Carrying a Pearl: Dear Cora: 8 Months

Dear Cora,

You are 8 months old, our sweet Beauty! Well, you actually are nearly 9 months ... I wrote most of this letter several weeks ago, but kept forgetting to take your sweet 8 month pictures; so it's no longer current, but I still wanted to post it. At least I got it done before you turn 9 months old. Your 8th month was so wonderfully fun. Every week you assert yourself more and more as a member of the family, and it is such a joy to watch you squirm, squeal, and babble your way toward toddlerhood. Don't be in too much of a hurry, you'll catch up with your brother soon enough.

You are now at an age where things like sleeping and eating are becoming routine and normal. No longer are they as celebrated - you have moved on to much more exciting territory. But, in case you ever want to know, I'll tell you that at this age you continue to sleep 12 hours a night, and you take a morning nap and an afternoon nap. Once or twice a week you end up taking a brief third nap. You eat solid foods at all three meals with us. You love peas and broccoli, you've needed your fair share of prunes and you like them well enough, and you really don't care for bananas or avocado. A few times I have given you small pieces of bread or pancakes or chicken and you LOVE eating food you can chew. You also love munching on your little rice crackers that you gobble up while you're waiting for me to get your & your brother's meals ready.

Just as you were turning 8 months old, I weaned you from breastfeeding. I was both pleased and a little sad. Pleased, because I was really only able to nurse your brother until he was 3 months old, and those 3 months took massive effort. I am so thankful it worked out better this time around. I am a little sad, though, because I would have loved for it to last longer. You were just way too distracted to get all the fluids you needed from nursing, and as a result you were getting constipated all the time. Your little tummy started feeling much better once I started giving you bottles, instead. So, now you take 4 6oz. bottles a day: around 7:30, 11:00, 3:00, & 7:00.

Mobility has been super frustrating for you this month. Well, lack thereof. You seem to understand that mobility is attainable, you just haven't quite worked out the mechanics of it yet, so you are perpetually diving forward, determined to get to something, and then getting stuck. I spend most of your time on the floor setting you back up on your bottom when you get mad. However, today you sat back up on your own for the first time, so you're getting there! You're also great at scooting backward, which is also annoying to you. Your brother isn't going to know what to do when you're able to crawl ... for the past month or so (since you started taking afternoon naps at the same time) we've had a little routine where you play with toys toward the end of my bed while he and I read books together. Lately, though, you are much less interested in playing than you are in trying to get to us. It doesn't take you long to worm your way far enough forward that you can reach his feet and it drives him CRAZY. "Not right now, Cowa!" is a phrase I hear a lot. He adores you and loves laughing at you, but he does NOT like it when you grab him.

Speaking of your relationship with your sweet bubs, he is absolutely the apple of your eye. He is constantly cracking you up and you are just beside yourself with glee when he plays with you. "Bubba" seems to be your first word, as you will often start making the sound as soon as you see him. You LOVE screaming/squealing at him at the kitchen table when the two of you are sitting across from each other. He sometimes scream-squeals back, which quickly escalates in volume; and other times he covers his ears and repeatedly tells you to "stop scweaming, Cowa!" which also delights you and results in more squeals.

In February you got to play(?) in the snow for the first time. You weren't really impressed. We've had pitiful snow this year.

You also attended your first baseball game. You did so great, playing on my lap and making eyes at the people behind us for a few innings, and then falling asleep in my arms as I walked you around the concourse later on. It has been so fun to have you in my arms instead of in my belly season, and it is wild to think back to just 3 years ago, when I was pregnant with your brother at the games.

You are such a delightful little person and we all adore you so much. You love music and dancing and playing games with us. You have the greatest smiles for your daddy and the best snuggles for me.