Eight is Great!

Callan hit the 8 month mark yesterday, and everything is roses and buttercups with our little guy! There is something about eight months that just brings out the absolute best in the Smith babies. Not that we've had any time period during babyhood that was tremendously challenging, but eight months is just plain fun!

Some milestones over the last month:

• Sleeping through the night? Check! 'Nuff said!
• Along with sleeping from 7:30 - 7:30 every night, he's also taking great naps in his crib. It's hard to get a consistent nap schedule in place since I'm busy shuttling the big boys around to various activities depending on the day, but most of the time he'll take naps that range from 1-2 hours at a time, and sometimes even longer!
• Cooing, babbling, shrieking, and really interacting and playing more than ever! He loves to hear songs and music, too. Tons of smiles and that cute little dimple--I just can't get enough!
• Rollin' rollin' rollin' and now scooting just a little bit when on his belly. He definitely knows how to move himself around a room!
• No teeth yet, but he sure likes gnawing on things so I have a feeling there might be a couple on the way...at least that's how it was for big bros!
• Eating like crazy! He is one hungry boy. :) I've started adding finger foods to his pureed meals, and he is loving them. Sweet potato muffins were a big hit last week, and now he's tried cut up blueberries and bananas, a little bit of pasta, and his first couple spoonfuls of ice cream! (We went to Sebastian Joe's this weekend and just couldn't resist sharing a little bit with him. Plus, he starts waving his arms around and grunting whenever he sees food, so how can we say no?!) I'm a big believer in weaning babies off pureed foods by the time they're one year old, and I don't think we'll have any issues with this guy. He pretty much wants to eat whatever he sees.
• Wearing mostly 6-12 month clothes but is starting to look like a little sausage in some of his things!
• He doesn't cry when I leave him, but he cries when I get back. He does this with our Thursday nanny, at ECFE sib care when I take Leyton to class, and at the Y when I drop him off in the nursery while I work out. I love that I can leave him and not deal with any separation issues, and it's kind of cute when I walk in the room and he immediately starts crying for me. I kind of love it, actually! :)
• C's fav things to do right now--jump like a maniac in his hanging jumpy thing, ride on my back in the Beco when we take walks (I HIGHLY recommend this baby product!) and roll around on the floor with his favorite toys--currently, the alphabet wheel, the singing laptop and the spinning bug toy.

Every age certainly has its highlights, but this stage of babyhood is one of the best!