8-Months-Old!

Yet another month has flown by and our little Eli is growing and changing with each day. The past month was full of new experiences and fun. Here are the details...

*As of this past Wednesday (5/12), Eli weighed a whopping 18 pounds 2 ounces! He had gained a little over a pound in a month! I am so thankful that things are going so well in this area.

* He's solidly fitting into 9-month clothes now and size 3 diapers. All of his newborn to 6-month clothes were finally packed-up this past week. We needed more room in his dresser! (Honestly though, I kind of kept putting it off...didn't want to come to grips that my baby was growing up so quickly!)

* Elijah's two top teeth are just waiting to break though his gums. He has been gnawing on his hands a LOT recently and the drool has been flowing.

* He continues to love his purees at mealtimes. He eats 3 meals of solids along with his regular nursing sessions. I think he's starting to not care for peas and green beans as much though. Can't blame him...the fruits are pretty tasty! I've also been trying to give him some puffs every now and then on his highchair tray, but he still acts as if they taste horrible if they get even close to his mouth. We think it's a texture thing. Mark tried to give him a Cheerio today and he gave the same reaction.

* Speaking of nursing, Eli continues to be VERY distracted and wiggly, even when we are all alone in a quiet room. I would love to continue nursing him to one year of age, but I don't know if that's going to happen. Thankfully, he will take formula if necessary, so that is an option we have for the future.

* Changing diapers and dressing our little guy is quite the challenge these days. Eli has a tendency to flip onto his stomach while on the changing table, so Mark and I are employing every distracting tactic we can during these times.

* These days, Eli is a champion roller. He can pretty much pivot and roll to anything he wants on the floor. This new-found mobility is already keeping Mommy and Daddy on their toes! In the past week, he has begun to bear his weight on his hands and knees in a "crawl position" but still has a ways to go in coordinating their movement together.

* He continues to work on his sitting skills. He's getting closer to being able to do it on his own, but will oftentimes be too interested in something else nearby and loose his balance trying to reach it. I have a feeling that Eli will be sitting without support very soon.

* Eli started saying "Dada" while we were at the beach...just in time for Mother's Day! I just tell Mark that whoever he calls for has to go get him. Ha!

* He loves to go on family walks in the evening, especially when he can ride in the pack on his daddy's back. I really think that being outside in the fresh air, being able to just observe nature, is relaxing for him.

* Eli is babbling up a storm these days. He has already mastered b, g, d, and sometimes m. Oftentimes, he'll babble even more when he's upset about something.

* He has recently started to reach for us when we are nearby. Love it!

* He saw, felt, and heard the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. I think we have a definite Beach Baby on our hands!

* He attended his 3rd wedding and 1st funeral.

* Eli also got sick for the first time while we were at the beach. He just had some congestion and a little bout of conjunctivitis. Thankfully, his pediatrician hooked us up with some medicine for his eyes when we returned home and he is now back to fighting form.

* He loves to play peek-a-boo with his mommy and daddy. He'll just bust out in a fit of squeals and giggles!

*One last thing I cannot forget...Elijah LOVES the ladies. It doesn't matter who or where, if there is a female around, Eli will find her and flash his mega-watt grin. I keep telling him that the only girl for him (for the next 18 years) is his Mama, but that doesn't seem to be sinking in.

Eli's eighth month has truly been a delight for Mark and I. His personality continues to come out more and more each day and we just can't get enough of the sweet smiles he flashes our way. The joy he exudes is just so contagious and we love it! What a precious gift our son is to us!