Happy Eight Months!

Time is flying. How are you eight months already? This is insane. Slow down little fella.

So this month you have become a little man in so many ways. You have your first tooth. It is big and visible and sticking out like a tooth should. You are seriously, seriously working on your second, and I get the impression that it is causing you a little more trouble than the first. But, you're a man now, so you can take it. It doesn't mean I won't get all mama bear-ish when you start looking uncomfortable.

Last week, we flew to Minnesota with your grandparents to tie up some loose ends at your great grandparents' house. They designed their dream home in 1960 and lived in it until great-grandpa passed away last September. That is a lot of years and a lot of life in one home. We spent a few days there, shipping off my great-grandparents' (your great-great-grandparents'!!) china and stumbling upon my grandmothers kimonos, meeting with the real estate agent and the estate sale guy, and then eventually closing the door to their house one last time. It was sad; even more sad than I thought it would be. I am happy to think that maybe a young family might move in, bringing life and laughter to a house that always meant that sort of thing to me. But still -- it was strangely tough to say goodbye to that chapter of our lives. I was glad you were able to be there with us.

I took a few small things from their home, some just because I thought they were neat and others because they reminded me of my grandparents. One of those things was a small blanket your grandma found that was more or less the same as my own blankie as a baby. Grandma said that maybe it could be yours, and I packed it up in my suitcase. When we got home, I went to unpack and was overwhelmed with the familiar smell of my grandparents' house that the blanket had spread through my stuff. I considered putting the blanket in a Ziploc bag, just taking it out on occasion to smell it. But I wouldn't do that; that would be a crazy. Still. Tempting.

At any rate, you went through the process with a smile on your face, tearing through the boxes, tissue paper, pots and pans, and anything else we came across while going through their things. You were fun and goofy and everything we love about you. Having you around to lighten the mood was wonderful.

Your big thing now is pulling yourself up to a standing position on any object that seems more-or-less the right height. Sometimes this works and other times it doesn't. For example, you now love to see your bath water fill the tub, and you will lean over watching it flow every night. You also like to pull up on the coffee table and play the "drums" on the table. You have even started lifting your hands entirely and just leaning on the table with your belly. Sometimes, though, you try to use unreliable things like bedspreads and tablecloths to support you. Those don't work so well. Still, you are getting the hang of cruising and I am pretty sure you will be walking in a few more weeks. I am still trying to wrap my head around that one.

The best thing you learned this month, however, is how to wave. Oh good God, this is the cutest thing ever. Sadly, like most baby phases, you seem to be growing out of this one, but for several days you would wave at anything and everything whenever you could. The funniest part is that the wave was sort of backwards; you would curl your hand under with the palm parallel to the ground, as if you were raking in the air towards you. It was fabulous and I never wanted you to stop. Instead, you learned a more excited and active wave that looks more "normal," and you flash us all a hello whenever we show up. That's pretty cute, too.

Another big thing this month is that you have started day care two times per week. I thought I would have a terrible time leaving you at first, but thankfully that is not the case. I feel good about the people you are staying with, happy to know that you are surrounded by other babies, and excited at the idea of you being an independent guy with some experiences outside of our home. Of course, I am thrilled to see you by the end of the day, but the little break is healthy and good, and you seem to be handling the transition ok. Although, the day care director told me that you threw a fit because everybody but you was sitting around eating one day. She said you were very upset. I can't say I blame you.

Here's to another month, little man!