8 Month Old Babies

Ethan and Jane are 8 (and a half) months old and that is so hard to believe!  I remember praying that they would gain weight when we brought them home from the hospital.  That prayer was answered for sure.  My little chunks are nice and healthy now.  I remember this picture that my mom took of them when they were a week old.  Look how tiny they are next to a Huggies wipes case:

We call Ethan many different names instead of Ethan (as I knew we would do...we are nickname people) - E Man, E, Big Guy, and Bear Cub.  He is 22+ pounds (I'll know the exact amount in a few weeks) and has a mop of light brown curly hair right on top of his head.  He has the softest skin of any baby I have ever met.  He cuddles hardcore, he'll wrap his arms around your neck and lay his chin on your shoulder.  Those are some of the best hugs I have ever had.

Prefers: orange baby food (sweet potatoes and carrots), drinking his bottle slowly while watching TV (Dave always has ESPN on while they eat...training em early on), slapping the pages of books with his hands while you read to him, being wrapped up tight for bedtime, falling asleep to music, chewing on his puppy's ears while falling asleep, scoots and rolls all over the place.

He also prefers to sit up or play on his tummy and is getting better at sitting on his own and holding his own bottle.  He is the happiest baby ever!  Laughs all day (unless he is hungry or tired, then nothing is funny) and even sometimes laughs at nothing.  He'll be looking up at the ceiling and crack himself up.

He loves Jane.  He wants to touch her feet and hair and take her toys (out of love of course) all the time.  Jane is sometimes cool with it, sometimes not.  When he first sees Jane in the mornings when we get them out of their cribs, he flails all 4 limbs and giggles at her.  It is adorable. He is sensitive to her and cries when she starts crying.  He is so gentle around her, there have only been a couple of accidental kicks to the head so far.

He has said
1. Dadadada
2. Babababa
3. Mamama

In that order.  Just saying, he might be a genius since M is one of the last consonants babies learn to say.

He notices textures, colors, and patterns - maybe he'll be artistic.  When my sister Stephanie came in to town, she played the ukulele for him and he was completely mesmerized.

Maybe he'll be musical.  But even if he is neither of those things, it is pretty cute to see his little personality develop.

Here is E at 8 months old:

Oh that upper lip, so cute

He looks a lot like one of my baby pictures right here.  Fun to see. :)

 Dave calls his curly mop on top the rock-a-doodle.  I actually gave him a little haircut a few days ago just to tame it a bit.  He looks like a boy now instead of a baby! 

Precious Boy - such a sweetie 

Jane also has many nicknames around here, some of those include - Janey, Lady, Miss Kitty, and Jane Train.  She weighs about 19 pounds and has dark hair that is starting to curl, which is so adorable and I hope she keeps that wavy hair the rest of her life!  She gives the best kisses where she just lunges at your cheek with an open mouth and sit there for a few seconds, then pulls back and just smiles at you.  Those are some of the best kisses I've ever had.  She is such a sweet lady. Her little laugh is more like a high pitched squeal, especially close to bed time when she's a little slap happy.

Prefers: Apples and oatmeal baby food, trying to drink from a cup all by herself (even turns her bottle upside down and tries to use it like a cup), twirling her hands and feet simultaneously when she is excited, checks with me if she encounters something new or is unsure about something, sleeping in the dark with her blanket, puppy, and bink, eating big people food, a later bedtime and sleeping in.

Jane only wants to sit up, she is done with laying down.  She even flexes her abs and tries to stay sitting straight up in the bath, on the changing table, and in the stroller.  She is the sweetest most even tempered baby I have ever met.  If she is fed and well rested, she is completely happy doing whatever you want to do.  She is my travel buddy, if I need to go to the store or a friend's house, she is happy sitting in the car and looking out window while we drive around.  

She has 2 teeth coming in on the bottom and chews on everything.  As soon as she is in the water in the bathtub, her hands are searching for a washcloth to suck on.  Once she gets it, she gets a huge grin and brings it right to her mouth.  She's entertained for the rest of the bath!  

So far she has said

1. Yayayaya 

2. Dadadada

3. Some kind of word grunt that I can try to spell - "uuhhhgggg"

She is very careful and stays back to observe things before trying something.  She watches and learns about it, then does it. She watched Ethan roll over for a few weeks before she decided to try. Then she rolled over on her first try (this was back when they were 4 months old).  She jumps in the jumperoo and literally looks like she's a ballerina.  Her feet are pointed and come together like a perfect plie. Maybe a dancer?  Maybe an artist? Who knows, she could be a mathematician! (Although, she wouldn't have gotten her love for math from me.)

Here is Jane at 8 months old:

And here are my little loves together: