8 months

Dear Lolli,

Today, you turn 8 months old. It's almost unbelievable how much you've changed. It seems like you hit a new developmental milestone every time I blink.

This month, you learned how to sit up completely unassisted; you started crawling a bit (though still mostly backwards); you can stand at length holding on to things and even take a few tentative steps while holding on to furniture. Your vocabulary has expanded exponentially this month, so in addition to the "hmmmms" and "ahs" that we were getting, you now say:

dadadada
day day
mow mow
igloo igloo igloo
hey
hi hi hi
boobo
bow bow
...and lots of other adorable utterances. Still no "mama," though I'll take mow mow.

This month you really got into the joys of the bath tub. I get in with you, and you love to splash and kick your legs and slap the water. You're our little nymph.

You had your first temper tantrum this month too. You screamed and kicked your legs and tried to hold your breath -- all because mommy was refused to hold your sippy cup for you so that you could drink apple juice faster. Speaking of sippy cups, you have definitely started getting interested in yours and have grasped the concept, but you still have a ways to go to get the water or juice out of the cup and in your mouth. Mostly, you just like to bang it against the high chair.

Your favorite games this month included banging things, grabbing mommy's nose, reading (er, chewing on) books, shaking your head "no" and pretending to talk on a cell phone by holding anything and everything against your ear while babbling. You also like to yank daddy's chest hair (mommy likes doing this too, much to daddy's chagrin!).

Your sunny disposition and winning personality have shined through all this month, despite half of it spent sick. You really are the light and joy in our lives, and the best little girl we could have ever hoped for.

Love,
Your mommy

P.S. posting will be light to non-existent for the next ten days as we will be in New Orleans.