Eight Months

Dear Sweetest Nugget,

I never thought I'd be so interested in Cheerios.  I spend at least 15 minutes a day watching you eat them, one....by....one.  Everything about the way you eat them amazes me.  The first time I put one in front of you, it took you about two whole minutes just to get it into your hand.  Once you had it balled up in your fist, you started slobbering on your fingers as if you could suck that cheerio right through your hand.  A few days later, you figured out how to open your fingers just a little bit, and how to wiggle your thumb through your fist just enough, until you finally got that cheerio between two fingers and could shove it into your mouth.  On the first few attempts the cheerio was nothing more than mashed up grossness in your hand, but the more proficient you became, the fresher that cheerio would be when it arrived at your mouth, and ooooooh heavens, how you loved it! 

Now, at the end of your eighth month, cheerios are easy as pie.  You can grab them between your thumb and forefinger like a champ, and if I'd let you, you'd pop as many of them into your mouth as you could fit.  I think cheerios are the perfect consistency for a teething baby - just hard enough to soothe your aching gums, but soft enough to dissolve after a few seconds and go down nice and easy.  The culinary delights of an eight month old.  Amazing.

Cheerios are just one of a million things you do every day that make me stop and marvel at the wonder of nature.  You're a BABY for goodness' sake!  Where did you learn to do all of these amazing things?  Tonight you just about had an entire conversation with Daddy.   Although your words were all "ba," "da," "ma," "pa," or "bllllmmmmmmfffffff," followed by giggles, your intonations and facial expressions made it very clear that you had a lot to say.  Also, you're crawling now!  How on earth did you figure THAT out?  You can tuck one arm under your chest and pull your whole body forward until you get to where you want to go.  Amazing.

Your favorite things right now include bath time and pajama time (as always, you think we're having a party every night, but NOPE, it's just the way we go to bed around here).  You love your pink piggy and your talking French book.  You love any board book we put in front of you.  You love your friends at day care; your face lights up whenever one of them greets you in the morning.  You love bottles (you're done nursing, which was surprisingly fine with me) and when we snuggle you love giving Mommy and Daddy "kisses," or opening your mouth really wide and slobbering all over our cheeks, then giggling about it because you think it's soooo funny! 

You also love the Christmas tree.  The twinkling lights and sparkly ornaments are sometimes too much for your little heart to take, so most mornings when you see it for the first time, you shriek and squeal like it's Christmas morning.  I can't wait for your REAL first Christmas morning.  You're going to love this holiday.

You amaze me, sweet Sylvia.  I never thought I'd be so in love with tiny fingers eating tiny food.  I never thought I'd think about cheerios all day.  I never thought I'd be so in love with slobbery kisses and messy kitchen floors.  You're my favorite.  I love you!

Forever and ever,

Mama