimes to the third corner. When Hazel wakes up in the morning, she is quiet (which is still surprising, considering how vehement she was about missing a meal several months ago), and as soon as she sees Mommy or Daddy, she gives us a big smile and starts kicking her legs. Super cute. She does make consonant/vowel sounds, but usually she coos and hums. Also super cute. Hazel likes playing with us, but is also content to play by herself (we either have her sitting up on the floor, with one of the nursing pillows as support, or in the exersaucer/jumper). And, while she was grabbing her toes before, in the last few weeks she’s done an impressive job of getting her toes to her mouth. Talk about flexibility!

In the evenings, when it gets close to dinner and bed time, poor Hazel Bear does tend to get a bit fussy and really wants to be held (which does make it difficult to prepare a bottle at the same time, but it’s amazing how you get the hang of doing stuff while holding a baby). She is a really good sleeper; there have been several nights where Hazel has woken up (due to Abby crying or just we happened to see the end of a sleep cycle); she looks at us quietly, Matt tells her gently to go back to sleep, and she settles down. The poor Bear has also been hit by some constipation recently, too, but has taken that in stride as well, and as a result has also tasted her first non-formula/breast milk food (apple-prune juice). We also had a period a few weeks ago where she was pushing away the bottle during a feed, but we upped the nipple flow and that seems to help.

Abby is quite the social butterfly. She definitely loves attention; as her Papaw said recently, “Abby may not know what the camera/iPhone is, but she definitely realizes the attention is on her.” In the morning, Abby usually wakes up and starts talking. If that doesn’t work (read: no attention for awhile), she progresses to the “woe is me” cry/wail. But, of course, as soon as she sees you, it’s all smiles. Abby is not a roller; if she is unhappy in a position (usually on her belly), she will start to make noise, put her head down, and then (as Matt put it) “talks to the dolphins” until the situation is fixed. She loves to play, and especially when an adult is with her.

In the last few weeks, Abby has been progressing in her vowel/consonant sounds; she has been saying “dadadadada” which Matt loves, of course. Not quite to full sentences yet, but no rush. J

The Abimus has great series of “looks” … she is a great smiler and giggler, but can definitely give you “what are you thinking???” type look as well. In the evenings, she too can get kinda clingy, but if she is being held or is in the center of things that usually makes her happy. At night, you can tell she is getting tired/about to go to sleep when she “assumes the position,” (puts her hands behind her head, as referenced HERE). Abby is a great sleeper too; there have been a few nights when she has woken up or cried briefly, but has been able to get herself back to sleep. The last week or so, though, she has been super congested at night; we’ve doused her nostrils with saline before going to bed, but usually Matt and/or I wake up in the middle of the night due to the poor Abigage’s nasal congestion (both of us have gotten really good at giving her another shot of saline in the middle of the night, with no light, and without waking up the Abs).

The girls have noticed each other a few more times now. They smile at each other and sometimes try to grab each other’s hands (or feet, or ears). I haven’t seen them converse yet, but I know it is only a matter of time.

In other news, we are now the proud owners of a new jumperoo/saucer! Matt had been wanting to get one for awhile to compliment the exersaucer we currently have (loaned to us by Karen). As luck would have it, they were on sale, so we grabbed it. Last night I put it together, and after the girls’ nap we let them try it out. As you can see, even the lowest setting is still a bit high for the Bear and the Abs (although an easy fix), but both girls seem to enjoy it! Watching Hazel jump around is hilarious. I can’t imagine how it’s going to be when she can actually reach the floor. J