Elijah is 8 Months

Mr. Elijah is 8 months old today!  This boy is getting so big!  Since we're no longer at home with the usual rocking chair and monkey, I'm still figuring out how to do Eli's monthly picture.  I took pictures in a few different places and will figure out which one I'll stick with.  Do you have any thoughts?  Which new style do you like best?

This month I feel has been a turning point in so many ways.  To begin with, Elijah is ON THE MOVE!  No more slow scooting, he is definitely moving all over the place and fast!  He still drags his belly, but he is often getting up on his knees and rocking back and forth, so it's just a matter of time until he's crawling on his knees.  He also can move from sitting to scooting and back.  He pulls up all the time too, though he doesn't walk to the front/back or even to the side along a table etc.  He just stays still and plays with whatever is now in reach.  

Another new thing for Elijah is finger food.  Somehow in the past month of craziness, I didn't realize he had become ready for finger food.  So, now that we realized it, he has jumped right in.  We haven't really followed the whole introducing food every 3 days thing.  We just dive in and he hasn't had any problems at all.  Just in the past days he's had beans, mexican rice, turkey lunch meat, raisins, cantaloupe, guacamole, and shrimp....yes shrimp!  He has loved it all and has never rejected anything.  He eats by the fistful.  He grabs and handful of food and then opens up his ring and middle finger and sticks them in his mouth, sucking (some!) of the food in. Then he opens is other fingers and much of it falls on his lap :(  About halfway through eating I scoop the pile of food off his lap and back onto his tray and he gets a second go at it.  

Just for the fun of it, I thought I'd list what he's had so far today:

Breakfast:  1/2 banana, a handful of blueberries, cantaloupe

Lunch:  turkey, mozzarella cheese, raisins, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and yogurt

He is also still nursing about 4 times a day and hasn't had any trouble at all. 

Elijah continues to thrive on a routine.  He is getting up around 8am, takes a late morning and afternoon nap.  We are currently working on dropping the little early evening nap he has been taking, which has kind of been getting in the way of us going out in the evenings.  He is generally such a happy baby and did well even with the tons of changes we've been through in the past month.  So many people comment on how much he smiles (and shows off his 8 teeth!!!)  and many people who speak Portuguese say he is "simpatico"  meaning nice or kind.  I think that's such a compliment.  Even more so than people saying we have a cute boy, I love it when people say he is nice/kind since that is an enduring quality. 

Elijah also loves to laugh!  He is very ticklish under his arms, but also laughs and TONS of other things he finds funny (including tears haha!).  He is a huge daddy fan and loves to watch him fix things and gets all excited when he comes home from work.  

This month taking the picture was significantly more difficult!  I don't have a newborn anymore, I have a small boy who loves to explore and play.  Here are some pictures of the struggle for a decent picture!

Eating the arm of the chair

Rocking the rocking chair

Trying to climb out the back of the chair

Too busy for pictures

I'm 8 months old and I'm way too cool for pictures :)