8 1/2 MONTHS

Let's see, where to start?

Over the past three weeks you have become a very adept crawler, and love to pull up to standing on anything you can find. That might be the coffee table, a chair, a person's lap or leg, a wall, anything. A few times you have let go and balanced for a few seconds, then plop back down on your bottom. You like to play with your toys a lot, and will entertain yourself for periods of time crawling to other toys, playing with cords, crawling around.

You like to have your new books read to you. They have lots of things you can touch and feel, and you like different textures and bright pictures. You also like to play with people, to be tickled, bounced, carried and swung around, and generally coddled over. One new game with dad: he hides behind our recliner and talks to you. You crawl and chase him around and laugh. In general you like lots of different people, and haven't yet shown too much seperation anxiety. I have worked several days for at least 5-6 hours and you have been just fine with Nana Janis or Dad. No complaints on your part!

You have not been that interested in solid food yet. Banana was your favorite for a while, along with rice cereal, and Cheerios, but the past week you have not wanted much to eat. You are sick right now, though, with a cough, and I wonder if that has had an impact. You still nurse just fine, though not as much at night anymore.

You've slept better the past week or more. For three or four days in a row I actually felt very rested. I woke up at night more than you did... I'd look over and you'd be happily sleeping away. It felt great to sleep normally! And even nap! I think the fact that all those nasty teeth are in, and that you are more mobile, makes you better able to rest at night. I'm so glad that we hung in there with you, and didn't force you to cry to sleep on your own, even though it was tempting at times. (Although I'm sure that you'll have other periods of nightwaking.)

Oh, and a very cool new thing!! You can drink out of a straw! We discovered this at Red Robin last week, and were so impressed. I think that most babies don't figure this out until well into their second year.

I found out that I'll be teaching part time in the fall, so you'll be in daycare for a few hours each day. I'm already nervous about leaving you -- I'm so attached!