Nora month-by-month: #8

By Linda, on June 30th, 2014

While not officially a mobile baby, Nora girl at 8 months is an efficient scooter. Enough so that I have to keep a close eye on items on the floor, like paper wrappers Elliott has left behind, or the diaper wipes container, because Nora loves choke-able paper and plastic like you wouldn’t believe. This is a small look into what’s really to come once she completely figures out crawling, and it’s going to take this 2 kid parenting to a whole new level. We’ve been good about not introducing many small toys to Elliott, knowing that a teething crawling baby was on the way. But even the few things he has, like his trains or match-box cars, are of course the things she loves best.

I do love this age. Nora is so curious and cheerful and sweet. Things she loves – watching running water or steam coming from a boiling pot on the stove, Elliott antics, including laughing at Elliott when he’s loudly protesting something, anyone playing peek-a-boo, toy cars, chewing on Elliott’s green plastic sippy cup, chewing on her spoon, pulling on my hair especially when it’s wet, taking off my glasses, tickles, Jeremy’s silly faces, being naked, naps with me, and raspberries on her cheeks or tummy. Things she hates – laying in the grass without a blanket, getting her hair washed, when I come home and don’t instantly pick her up, being woken up from a nap, the wading pool, getting her nails clipped, and not being able to crawl. She’s fun!

We aren’t nursing as often through the day, now, and although that means our days of nursing are coming to an end, I think we can still ride it out for a while longer. At least once or twice a day, at a minimum. As is, I feed her overnight, first thing in the morning, and after both naps. Otherwise it’s a bottle. She definitely likes her solids now, and needs 3 meals a day to feel full. She loves using her mesh feeder, which allows me to put a chunk of food in the sleeve and she happily feeds herself. It’s great to buy me some time in the morning as I’m getting myself and Elliott ready and she wants breakfast. She’s eating more textured food, and clearly prefers mashed up versions of what we’re eating to plain purees.

We are getting more and more nights of Nora sleeping all night, which is wonderful! Although I think she conspires with Elliott, who often wakes up those nights but not the others. Weird. If I give her a little bottle just before I go to sleep, she generally stays asleep until 5 am. Sometimes I can get her back to sleep until 6, when I wake up for the day, but sometimes not. When she does wake up at night, she tends to “sleep in” until 5:45. But hey, the kid falls asleep at6 pm, so who can blame her for waking up so early? I know her schedule will shift eventually.

That’s the big thing this time through – not as much worry when things are less than optimal, because I know they won’t last forever. That makes a big difference in my approach to parenting with baby Nora, and makes it all feel less daunting and much easier.

Here’s a pumpkin of an 8 month old. Not sure how much she weighs now, I’m guessing at least 18 or 19 pounds!

Fun in the summer sun!

I tried to lay back and let Nora crawl on me. Elliott had to join in, of course.

Nora’s first time riding shotgun in the cart.

Playing with Baby Wren, Elliott’s little friend Lily’s 3-week old baby sister. Unbelievable how much they grow!

My very best day since returning to work – Elliott and Nora visiting me! Leslie brought them to the museum and I seriously glowed with happiness the rest of the day. We’re arranging for another visit very soon!