8 Months!

Luke is 8 Months Old today. Time for his first update.

1) He's getting up on his knees and rocking.  Now that his mother has stopped tackling him out of this position, he'll likely be crawling any day.  He's a pretty "grabby" baby, which Jude has decided is completely unacceptable, so crawling and grabbing sounds like just the combo our family dynamic needs.

2) He's become generous with his clapping and stingy with his kisses.  I still get a good open-mouthed, slobbery plant on my cheek every so often, but how many times does a mama have to beg ask? A lot.

3) Says "Baba", "Dada" and "Mama", though "Mama" is the only one that seems to have meaning.  He cries it when he is in distress.  So either it indeed means me, or it's something closer to, "I hate my life."  Hard to tell.

4) His favorite time of day is mealtime. He eats a lot of cheerios mostly because they are easy and come from a box.  Plus, they are easy and come from a box. Ok, he does get fruits and veggies too.  He has accepted them all thus far.

5) He basically sleeps well though baby-sleep is the one thing in the world I am superstitious about talking about.  So that's that.

6) Loves socializing with others as long as I am holding him.  He has internalized stranger-danger and gets (quickly) returned to me from childcare settings.  What is it with my boys?  sigh.

7)  Has sucked his left thumb raw.  Literally.  Anyone have any suggestions about this?  Anyone?  In a show of solidarity, Jude has stared sucking his thumb/fingers anytime he is nervous.  Which, for Jude, basically means anytime we are out in public.

8) Has rooted himself so fully in my heart and arms that I stare and smile more than anyone should be allowed.  He's a doll of a baby.  A doll that sometimes smells like french fries because 9) He rarely gets a bath.

Happy 8 Months, Luke!  You are so very loved.