Eli’s 8th Month

Number of teeth – still 4, but your two front teeth are pretty big!

Favorite book: Hands, Hands, Fingers, Thumbs (along with all the previous ones)

New skills: Pincer grasp (thus you’re a pro at finger foods), pulling yourself up to standing on the walker, beginning to cruise, laughing back with me (or at least smiling) when I laugh, smiling (or even laughing) when you see a video of yourself, blowing raspberries (especially in the stroller! You’ve made many passersby laugh!)

Current babbles: Bawawa, muh, jajaja, the ก.ไก่ (hard /k/) sound

What makes you laugh:

Surefire ways – hitting your highchair table/tray in response to your hitting it; dangling a cloth or my hair over your head and pulling it away as you reach for it; kissing your belly (not giving you a zerbert; just the mere act of my lips touch your belly!)

Really random things (and totally inconsistent — what makes you laugh today may not work tomorrow): grabbing my chin and feeling it move up and down; the sound of my pants rubbing against your chair

Firsts this month: sledding, going down a slide by yourself (you didn’t like that), playing with snow (and eating it, too), using your hands to make things spin (okay, you might have done this last month, but since I’m only recording it now, let’s say it’s a “first”), grabbing for my phone (since I’m always taking pictures or recording movies with it)

Favorite sleeping position: Mostly still the same (on your tummy, feet tucked in), but every once in a while, on days when you have hard time falling asleep, you might end up in this position:
Ahh … sweet slumber …

I’m typing this part of the post well into your 9th month (9 months and 22 days, to be exact). As a result, all my memories from the past two months are starting to meld into one another. Here’s what I remember (mostly from reading the highlight above and looking at your pictures below).

March was an extreme month, weather-wise — but we ran through it all. You don’t seem to be bothered by being outside for a long time in frigid weather (10ºF/-12ºC), though the jury’s still out on how you felt about the quick thaw (68ºF/20ºC) just a few weeks later. (Maybe you’re like me and don’t love hot weather…)

Since we had our final big snowstorm this month, we had to take the opportunity to take you sledding for the first time. It may have been because you had already spent a bit of time in the snow earlier, or perhaps it was getting late in the evening, but you were certainly less than impressed by the experience. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you’re still not entirely sold on the feeling of going down a slide — even when you’re not strapped to me. For all I know, perhaps you thought we were just going down another slide! 😀

You are really starting to imitate the things I do. For instance, I spun a toy on your bouncer, which you then immediately copied. That set off a wonderful torrent of laughter from you. On the other hand, there are things I wish you would imitate that you don’t — like wearing sunglasses and a hat. These are both coming off, as soon as I put them on. If I’m lucky, they’ll stay in the stroller, but more often than not, they’ll go flinging out (along with poor Sophie the Giraffe) with a force proportional to the number of times I try to put them back on. In the meantime, I’m using Riley to my advantage while I can. For instance, once when you were starting to very vocally complain about your sunglasses. Riley came running to the side of your carseat and starting sniffing you, which caused you to forget being annoyed at me and pulling off your sunglasses. It’s so sweet how she can calm you down. ❤

At this age, we were warned that you might start being a little afraid of strangers. Although I haven’t really noticed a big difference (perhaps you don’t smile at strangers like you usually do at home), something funny did happen when Dad cut his hair. He came downstairs from his shower and changed from having big, curly hair to short, straight hair. At that time, you were eating dinner, and when he first walked into the kitchen, he tried to play with you to make you laugh. Initially, you giggled a bit and smiled a rather weak smile, which then turned less wide and then you burst into tears!!! I had to carry you before you stopped, and after a short time, you let Dad carry you. How funny that you didn’t recognize him with a new haircut! 😀

Finally, I think we’ve figured out a solution to your constant desire to grab at the spoon coming towards your mouth. I now feed you with two spoons; one for you to hold and gnaw on, and the other one with the actual food to go in your mouth. I wish I could say I came up with this idea myself, but I actually got it from a book! It worked like a charm in your 8th month! Let’s see how long it lasts!

Feb 19 (8 m) – Cutie pie! It’s getting so difficult to snap these pictures of you because you immediately want to roll over and crawl away!

Feb 19 (8 m) – In fact, I think this may have been the last time I’ve used the white yoga mat because there’s no containing you within this rectangular space!

Feb 19 (8 m) – Happily sitting up with Gertrude, the lobster your dad bought for you at the Boston airport.

Feb 19 (8 m) – We celebrated the start of your 8th month with a freezing run at the Saunders-Monticello trail. Riley was with us, and normally we would run at the river (the boardwalk doesn’t allow dogs), but the Riverview path was completely impassable (there will be a picture later in this gallery)!

Feb 22 (8m3d) – Wearing a shirt that Auntie Kit bought for you! This was the last month where you took baths in the kitchen (and changed on the kitchen table).

Feb 22 (8m3d) – Later that day, you and I trudged in the snow around the pond at Monticello. That evening, I got a bad case of food poisoning, and your dad took care of you all day on the next day!

Feb 25 (8m6d) – Opening the flap of the “Dear Zoo” book!

Feb 26 (8m1w) – You started noticing the doorknob from your playpen (in which you can now easily pull yourself up into standing position)!

Feb 26 (8m1w) – When you stand on your very tippy toes, you can allllllmost reach the doorknob!

Feb 26 (8m1w) – Almost, but not quite! (That would have to wait until your 9th month.)

Feb 28 (8m9d) – This was one of those times when you were annoyed with me for putting on sunglasses, and Riley calmed you down. You were reaching your hand out to pet her. Aww, Riley! ❤

Mar 2 (8m11d) – I didn’t return to Riverview until the weather had warmed up a lot (notice that you’re wearing the light BundleMe). Even with the sun beating down on the path the last few days, look how much snow still remained on the path! We wouldn’t return for another week or so.

Mar 3 (8m12d) – I love how you always wake up in a good mood. I don’t think you inherited that trait from me — but I hope you don’t lose it! 😀

Mar 8 (8m17d) – All dressed up, on our way to Khun Santi’s party (which we missed because you had a nice, long nap).

Mar 8 (8m17d) – You can’t see, but Dad was also wearing khaki pants, just like you!

Mar 9 (8m18d) – A week later, it was so warm that you were wearing shorts and no blanket in your carseat! (You then also pulled off your socks, sunglasses, and cap.)

Mar 9 (8m18d) – The sunglasses are about to come off!

Mar 9 (8m18d) – I think you like them as much as you do Sophie!

Mar 9 (8m18d) -Though you also like your feet! (This picture makes it look like you just picked something off your feet and are eating it; however, I just gave you a Bamba (an Israeli peanut snack)!)