hello! caroline…8 months old

(this is SO late, yet i had to do it now before i totally forgot…only 2 weeks behind-oops!)

dear caroline,
this month has been an exciting one at our house…we decorated pumpkins, we took you to your very first pumpkin patch, and you went trick-or-treating on halloween to rack up on some candy for mommy and daddy-what a fun time celebrating your first halloween, one of our favorite holidays!
fall has been a lot of fun for us, being able to take you to the park to go swing on warm afternoons, carting you around to festivals and such, and just basking in this wonderful time of year.
on to the specifics…

eating time is fun! there is never a dull moment when it comes to feeding you silly girl. you’re eating all kinds of finger foods these days and it’s so much fun to watch you taste something for the first time…you love pasta noodles, any kind of bread (specifically bites of pancakes and waffles), cheese, vanilla yogurt, sweet potatoes, green beans, and the list goes on and on. we may have given you a taste of ice cream, and you better believe you were in heaven and were twirling your tongue around because you wanted more. i love to keep a pack of puffs on hand when we are out and you get fussy…these are lifesavers and you love them! in regards to formula, you take about 28-32 ounces a day now in 5 bottles-working our way down! i’ve resorted to feeding you with just a diaper on as we have to wipe you down and hose you off afterwards…i’ve realized i won’t have a clean house for years ;). recently, you have been putting up a fight when we try to feed you because you want to do it yourself, but darling, you’re not quite ready to feed yourself the liquidy stuff so we’re managing as best we can.
a growing girl. it was a rough few weeks around these parts as you were one sick puppy. first, it started with a fever and you were fussy, then it turned into a full blown ear infection, with all sorts of coughing and congestion. we had a total of five trips to the doctor, finally got some meds, and then discovered you have an allergy to ammoxicillin, just like me. we were lucky to get you weighed though, and you are a whopping 18 pounds, 7 ounces…my arms agree! you’re in size 3 diapers now and are still sporting the 6-9/12 month attire. you are starting to look like a little girl instead of a baby and it makes momma sad to see you changing so quickly. your hair is really starting to grow and it’s coming in a lot blonder than i imagined since you had such dark hair when you were born. mommy puts a bow in your hair ANY time we leave the house and you love all the attention you get little one…wonder where you get that from? your two top teeth have arrived, so now we’re up to a total of four teeth-mighty impressive my darling.
sleep and everything in between. we have been going through a rough patch in the sleep department these days. you wake up almost everynight between 2-4AM and we have to feed you to get you back down again…luckily, daddy and i rotate nights so it’s not too bad. i’m hoping we pass through this “phase” soon enough-i miss those restlful nights my dear! we have done some research and asked your doctor, and it seems as though you’re having a bit of separation anxiety (poor little thing). you are still napping 2 times a day, though i HAVE to get you napping in your crib soon…you’re getting so big and barely fit in your swing, though that is your favorite place to take a little siesta.

favorite things to do. most days, you love to crawl around and get into EVERYTHING. you love to destroy the dvd stacks from the tv console, sit in your pack n play and play with your toys, and hang out in the living room playing with your musical table. you are pulling up on anything you can get your hands on, including all furniture and you are wanting to walk so badly that i know it’s only a matter of time (we are now in the “cruising” stage as they call it). we have been babyproofing with gates and latches, but more to come since you’re becoming more mobile each day. you love when we read you books, and you love to be in the kitchen watching me cook so it’s almost like we’re doing it together.
milestones/big days. this has been a HUGE month in your life caroline. you said your first word on halloween (“mama” which practically made my year), and decided you’d like to start pulling up on anything (which means steps are in our near future and scares the bejeezus out of me). you love to crawl and i cannot keep you in one place for long-you’re curious, inquisitive, and love to be in the know. you have one FEISTY personality, that’s for certain. you like things done your way and you have no tolerance..it’s immediate meltdown if you don’t get what you want.

i can’t believe you are already 8 months old…this first year is flying by at warped speed and i need things to slow down! this next month we have all sorts of fun things in store-your first plane ride (Lord help me now), your first trip to meet your great-grandmother Esther in California, and all the fun activities leading up to Christmas (visiting Santa Claus, seeing the holiday trees at Cheekwood, Dicken’s Christmas festival, baking cookies with Mimi, etc)
mommy and daddy love you tuttie! thanks for making each and every single day too much fun!

important dates/things to remember.
first family fall fest: october 27, 2012
first word “mama”:  october 31, 2012
first time to pull up/stand:  november 2, 2012
first cold: november 8, 2012