Happy 8 Months!!

Oh, our sweet boy!!! Happy 8 months and growing!! :)

Everyone - I do mean EVERYone - comments on how BIG you've gotten!! I love it!!! I enJOY watching you grow and develop and apply all that you're learning!! You're becoming more independent, which I'm all about!! Some fun things about you this last month...

-You are averaging a 6 to 8 oz bottle/formula four times a day
-You enjoy your oatmeal with apple sauce or some kind of pureed/mashed fruit for breakfast and you seem to like Mommy's pureed carrots, sweet peas and some other store-bought veggies for lunch and dinner, combined with some kind of fruit, avocado, etc. I'm looking forward to giving you yogurt, cottage cheese and milk some day soon, too! Of course, I'm excited about sharing my foods with you...every time I eat a sandwich or salad or yummy dessert, such as Miss Melissa's yummy pumpkin bread today, you fuss and reach for it!! :) I know you want it, big man, and you can have all of that so soon!! I'm not sure about the coffee...many years from now, perhaps. :)
-Oh, and Mommy can't forget to mention how great you've gotten at eating finger foods (puffs, for now)...your hand-to-mouth coordination is really developing!! I still, of course, feed you your foods, but it'll be a while until you're able to master a spoon or fork....one day! :)
-Your naps have been shorter these days, which I'm hoping is only a phase...maybe growth spurt and teething related???
-You still LOVE to bathe in your little bathtub! You could soak for an hour, I think! :) Mommy takes full advantage of that in cleaning your room, doing laundry, cleaning your bathroom, etc...whatever I can do while you're soaking contentedly!!
-You are little social man, too! You have a babysitter every Thursday night when Daddy & Mommy go to home group, and you stay in (and I think even look forward to) nursery on Sunday nights at church and on Wednesday nights, while Daddy & Mommy attend FPU. The nursery ladies give us their phone numbers and ask us to call them to keep you!! You're such a ladies' man!! ;)

See! Even Aunt Britney can't get enough of you when she comes to town!! :)

-I LOVE your head FULL of hair. I could rub it all day long...it's so thick and beautifully dark (like Mommy's!! ;)).
-You've gotten so long/tall, too, and I look forward to your next dr's appointment next month to see how much you've grown!! I know you weigh close to 19 lbs, and we'll confirm that next month, as well!
-You're finally sitting!! :) Well, you have been since 7 months, but you're balancing yourself and sitting up so much straighter...on your own! I can sit you down on our living room rug and let you play on your activity mat or with toys for a good while! I get to cook while you're entertaining yourself.
-Oh, and I should mention that you do so well in your independent play time in your playpen each day! You get that 2-3 times per day for about 30 minutes at a time, and that's great for Mommy to get her shower or to just have some time to herself!! :)

-Your two bottom teeth started coming in at 7 months, and they're really coming out and so sharp!!! I've gotten my finger caught between teeth and gums in your mouth, recently, and I pull away, screaming, "Ouch!!" Seriously!
-Another neat observation...Daddy leaves about one weekend a month and sometimes more often or for a longer time period, and you adjust very well (do you even notice yet?) to his being gone and then coming back home, after days of being gone! That's been a praise!

And, oh, how you love time with your daddy! You got to sit in his lap while he was working... (you in your cute overalls!!!)

You LOVE to sit by Daddy's side to watch a movie!! You and your daddy can't get enough of movies! :)

Look at that thick head of hair! I love it! It's even 'whisping' up in the back just a little!! :)

-You're still sleeping through the night, for which I PRAISE THE LORD and sing, "Hallelujah!!" We put you down at 7pm and, although you'll wake up anytime from 5:30am to 6:45ish, contentedly babbling to yourself, we don't come in to get you until about 6:45, at which time Daddy reads to you for about 10 minutes. Then, you get a bottle at 7:00, usually from Mommy, and we get our day started!

-You're officially REACHING UP when we reach down to pick you up! I love it all!!
-I'm SUPER excited that you're sitting in the 'big boy' seat of your stroller, now, when I push your for a walk!! You're almost too big for your car seat! Yay!!! I'm ready to graduate you to the big boy car seat, too! :)

Daddy built you a 'fort' over your activity mat, and you had a great time rolling around under it.

Rhys, you get more and more FUN every single day! We LOVE you, EVERYthing about you! We praise the Lord for your sweet presence in our lives, and we look forward to what next month and following months will bring through you!!!

"Thank You, Lord, for entrusting this son to us, and please continue to groom us and help us, that we may groom and help him to Your glory. Amen."