OCHO!

Highlights:

-REALLY wants to move

-sleeping better at night (but not consistently through the night)

-had his second bout of sickness (Roseola)

-is focused

-has amazing concentration

-great dexterity, picks up food with just two fingers

-eating like a grown man

-went through a growth spurt, we think

-no sign of teeth, yet

-rolling like a pill bug in all directions

-wants to do all activities while standing, but can't stand unassisted yet

-trying to scoot

-started to babble! Says "dada" "mama" "baba" and with the occasional y, n, r, or h sound thrown in

-went to college

-stayed in a hotel for 1st time

-saw the ocean for 1st time

-went on a road trip 1st time
-no more swaddle
-likes to study your face/look deep into your eyes while being held or while being carried in the carrier
-started to recognize he can do things specifically to get attention/make people smile and laugh
-will do things specifically to ^
-likes to read books
-likes to people watch
-tends to be very quiet when other people are around, unless they are in our house (and even then)
-gives kisses
-nursing every 4 hours still
-makes a hilarious "crazy face"
-clingy this month, especially after nap time
-if you are sitting near him while he's playing, he wants to play with whatever it is while in your lap/arms i.e. how dare you not hold him if you are not occupied with a different task
-is okay playing alone if, and only if, he can see me doing something else that seems important (making dinner and cleaning are what fall into this category)
- "I want you to add: his dad loves him more and more every day" -Kyle
-loves to be outside
-loves to eat the car keys and remotes
-his favorite toys (that is actually his and not an adult object) are: chick-fi-a santa cow and a plush little star. Basically, any peluche (stuffed animal)

Ezra is getting ANTSY to move. He really wants to be more mobile than he is currently, but hasn't quite figured out the mechanics. When he is laying next to you on the bed he wants to crawl over your body again and again. He tries to climb when you hold him while sitting down. He wants to be held, but then flails and flings himself about. He is rolling like an old pro now from both back to tummy and tummy to back. He is doing better holding himself up on hands and knees, but eventually will fall to his side. He will go from sitting to hands and knees, but the forward momentum makes him fall forward onto his face. There is this one scoot type thing that seems to be his go to right now where he will roll himself onto his stomach, but not pull his arm out from under him, and then push his bum up in the air and scootch (sp?) his face and pinned arm side against the carpet until he inches forward. He has gotten better at this scoot attempt over the month and can move small distances in this manner. 

favorite jammies. 

Ezra attended his first college class. His first college class at an IvyLeague institution? Not to shabby. Kyle took him with him to class one afternoon so that I could get some studying done. The teacher even picked him up to walk him around the classroom at one point. He didn't mind until the teacher took him into a different room (apparently this classroom has multiple rooms?) and he couldn't see Kyle anymore--then he started to wail, until Kyle came and rescued him of course.

waiting for the bus on their way home

I know as a mother I think certain things are more amazing than other people, but I really do think he is so brilliant! It is so neat to watch him figure things out. For example, he will see a loose thread on a shirt and just lock onto it. Very focused. And then with just his thumb and finger he will reach forward and grasp at it until he can get it. He will find the tiny spec of dirt amongst all his toys on the ground and lock in on just that.

so pensive

Ezra can feed himself! He feeds himself most of his meals each day. We still feed him baby food (purees) by spoon, but he feeds himself the rest. He has eaten everything we've given him without complaint--except for those first bites of rice cereal, of course, he hated those. His favorite foods so far are greek yogurt and pears. This month has been amazing for me to watch this skill develop. He gets better every single day and I think it's remarkable. At the beginning of his 7th month he could barely pick food up and couldn't get it to his mouth unless it was by accident. As these weeks have progressed I've watched him figure something new out each day and refine his skills and it's the best part of being a parent.

A little comparison.....