Arden: 8 Months!

• Eating some table food.  We’ve started tearing off little pieces of what we eat and sharing them with you.  String cheese and chicken are your favorites so far.  As far as pureed food goes, you’ll pretty much eat anything. Maybe you won’t be picky like your mom?!  
• You waved bye bye…once.  We always practice waving at your teachers when we leave the gym and last week you actually did it. However, now I’m starting to think it was just a fluke!
• Wearing 12 month clothes. That 9 month stuff is suddenly too short. Volleyball player, perhaps?
• Turning the lights off.  Before naps and bedtime we walk you over to the door and let you flip the switch.  I love seeing your face when the room goes dark. 
• Predictable naps…finally! 9am and 1pm for 1-2 hours each time.  Just a few months ago I thought this day would never come!
• Over the weekend you babbled “ma-ma” for the first time!  You have no idea what you’re saying but it’s still makes me smile.

Things you like this month:

• Your dad. The look on your face when he walks in the door is the best.
• Fake coughing. You’ve been exploring this sound for awhile now…apparently it never gets old. The best is when you cough or sneeze and accidentally let out a toot.  Your expression = priceless.
• Using your little monkey feet like hands.  You can pick up toys, stroke Hazel’s hair–once you even clapped with your feet.  You have yet to clap with your hands, but whatever, that’s cool…
• The gym nursery. It makes me feel good about dropping you off when you start flapping your arms in excitement as we walk into the child center.  It makes me feel even better when all of the women say, “Arden!” as soon as they see you 🙂 One of the ladies at the front desk of the gym said she makes a special trip in to see you some days and check out your outfit.  I’m glad someone appreciates your style as much as I do!

Things you don’t like this month:

• Antibiotics.  You had a double ear infection this month…bummer 🙁 Even bigger bummer? You HATE the bubblegum flavored amoxicillin. I asked the pharmacist to flavor it and he said he’d never heard of a child not liking the bubblegum.  Well Mr. CVS–meet Arden.  You see the syringe and instantly start making raspberries with your mouth…you little stinker.  I even bought some silly medicine dispensing pacifier that you sucked on once and immediately spit out.  So we ended up giving you every dose with yogurt…and I think you might have figured out our trick, as you haven’t been too interested in your morning yogurt lately.
• Moving.  You are 100% content with sitting on your bottom and staying in one place right now.  I always put toys out of your reach to entice you, but it just makes you mad. That’s fine by me though–I’ll let you take your time.  I know our lives will be forever changed when you decide to take off, so for now you can just be my little toad 🙂

Special memories this month:

• First trip to Fredericksburg and your first bluebonnet pics…twice!
• Your first Easter.  It was as wonderful as I had hoped it would be 🙂
• First time to the pool with your buddy Henry. You both loved it and it made me so excited for the summer ahead.  I see lots of sunscreen in our future!