Journey to the Knot: 8-Month Newsletter: Quinn

Dear Quinn,
You are 8 months old today! Time is moving - and so are YOU! The big event of the month is that you learned to crawl, and you are slowly learning to pull-up! Once up, you are starting to cruise around just a bit. You are a man on a mission these days - wanting to get a toy, follow Banner or me or Daddy, wanting to see what all the fuss is about somewhere. You have no interest in your baby toys; it's all about Banner's toys or what things you can pull up on or pull yourself over. Look out world! This boy is busy!

So, what else have you been up to this month?

You hold your own bottle now. We have to hold you and lay you back, but you pretty much prefer to feed yourself. It's the same with your sippy cups; you can handle them yourself, but you need a little help tilting backward or you just suck air. I'm loving watching you feed yourself!
Separation Anxiety is in FULL force these days. If I walk out of the room, you cry. If Daddy comes home from work and doesn't say hello right away, you get fussy. It's so hard to see you like this - crying for us. But, I'm glad you feel so attached! Typically, just picking you up does the trick to calm you down immediately!
You're reaching for whatever you want - and my favorite part of this is reaching for ME! I love when you're sitting and will reach your arms way up for me to come get you.
New this month: you're eating watermelon, avocado, cherry, pineapple, and parsnips! You LOVED avocado - you're the only one in our little family who likes it. You're also finally eating Puffs, Wheels, and Lil Crunches (Gerber products), as well as Cheerios. We've been trying it out for a while, but only in the past couple weeks have you stopped spitting them out.
You're still spitting up, but WAY less than before. I still see a lot of reflux-y behaviors (choking or spitting up in your mouth), but way less to clean up lately.
Just a few days ago, you figured out how to go from crawling to a sitting position.
The pulling up is getting you into some trouble. Only a couple days ago, you were trying to pull up on a dining room chair and toppled over - with the heavy chair too! Poor baby, you ended up with three bruises on your face (two on forehead, one on cheek/eye - see below!). I'm sorry I didn't get to you faster. Oh, these growing pains of your new development. . . please be careful, sweet boy!
Your favorite toys are Scout (LeapFrog Puppy Pal) and the Fisher Price Laugh & Learn activity table. You could stand at that activity table all day if I let you!
Just like Banner at this age, you are ALL over the changing pad. You do not like to sit still for diaper changes or clothing changes. We need to up our game on the distractions!!
I worried about your babbling all month until this past Sunday. At 6-months, you were babbling with at least four different consonant sounds (b, d, l, and m). We hadn't heard those (or any) consonant sounds since a few weeks after your 6-month check-up. You made lots of vowel sounds ("ahh," "ooh," "uuhh") but no consonants. I called the nurse to ask if this is something I should be concerned about only a couple weeks ago; she had never had this question before so she had to ask Dr. B and get back to us. He said to bring you in right away if we notice other issues, but you seemed fine otherwise. Perhaps because you were working on your physical development so much, your language development had paused. You had been making the sounds - and literally, there were NONE anymore - for probably 6 weeks! Everyone says I need to stop comparing you to Banner - but I wasn't. I was comparing you to YOU! You once made these sounds a lot, and then, nothing. But, finally, last Sunday - we heard consonants for the first time again - lots of /w/ and /y/ and /b/ and even /r/! Oh, how those sounds are music to my ears! I want to hear more! Thank you, for relieving my fears and bringing back that sweet chattering!
The only time we have heard anything close to a "word" is when acknowledging that someone has entered the room, you say "haaaa!" Once this month, Banner walked in, and you immediately said, "Haaaaaaaaa" as if to say "HI!" And, when Brittney and Blakely came over, you said it to them. Since then, we hear this a lot when greeting someone. I'm pretty sure it's your "hello!" And, just a couple days ago you consistently said "dada" when Daddy entered your room, and "baba" when Banner would come around. We'll see if there is real meaning behind this in the coming weeks. Banner was so cute; he said, "That's right, Quinn! I'm "baba! My name is 'baba.'"
We had an amazing morning together a couple weeks ago!
Your schedule pretty much looks like this: wake between 6-7am, get 7.5 ounce bottle; nap around 9ish (or slightly earlier if you got up around or before 6:30); you wake anytime between 9:45-10:30, and sometimes later if I'm lucky! :) 6 ounce bottle, "lunch" of oatmeal and fruit or veggie along with some water in a sippy around 11:30-12:00; nap around 1:15 and sleep til 2:15-3:15. 6 ounce bottle upon waking; "dinner" at 5:15ish (usually veggie and fruit or maybe some rice or barley and more water in cup); bath at 6:30 (either in tub in kitchen sink or in big bathtub in ring or with Mommy holding you on her lap), 8 oz bottle, asleep by 7-7:15.
Still level 3 nipples, just started size 4 diapers yesterday, and mostly 9 month clothes (but starting to move to 12 month; they just look more comfortable on you)
I'm awaiting those teeth any day now! And, I'm hoping for everyone's sake that their arrival is not too hard on you!
We had Levi's naming, Passover, a play date with Andrew and Blakely, and a play date at Jenny and Eli's house this month. And, you have been so patient as Banner has begun potty-training. You quietly sit (or crawl around) in the hallway while he uses the potty and Mommy has to help him. You don't mind when we have to make a pit-stop at the grocery store bathrooms. I'm hoping you'll learn vicariously through Banner, and maybe you'll use the potty early! :) No rush, though. I'm totally cool with diapers!

Quinn, you are such a gentle, sweet baby. You are fairly easy to please and have developed such a predictable routine. You get fussy as you get tired and generally only want to be held at that time. You usually go down for nap very well now (except this week, when you've developed a little cold), just laying your head on our shoulder as soon as you hear your Kenny Loggins play list. I turn the music off once you are asleep, and you seem to really enjoy nap time now. You SO want to be able to walk and move about freely. You're happiest when propped up to stand, and soon I know you'll be a master crawler! You and Banner have been able to play together more and more, and you owe him a big thank you - because he is so great with you! On occasion he will grab your hand a little too tightly or pretend he's going to bonk you over the head with something. And, sometimes his "help" isn't really helpful, like when he takes your arms and tries to drag you to wherever he thinks you want to go. But, you are such a trooper. You still just crave any kind of his attention, so even when he's knocking his head into yours, you just beam and want more!

Oh, how I just love you my baby! You are doing so great. Thriving and developing and learning and being so, so sweet! Daddy and I are so very proud of you and all your hard work this month. These months are so exciting to watch you become more mobile and to watch you comprehend the world even more. And, of course, we are thrilled to hear those sweet babbles again. Keep talkin', sweet boy!

I love you so much!
Happy 8 Months!
Love,
Mommy

Here are some pictures from this evening... keep in mind, you are not feeling well at all (very congested and snotty), and you had a fall the other day trying to pull up on a dining room chair and got a bruise on your forehead and a black eye! But, this is a snapshot of your life the day you turned 8-months!