life with the wisners: EK 8 months

sweet EK. eight months? really? i'm going to be honest. these last two months have been so incredibly awesome. but. because of that, i have been so sad. eight months? is SO CLOSE to a year. which i feel is the end of your babyhood. and that makes me sad. because we are done having babies. and because of you? having a baby has been fun. as bigH says, "wow. having EK brings us a lot of attention." you do. you bring us a lot of attention. good attention.

you smile a lot. a LOT. and at strangers. but mostly at the four of us. and oh my. your smile? is delicious. ask ANYONE.

you got your first tooth. and now. as i write this. you have two full teeth with two more coming in. you're definitely our latest teeth getter. your brother and sister had a MOUTH FULL at this age. i kinda like that you're doing things at your own pace.

you rolled over from front to back for first time. but sadly enough (sort of), you haven't done it since. you just don't care about rolling. at all. you do tummy time. you don't love it. but you do it. but you've only rolled over ONCE. you're EIGHT MONTHS OLD. we keep thinking we should contact someone about it. but. i'll be honest. it's so nice having you immobile.

you love to sit in the chair in the living room. we give you several toys and you are content for so long. you just sit there, chewing on whatever is in front of you. sometimes you fall into tummy time. but you smile and "laugh," and we put you back. but you always look so silly just sitting there. like a big kid.

you started food. you're not good at it. your favorite is sweet potatoes. you very rarely actually open your mouth to let the food in. but you want to hold the spoon and gnaw on it. usually, you have a vegetable. and then afterwards, we give you your mesh feeder with some kind of fruit. and that's where you find your happy place. you've done all kinds of fruit. mango, banana, apple, pear, plum, etc. you LOVE your mesh feeder. LOVE IT.

it's crazy but i've made all of your baby food. which is SO not like me. but i've been having SO MUCH FUN. we've made squash, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, green beans, etc. and you really like it. yay for you and me.

you've finally gotten into a pattern/routine. which has been so nice. basically you wake up between 7-something and 8. i feed you, and we start our day. usually, taking goo to school. when we take her to school, we come home and play. once hoda and kathie lee come on, i know it's time for your nap. you usually sleep from 10-12. and wake up happier than ever. i feed you, and we eat lunch. and we go get goo from school at 145. we get her and then head to get bigH. we come home around 3, and you go down for your second nap. which is shorter. usually an hour or an hour and a half. your brother and sister are elated to see you, whenever it is. i feed you between 4-5. then, we have dinner around 6. you eat a vegetable and fruit out of your mesh feeder while we have dinner. and it's so fun to have you with you us. bigH and goo LOVE having you with us at the table. you are a complete MESS during meal time. if i could bathe you three times a day, that would be ideal. then, around 7, you and one of your siblings get a bath. you still bathe in the table top bathtub. daddy bathes you while i clean the dishes and get your room ready for nighttime. we still prefer zipper jammies, but every so often, we put you in snaps. you still get swaddled. i KNOW. it's crazy. and we'll probably change that sometime soon. but it works for you. dad finishes your bath and brings you into your room to get you cozy. the bottle is a thing of a past. i feed you and most times you are so tired that you eat both sides and doze off. some nights, however, you are a bit wound up and cry a lot. and i just put you down WIDE AWAKE. but you do fine going straight to sleep. sometimes you wake in the middle of the night. most of the time we just let you cry until you fall back asleep. but sometimes (cry it out parents are cringing right now), i go get you, feed you, and put you back to sleep. honestly, because i know the crying will take forever to stop. and i do mean forever. and you are LOUD. and you are our last kid. so there. but you've gotten a lot better about sleeping through the night. yay for you. so basically i'm nursing you four times a day. sometimes once in the middle of the night.

sometimes you make little snoring sounds at night. it's not real snoring. just sounds like it. which makes me smile.

you are BY FAR the happiest wisner baby. period.

you are rarely unhappy. but when you are unhappy. girlfriend, you are UNHAPPY.

there have been times that you didn't nap at all today and have been fine. rare in our house.

we have started putting you in the church nursery. so fun for daddy and me. the nursery workers say you are a dream baby. never need anything. sometimes sleep. sometimes not. bigH has a great time at church. goo does too (now -- praise Jesus). and now you do! yay. which means daddy and i get to worship together and hold hands during church. and drink coffee and learn about your creator together. so awesome.

you have very specific toys you love. you still love sophie the giraffe. you love your rubber toothbrush. you love you any teether. you love anything that you can hold that makes noise. you love the teething necklace. seriously? a teething necklace? who have i become?

we got a sit and stand stroller. because goo still loves to ride in a stroller. yes. your four year old sister. sometimes we put your carseat in it, and you're fine. and sometimes you sit in it like a big girl. i like when you do that. you look so tiny. you always have been in an umbrella stroller before too. but i'm a little too nervous to do that very often. you don't seem big enough.

you had your first trip to big lots. your nana must have been proud.

you had your first trip to whataburger. which made your aunt kelly proud. and it was your first restaurant highchair experience.

we took your picture in bluebonnets. texans all over are cringing right now. but...i don't like taking pictures in bluebonnets. i have NEVER advertised to take client pictures in them. the only reason i take pictures of you or your siblings is because bluebonnets are nana's favorite flowers. but i just don't like taking those pictures. and you agreed. because you did NOT like it. at all. will post those pictures next month.

you had your first park swing experience. and ate. it. up.

when you cry, you REALLY cry. usually means you have HAD IT.

you have razor sharp fingernails. even when i cut them, the edges are razor sharp. i've actually tried to file them before. but to no avail. and you always seem to scratch me while you're eating. ouch.

speaking of, you love to touch my face while you eat. usually, i love it. until you grab my lip and scratch the tar out of it. then, i don't love it as much.

you are so aware of things going on around you. the last two months have made such a huge difference. it's very fun. it's like you're a new version of you.

you can almost sit unassisted. you LOVE to sit. way more than being on your tummy.

the big toys you love are: exersaucer, playmat, pink bouncy while i dry my hair.

exersaucer is essentially your toilet in the afternoon. i know this sounds weird. but you are down to pooping only once a day. and it is WITHOUT FAIL in your exersaucer. between 4-5. it's like you're your dad. :) if we don't put you in the exersaucer, you usually don't poop that day. we feel like we should at least provide you with privacy and a magazine. you're cute, EK. we love you a lot.

life with you has gotten so much more fun. and we love it. life with three is different. hard. but awesome. your siblings still can't get enough of you. your daddy is head over heels in love. and me? well, i am speechless. which is saying a lot. you make our life a better place just by being in it. God is good to us.

one of mommy's friends helped pick this dress out for you. i LOVE you in smocking just as much as your sister.

we're always so proud of you when you do tummy time. you were proud of yourself too.

you love to watch things with your siblings.

and you love to sit in between someone's legs. preferably bigH or the goo's.

we had such a wonderful family day at the outdoor grassy area of a mall. you loved being outside on such a great day.

still swaddled. and still just as cute.

first whataburger experience. where you/we got a LOT of attention. (and a LOT of people wanting to touch your hands and face. and doing so. why WHY do people do this? ugh.)

your first big lots experience. and your first experience in a shopping cart. we're high class here at the wisner casa.

we were hanging out at one of mommy's friend's houses. and you were clearly tired. so i borrowed a blanket, and you went straight to sleep. third kid.

one of mommy's friends has been loaning you some of her daughter's clothes. i have been in hog heaven because we didn't save any of goo's clothes, and these are to die for. thanks, E.

one of mommy's friends (whom she's never actually met) celebrated a birthday, and we decided to send her some cyber love. we love you JT.

goo loves to snuggle with you. LOVES it.

you are becoming quite the pianist.

more tummy time.

you and i hanging out.

more of your friend E's clothes. drool.

daddy teases me about this caddy. but this diaper caddy stays in the living room. and i wanted it so badly when you were born. i LOVE it. it has diapers, wipes, a changing pad, diaper rash cream, aquaphor, and chapstick (for bigH). it is so convenient. and because dad makes fun of me, it is a standing joke about how awesome the caddy is.

we went to the grocery store, and goo wanted to bring her baby with us. not sure how you felt about sharing the attention.

you playing dolls with goo.

i was out, and daddy texted me this picture. it made my day.

you never look at the camera in our family pictures. course, we don't either apparently. :)

yay. a picture of us together.

our road trip to norman to see mommy's ultra special friend holliB. man, we had such an incredible time during spring break. holli has a boy bigH's age, and a girl goo's age. so we came and invaded her house for two days. and did nothing. and it rocked the house. you woke up once in the middle of the night. and i went and got hollib and asked her what i should do. and i GOT HER OUT OF BED and she came upstairs with me and helped me redo your pack and play and get your ready for sleep again. real friend right there. and you instantly bonded with her. at 2am. love me some hollib. and for the record, she and her kids had prepared welcome goodie bags. yes. i got a scarf and a robe, and my kids got a basket full of fun!!!!!