Her first opening of the cupboard door yesterday...
Notes at eight months:
-Luci is a CLIMBER. She can climb up stairs (but hasn't made it up more than one without sitting down & falling back...don't worry, we are always there to catch her), and tries to climb up things that aren't climbable (like her pull up piano, her crib, and Mom & Dad in church)!
-She's been pulling up on short things since she started crawling, but now she's pulling up on the sofa, ottoman, walls, etc. Her favorites are the stairs, a wicker box we have in the living room, and the little piano that Clara so kindly lent her!
-She has two bottom front teeth, and I'm certain the top two are on their way...the drool has been non-stop lately!
-She started eating solids 3x a day yesterday. Last night she had her very first taste of meat, a pureed vegetable turkey dinner! She pretty much likes ALL vegetables (except spinach) and enjoys all fruit except for apples. We've only done Gerber Puffs for finger food...and she loves them. She says "mmmmmmmmm" as she gums them up.
-I think she waves when she feels like it. It is appropriately timed, but doesn't happen with regular frequency.
-She LOVES to flip the light switch...but really has only mastered flipping the switch down (or usually off)!
-"Poops, poops everywhere, poops, poops, in your hair"...is my latest little diddy for entertaining her while changing her diaper. All of those solids are making for some interesting and frequent poopy diaper changes. At least 5 out of 7 mornings I wake to find poop creeping out of her diaper up her back. Once we finish up the remaining size 3 diapers we are moving on to 4's to see if we can solve the creeping poop problem.
-Her hair is just starting to stick out over her ears (very fine, tiny amount), and her bald spot is starting to sprout some nice peach fuzz!
-Based on my non-professional observation, I'd say her gross motor skills are probably developing more rapidly than other kiddos her age, but her fine motor skills are either on time or maybe a bit delayed. Her legs are moving every moment she is awake (lots of kick, kick, kicking during diaper changes) and she can & does climb all over everything. She crawls so fast I often look away, look back & don't know where she has gone...and she doesn't answer me when I call out to her. She is still working on the pincer grasp (she prefers the shovel method for puffs).
-Her schedule most days goes something like this: 7am wake, eat solids (this is new), drink 6 oz, play until 9:30a, take a 1-2 hour nap, wake 11a, drink 6 oz, 12:30p eat solids, between 1p & 2p down for a nap (depending on how long nap #1 was), sleep 1-2 hours, drink 6oz, play, eat solids between 5:30p and 6p, play until 7p, drink 6 oz, at 7:30p start to get ready for bed, in bed by 8p.
-Her sleep time routine with me is white noise on, change a diaper, put on sleep sack (no pants), turn off the light, read 2 or 3 books with the lamp, turn off the lamp, sing a song, hum the song once or twice, and then in the crib. Sometimes she cries out a bit, but rarely for more than 5 or 10 minutes. Dad has his own sleepy time routine with her that works just as well for the both of them. I believe several Hail Mary's are involved.
-She generally sleeps through the night with a few shout outs around 10:30p or 11p, and then again between 4a and 5a. Rarely do we have to go into her room in the middle of the night...although there is always an exception (last night she was up from 2a to 3a! what is up with that?!?!?)
-She LOVES to talk to her dad on the phone when he's gone on a trip. I put the phone up to her ear & she just LIGHTS up...it is adorable to watch. She doesn't really talk back to him yet...she holds the phone out to look at it almost as if to say, 'where are you dad? you in there?'
-Her new favorite thing to do is to extend her arm out holding a toy, and then shaking it.
-She loves to bang two things together, although occasionally misses & hits herself in the face.
-I pick her up & move her away from the TV stand about a THOUSAND times a day!
-Her little feet are always either cold & clammy or hot.
-She still loves her paci. She especially loves to pull it out & bite down on it over & over again.
-She loves to swing & watch big kids at the park. She's still not sold on the slide.
-She LOVES the cats!! She starts talking to them as soon as she sees them, and then takes off after them. Milo won't let her get near him, but poor Tallulah just barely moves & we start the whole chase all over again. I'm tired of it...you think the two of them would be too!
-She is in mostly 12-18 month gear, and can also wear 18-24 shirts and pj's.
-She loves the wind in her face.
or that a laundry basket could provide hours of fun...
The men made breakfast on Sunday...it was wonderful! Much better than my pie!
Playing with Grandma & Grandpa 
Sitting with Grandpa & her favorite Uncle Keith Bear.
