8 months

Dear Mallory,

You’re 8 months old now, and I think this is bound to be the shortest monthly summary to date – because despite the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s been a quiet month for you. Sure, we’ve done lots of things – attended your first holiday parties, met Santa for the first time, put up your first Christmas tree – but you seem to have stalled in terms of hitting milestones. In fact, your greatest achievements this month have been deciding that toilet water is the ultimate plaything, and consuming more cat kibble than I ever thought possible. Not really milestones, now are they?

OK, so there are a few things you’ve made progress on. You have made one or two attempts to climb up a few stairs. I am in no rush for you to attempt this feat so it is fine by me that you haven’t tried any more than that! You have finally learned to drink from a sippy cup, something we started a few months ago and which has taken some getting used to on your part. (You do still need us to tip it up for you.) But I am fully serious when I mention the toilet thing – it attracts you like a moth to a flame! – and also the cat kibble thing – you make a beeline for Captain’s dish whenever you can, and you stuff your face with it as if we don’t otherwise feed you. I can understand you sampling it once, but the fact that you keep going back for more is really puzzling.

We are trying to get you onto more solid foods, but you are doing everything in your power to resist. Pureed pears are your favourite food, but God forbid I dice up some soft fresh ones for you. You have the tongue-thrust reflex down, and spit out any we put in your mouth like it’s poison. I feel like your diet is getting pretty boring and repetitive, so I hope you get over your aversion to solid food soon!

While you don’t seem any more interested in walking now than you were a month ago, you have become much more vocal, and you are now a babbling, chatty little baby. You still wake up for a middle-of-the-night feeding, something I still long for you to drop! You were sick for the first time this month, having caught a cold that lingered for nearly two weeks.

At 8 months old, you weigh 17 pounds 12 ounces, or thereabouts; you wouldn’t stop squirming when I tried to have you weighed, and the numbers on the scale never did stop moving. You are 29 inches long (again, this is approximate – you don’t stop squirming when we measure your length, either!) The next few weeks will fly by in a blur and before we know it, it will be 2008… and a whole new year of adventures lie in wait.

Love,
Mom