baby Z at 8 months

Baby Z is growing heartbreakingly fast.  He can sit unsupported (or at least until he gets distracted) and is edging his way closer to crawling.  He loves to plank up on his toes, or even scoots his knees under him but hasn’t quite figured out a forward motion yet.  My favorite is when he rocks himself into “downward dog” with his adorable bum high in the air. 

He sleeps in his crib now (despite my sad reluctance) and his sister is thrilled to share a room with him!  She even tries to wait up for him so they can go to bed at the same time.  And thankfully, he is finally sleeping through the night!  He was close for awhile, and then seemed to regress, waking multiple times a night .  It’s still unpredictable but he’s having longer sleep periods again and has even slept through the night a few times this month.  He typically naps twice a day although not as long as I remember the girls sleeping at this age.  He loves to sleep with a pile of blankets on him, including his fuzzy trucks blanket rubbing against his cheek.  In fact, he doesn’t like being rocked to sleep.  Sometimes he falls asleep on me out of pure exhaustion or while nursing, but other than that, he will thrash and wiggle until I lay him down, dump and armful of blankets and let him fall asleep on his own.  We've also learned to dress him carefully for bed, he has to be super warm or he won't stay asleep.

He loves his toys including his lion with colorful feet, his stuffed sea turtle, his jeep full of tiny animals and generally anything else he can chew on.  Most of all, he loves to eat!  He devours his baby food (only if thickened with oatmeal), unless he can see my dinner.  Then he wants to eat off my plate of course.  He won’t nurse during dinner either, insisting on sitting up and snacking from my plate.  He loves to play peek a boy and is very ticklish!  He thinks sneezing is hilarious and it launches him into a fit of giggles—doesn’t matter if it’s him or me that sneezed.  He loves when I sing to him, playing patty cake and taking baths.  Already he is a little daredevil and loves to be tossed in the air.  And he loves calling Daddy or Grammy on facetime!  I hold the phone up to him so he can see himself and hear the ringing and he gets so excited.  His beaming, irresistible smile is as charming as ever and he is such a flirt.  He gives me the best hugs, especially first thing in the morning, and his own very soggy, open mouth version of a kiss.