Dear Eliot: Eight Months

Dear Eliot,

Another month, another letter, another milestone every day.  You are eight months old.  I hardly know where to start!

This month, your dad and I made more of an effort to babyproof the house.  We bought another baby gate, put up dangerous items that you could get into, put away lamps, and moved books around.  You.are.everywhere.  All the time!  You try to pull up on everything, and do a great job.  You aren't "cruising" specifically yet, but sometimes you slowly move from one place to another while standing.  You can stand with just one hand, and stood by the couch today without any hands at all!  Thankfully, you are getting the hang of setting yourself down gently.  Instead of simply collapsing, you now squat and lower yourself down to your bottom.  I always hate it when you knock your head!

Your crawling has also improved greatly.  You are much faster, and get around and into trouble quickly.  You used to like me to play with you, but now you are on your own exploring the world around you.  It is so much fun to watch you go where you want to go.  Often, you crawl to the dining room and pull your books off of the shelf.  I always try to read to you when you select a book.  Sometimes you choose them all.  I love reading to you; you seem to like it too. 

These days you are teething.  You have two bottom teeth and another bottom one is coming in.  You don't like to show off your teeth, but I'm sure I wouldn't like someone poking in my mouth either.  I wonder when your top teeth will come in....  Somehow, teething does not seem to bother you at all.  You do chew on things more, and like biting our noses, but you aren't even slightly fussy.

As for food, you're still doing well with solids.  You like spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin the best.  I also give you some of our dinners sometimes.  I gave you some chicken once, but you weren't a fan yet.  We don't eat a lot of meat anyway, so that is fine.  I'm sure it will grow on you enough.  You also hold and drink water from a sippy cup.  You have decided that puffs are all right, but you usually spit half out.  However, you seem to enjoy feeding yourself mum-mums.

This month, you picked out your favorite stuffed animal at a store.  It was Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba, your favorite television show.  Whenever you see Brobee, you give a little chuckle, especially if I make him dance for you.  This is just one example of your blossoming personality.  You are becoming an individual more and more each day.  I love seeing your preferences.  It's great to see you crawl around the house and decide where you want to go, not just where you can go.  We took you to the Virginia Aquarium and you made it all too clear that you do not like turtles.  Maybe you were simply getting into the swing of things, but the turtles really did seem to bother you while you loved watching the fish.  I love getting to know you, Eliot, for who you are and who you are growing to be.

 

 
On September 9th, you said your first word.  We have been trying to model "mama" and "dada" for you, but instead you said "nana," which greatly pleased your Nana Widen.  The next day, you started saying "mama" when you got upset, almost like you were calling me for help.  Eliot, sometimes I think that you are speaking Italian because you babble with an Italian cadence.  Between the rhythm of your speech and the way you scrunch your brow and wave your hands when you babble, you do seem like an old Italian man making his concerns known.  I'm listening, Eliot, to every little utterance you make, just hanging onto each syllable.

Eliot, you are very observant of the world around you.  When we went for a walk at Blackwater Creek, you stared at everything, taking it all in.  At the aquarium, you watched the fish so peacefully.  If you hear someone playing guitar, you listening contently and try to grab the strings.  It is obvious that you are always observing, exploring, and learning--to you, learning is serious business, but I can tell you take great joy in it as well.

One of the sweetest things that you do these days is asking to be held.  You crawl to me, and pull up on my leg.  I like to know that you have chosen to be close to me.  I love watching you grow and develop.  You're such a big boy now (and wearing nine month clothes!).  I love you, Eliot, and I'll always think you're the most fascinating and amazing little boy.  Your dad and I are totally smitten.