EIGHT MONTHS

I got an email yesterday that completely broke my heart. It said, "At 8 months, your infant is almost a toddler." How have eight months already gone by?! How can my tiny little baby almost be a toddler?! Every time I feed Brooklyn or those rare times she lets me hold her (most active child you will ever meet) I just stare into her eyes and try to capture the moment. 

Some of my favorite things she has started lately:

-saying mama and dada, to the correct parent (this is very gratifying after all those months of blank stares)

-she calls my name when she wants something in the sweetest little voice

-she reaches out her hands when she wants to be picked up

-she is a very speedy and determined crawler

-she twists her bottle in her mouth, alternating between hands in a very cool way

-she likes to pull her self up and press her face on all kitchen appliances

-the moment i walk through the door she calls to me and wants to jump into my arms

-she likes and dislikes different toys

-she knows when she is doing something naughty and will make a little guilty face

-she is still teething aka drooling profusely (since 3 months) but no teeth yet

-she follows me around and hangs on my leg

-she still sleeps through the night and doesn't wake up until 9:30 some mornings

-she knows when it is time for bed and will quietly sit in her crib until she falls asleep

-if we go into check on her and she is still awake she gets unbelievably excited, border line turns into a bucking bronco, jumps crazy, smiling and laughing all over her crib, sometimes even head first into the crib walls

-she picks up baby cherrios with her finger and thumb, every so carefully and places them in her mouth

-she loves the water: pools, baths, anything

-she walks around the coffee table and then moves to walking around the couch

-when i do a fake laugh or high pitched noise she loses it laughing

-she uses her hand to bang on things: her belly, the floor, the bottle while she's drinking

-she has started "playing" with other littles- taking and offering toys or crawling to sit together, wanting to touch their faces, hands, etc

-when she hears music she does dance moves, both while seated and standing up

And the very best for last:

-when i ask for a kiss she moves her face toward my cheek, opens her mouth and presses it there for a minute, after we both cheer and she is very proud. 

We love our Brooklyn more and more every day.