Happy 8 Month Birthday Ann Maxwell! (One Day Late)

This post is a day late, but oh well, the photos and video are from yesterday. Ann Maxwell turned eight months old yesterday. I'm going to say my usual, that it doesn't seem possible that eight months have gone by. Time really is flying so fast. Christmas is approaching too quickly. We haven't had time to get our tree decorated, but we're doing the best we can with a busy little bee at our feet all the time. Ann Maxwell is still pulling up on everything and has gotten pretty good at cruising around the furniture. She has two little bottom teeth and seems to be starting the teething process all over again, although I'm not sure where the next ones are trying to come in. She's still eating well, although she's less interested in baby food and more interested in what we're eating. Sometimes she yells at us during supper until we give her a bite of something, anything off our plates. No matter how small this seems to make her happy. She'll try anything from a "big girl" fork or spoon. She still loves peas and oatmeal and has developed a love of peaches and prunes (I know, yuck!). She HATES green beans and sweet potatoes and literally gags when I shove some in her mouth. I've given up on those two vegetables! Ann Maxwell's fine motor skills are really developing. She is using her fingers to try more delicate tasks, and she LOVES to play with paper. Her favorite activity is to find a magazine and see how many tiny pieces she can tear off of it.

You mean I'm NOT supposed to tear this up? What fun is that?

For months she slept 10-11 hours a night with no problem, and now suddenly she's waking up during the night. This is NO fun because she's still not a good napper during the day. Mommy is tired! I'm hoping it's just a phase. Per the pediatrician's advice we're working on not picking her up in the night so she'll go back to sleep, but so far I've not been able to stand the sobbing. I give in every time! Someone suggested to me that she was waking up because she might be going through a growth spurt. I don't know what that has to do with sleep, but the growing part is right. Ann Maxwell seems to have grown a foot overnight. She's getting so tall. She's starting to not look like my little baby anymore. Her fearlessness has not changed one bit. She's still leaping into action whenever she wants to try something. She has learned how to safely sit herself down when she attempts to walk or stand on her own, so we've had fewer spills, bumps, and bruises, which is good!

Tall Baby Growing Like A Weed

All in all, the month has flown by. The holidays are making things click along too fast, as there is always something to do. I've finished my Christmas shopping for all but a few. Santa tried not to go too crazy for baby's first Christmas, and I.. I mean, he... did a good job keeping it under control. We're looking forward to finishing the tree this weekend. Hopefully Ann Maxwell and Little Bit won't form a team in attempting to tear it down. Between the two of them the tree is definitely in jeopardy! Photos underneath the tree to, hopefully, come soon! Our best to all out there... A few fun videos below...

Looking for Santa already?

With her new bottom teeth really in Ann Maxwell wants to try to eat everything we eat. Here she is attempting to eat my apple. She really just gummed it, but you wouldn't believe the fight she put up trying to get to it. She's an incredibly determined, independent little spirit. She doesn't stop until she gets what she wants. She seemed to enjoy the apple, but really I think she was just pleased to get to do what Mommy was doing.

Ann Maxwell still LOVES Little Bit, although the two seem to have come to a better understanding with each other. Here's Ann Maxwell trying to climb into the chair to get to LB. Notice Little Bit's expression, as if to say, "Why me?"