8 Old Months

Seems like I always begin these posts like this, but WHERE HAS TIME GONE? Gavin is 8 months old today and is transitioning through that wonderful phase between being a baby that doesn’t do much and a toddler you want to strangle (hullo terrible twos!). Gavin is spectacular in all ways possible and each and every day we are thankful that he is in our family. I am trying to enjoy all the little moments with him, since the door on a third child is closed (ha, I am still not ready to lock it however). This more than likely is the last of the “firsts” I will experience. Now, onto our list:

• Gavin waves and claps really well – we still need to work on “touchdown!” but we will get there.
• He is obsessed with his hands. Often times he will sit there and stare at his hand as he rotates it through the air and will sit there and shriek yell at them.
• When he gets excited, his whole body contracts and expands like what he does when he is bouncing in the jumperoo – except his isn’t in the jumperoo and is tough to hold onto.
• He knows his name and when you call to him, he will turn and look at you and smile the biggest, widest grin you can imagine.
• Gavin LOVES his older brother. He looks for him in the room and he chases after him when Carter runs around.
• He is cruising as a crawler now – the speed by which he can get to places can be concerning – you leave the pantry door open and it is his favorite target.
• Gavin is pulling himself up on every surface imaginable and sits there holding on with one hand, and a few times has let go to stand for about a second before falling. I anticipate it will be a very short period of time before he is walking while holding onto furniture and my bet is he takes his first steps around Christmas.
• He is so ticklish and loves to giggle and smile. While we had some crankiness in there this month (hello new tooth!), he still is a happy little guy. I would say another observation along this line is that he is starting to exert his will a little more and will start screaming if he is doing something he doesn’t want to. He is a generally happy baby because we don’t often make him do things he doesn’t want to (and yes, I am frightened for when he hits two now).
• I have never met a kid who is SO HARD to change a diaper on – it isn’t that he is just a wiggle worm, it is that he is one with crazy strength!! Every time you try to pin him down, he is rolling over and trying to get away.