Camp's 8 Month Update

Our little, tiny, sweet baby boy is not so little or tiny anymore! Camp was eight months old on July 11. This post is coming late as I have been busy trying to keep him out of trouble!

Dear Camp,
Time is going by so quick, and you are getting bigger and stronger every day. You enjoy lots of different activities and "toys," and we are having fun discovering new things together. It takes a lot of energy to keep up with you, but it's a joy to watch you do your thing.

A few things about you at eight months-
Personality:
You are really showing your serious side now. You are taking in the world around you and listening, touching, feeling, tasting and looking closely at everything. A lot of people say, "That is such a serious face." You are still really well behaved most of the time. Morning is definitely your time of the day, and  the evening hours can be a little more difficult. Food is usually the answer, so you are a lot like your mama in that way. You are more independent than ever, so you like to play by yourself and don't need mommy and daddy to entertain you as much.  You are not as trusting of others, and it takes you a little while to warm up to people. Separation anxiety makes it hard for us to leave you because you often cry after you realize mom and dad aren't there anymore. Sometimes you will fuss if I just leave the room for a minute. We are working on that because we want you to be happy and well-adjusted in any situation.  You have started to ham it up for the camera and seem to show off a bit when the red light comes on!

Silly monkey cheesing for the camera

Size:
According to my measurements at home, you are 21 pounds and 29 inches long! You are mostly wearing 9 months clothes, but some of the outfits are getting too short for you.

Size at 1 week old

Size at 8 months old

 Development:
You are still doing the army or wounded soldier crawl. Mimi and Greatgrandmother say that you move just like your daddy did as a baby! You have figured out how to pull up. The first time you pulled up to standing was on the side of the bathtub as you were trying to get the rinser cup that fell in the tub. You have only pulled up a handful of times on the couch and coffee tables. You also really love to climb up "Mommy Mountain." I got a walker for you, and you love walking in it. You are able to move around in it really well, cruising up and down the hallways on the hardwood floors. Talking is still not that important to you, but you are most vocal in the late afternoons. When you do talk, it is pretty loud. It is hard for Daddy and me not to laugh when you share your thoughts. Two new teeth have come in so you have four teeth at 8 months old, two on the bottom and two on the top! You bite pretty hard when you are sleepy, and you like the frozen teethers that we have for you. Teething has not been a big problem for you yet.

Climbing to the top!

Sleep:
During the day, you are now usually just taking 2 naps. One nap comes in the morning around 8:30 or 9 am, and you go down for an afternoon nap about 2 pm. You go to bed about 8:30 pm and usually sleep until 6:30 am. Some nights, you will wake up and fuss for a couple of minutes, but you go back to sleep quickly. If we are traveling, you have a hard time going to bed and often wake up in the middle of the night. There's nothing quite like your own bed.

Eating:
Each day, you nurse four times (five times if you count the occasional middle of the night feedings). You are eating solids three times a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Your favorite food is still sweet potatoes. We tried feeding you avocado again, but you still didn't seem to care for it. I finally got started on making some homemade baby food for you. I have prepared and pureed/mashed fresh sweet potatoes, bananas, broccoli, squash, and peaches suitable for you to eat. My favorite thing to "make" for you is banana. All you have to do is peel and mash! The first time you tasted broccoli, you were not a fan. Then,  I mixed it with peaches and YUM! The second day you tried broccoli alone, you still were not a fan. Then, I mixed it with sweet potatoes and YUM! On the third try, you actually enjoyed the broccoli all by itself. That made me so happy. You love eating the Baby Mum Mums as a snack when we're trying to keep you happy at a restaurant or in the car.

Playing and Fun:
You continue to love homemade toys and household items like plastic containers, straws, and discovery bottles. The exersaucer is only fun for a few minutes at a time because the walker has taken top priority for you (Thank you, Lauren Joyner Vicars, for donating the sweet ride). Balls, blocks, and a set of crinkle fabric flashcards from Nonna are some of your favorite store-bought toys. You have started showing interest again in your board books now that you can read handle them on your own. You must burn a lot of calories with all your crawling and climbing that you do. Two newer forms of entertainment are opening and closing doors and making sounds with the spring doorstops. Of course, you still like to find all the cords and electronics in a room which keeps mommy on her toes. You are such a curious and happy baby, and I am looking forward to teaching you more fun activities and games.

Showing off his teeth a little bit

You are so loved by your parents, your family, and many friends. We pray for you to continue growing in God's grace. My heart bursts with tremendous love for you, my little happy Camper.

Love,
Mommy