lauren :: months seven & eight

I neglected to post about Lauren in May, so I am combining her seven and eight month posts together.

After a rough month six, month seven was great. Not a lot of changes developmentally, but she really started to show off what a sweet and playful personality she has.

Solid food + (mostly) clear skin + good sleep schedule = happy girl

She got to spend a lot of fun time with aunts and uncles in late April, early May. It worked out great, because she loves to be held.

Mealtime is one of her favorite times. Over time is has become clear that she prefers fruits to veggies, but before she had tasted fruit, sweet potatoes and peas garnered the most excitment. Puffs are also a fave.

Sometime this month she learned to ham it up for the camera. This picture was taken on Mother's Day. This was the best smile Will could muster after I promised him a cookie. Lauren rocked the head back, arm behind the head pose with no coaching.

Lauren got to spend a lot of time in her carseat at the park this month. It was really awesome because she would even take naps in her carseat and we could get out and do things in the morning before it go too hot and she still got a good nap. Now that she's eight months old she needs to be in her bed to get a good nap in. So high maintenence.

She got her first taste of the pool at the start of her eighth month. She likes the pool pretty much as long as she is being held. She thinks it is funny when Will blows bubbles or "pushes" me into the water.

Lauren discovered she can fit her entire fist in her mouth. Like father, like daughter. She also started saying Dadada fairly regularly. I wouldn't exactly call it a word, but she she babbles it a lot, especially when Daddy is around.

This month she prefers to sit up in the stroller, but she is still patient while her crazy bro collects sticks. She doesn't like staying in one spot for too long though.

Smiley, messy baby

 

Enjoying story time at the library. Lauren has started to enjoy books and reading more and more. She doesn't seem to have quite the affinity for books that Will did, but she's also going through a phase where she puts everything in her mouth, so maybe it's more that I don't give her many books to hold these days.

A major milestone of this past month is that not only does she sit up by herself, but she doesn't freefall onto her back when she wants to lay down. She now chooses to roll forward and to the side when she's tired of sitting up. She also has started to play the cymbols. I love the pleased look on her face whenever she makes noise.

Lauren is awesome. She's such a sweet and loving little girl. I having been complaining a lot about Will lately (too much), and it's like Lauren decided, Mom can only handle so much right now, so I am going to go easy on her. She has played quietly by herself for long periods of time while I've had to deal with her brother. She doesn't make me feel like a bad mom when I am too tired to do much besides hold her while she chews on a teething ring. She's my sweet girl and I can't believe we've only had her with us for eight months.