Eight Months

New Developmental Milestones this Month: Andrew has so many different skills now it is hard to make a list of them.  Here are the new age-appropriate developmental things that he can do: pull himself to standing with one hand and on a flat surface, walk holding onto furniture, pick up tiny objects, and stand holding on with one hand.  He can also actually get the puffs into his mouth on the first try (most of the time).

See those teeth?!?

• He finally has his two bottom teeth!  The first one popped out on December 7 and the second one on December 10 (technically month 9).  I'm really hoping that the top two will take their time so he can have a bit of a break.  
• He is also finally making some sounds!  "Mama" has been a consistent all month and he uses it directed at me.  He also says "ah-ma" and just in the last few days, he's started saying "ah-ba-ba."  There are other times where we swear that he says "hi" and "yeah" but who knows.  He still isn't a consistent babbler.   

Physical Growth this Month: He only went to the doctors three times this month--the smallest amount of trips since August!  He had a week long growth spurt and gained back the pound he lost during his seventh month, but he still hasn't gotten a lot more "size" on him.

• December 7: 19 lbs, 6.4 oz
• December 2: 20 lbs, 4.5 oz (with a full belly and diaper)
• November 22: 18 lbs, 9.6 oz

Doctor's Trips:   Less trips=healthier baby?  I wish!  Like I said, last month, we know what it is, so we home treat.  Andrew has actually been the sickest this month... he started on his seven month birthday with a runny nose.  By the week before Thanksgiving, it has progressed into a full cough/brocholitis despite the 3-4 times a day breathing treatments. 

A quick trip made it clear that we didn't have croup so we grinned and bared it for another week or so.  By December 1st, it was even worse.  We took him in, but his lungs sounded clear.  We did add an asthma inhaler at that trip (not officially diagnosed as asthma).  A few days later, it was even worse so we went back.  This time, chest x-rays were done.  I'm glad I pushed for them, because turns out that he has pneumonia.  We caught it early and he did not need to be hospitalized.  He is now on a heavy duty antibiotic and another round of predisone.  Add that to the breathing treatments 2-4 times a day, asthma inhaler, and prevacid for GERD, it is hard to keep up with what he needs and when...

Things Andrew likes: Andrew likes everything.  He loves crawling, pulling up, and playing with everything in every room.  He especially likes taking off for the open bathroom door; if he succeeds in getting in there, he pulls himself up on the bathtub and bangs away.  I'm pretty sure that the bathroom is his favorite place because he LOVES taking baths.  Peek-a-boo is totally the best game invented in Andrew's mind.  Toy wise, he rotates between his music table, his book shelf (where he pulls off all the books), and the dining room table (where he crawls underneath and around).  Mommy is definitely his favorite person, with Daddy and Aunt Melissa a close second.  His teachers also tell me that he has a favorite person there--Miss Nancy.

Andrew watching the dog!

Things Andrew doesn't like: Being sick.  This round has actually taken away his happy-go-lucky personality.  He's been whiny, cranky, and overall miserable.  He coughs, then cries, then coughs again. 
Sleeping: This is a sore subject right now.  Pneumonia has made it almost impossible to sleep so no one is really sleeping.  It is kinda like the newborn stage, except we're getting up and going to work.
Eating: Andrew was back up to a normal 8-9 oz bottle until last week when he got really, really sick.  Now he's not eating bottles well again (I'm a broken record, everything sucks when he's sick... moving on).  He prefers "real food" (6 tbsp of oatmeal and 4 oz of fruit for breakfast at daycare and another 4 tbsp of oatmeal and 2-4 oz of veggies and/or food for dinner) and feeding himself.  He hates green beans and peas and even if I mix it with fruit, he will not eat it.
Diapers: Still in size 3s--we've used 310 diapers (1054 total in size 3).
Clothing: Andrew is wearing all 6-9 month clothing with the exception of a few 12 month sleepers.

Bye bye for now!