Emma: 8 Months!

Dear Sue Sue,

Your nickname that started as Emmy Lou Who, has progressed slowly over the months, and these days we often find ourselves referring to you as Sue Sue.  Doesn't make any sense, as Sue is not in your name anywhere, but nicknames often emerge out of strange places :)

Anyway, you are getting more and more of a personality every day.  You are still as pleasant as ever, and so many people have commented to me that you are the most content baby they have ever seen.  It's true sweet girl.  All we have to do is look at you, and you are smiling from ear to ear.  You bring more joy into our lives than we ever thought possible!

Even when you are uncomfortable, we often don't even know it.  You have a diaper rash?  Smiling.  A fever?  Still smiling.  Cutting your first teeth?  Still smiling!  That last one makes me feel bad because the night that you were getting that first bottom tooth you were up several times throughout the night whimpering a little bit, but you were never even crying, so Daddy and I attributed it to the fact that we had just driven back from PA the night before and you were off schedule.  That's all we thought it was.  When we looked in your mouth and saw that little tooth the next day we felt terrible!  You were probably in pain, but you never even cried.  Just a few small whimpers.  You are one tough little cookie!  Aunt Tina thinks you will grow up to be a people pleaser, and I tend to agree.  It's like you try to make everything as easy on us as possible...and we love you for that!!!

Speaking of teeth, you did in fact get your very first tooth this month at about 7 1/2 months old.  Obviously, you took it (and my failed attempts to get pics of it) like a champ.  Your second tooth came in just a few days later, and you are sitting pretty with two bottom teeth for now :)

These days, you are loving the doorway jumper, and you are kind of over the activity mat.  Now that you are sitting up so well, you'd rather be upright than laying under that mat.  And you had your first experience on the swings at the park this month!  You had so much fun!

As you can see, your hair is still nice and long on the top, but pretty sparse around the rest of your head.  Makes for the perfect "Pebbles" ponytail :)

You love to be held, and these days you have started reaching for me to hold you whenever I walk in a room.  It's adorable and breaks my heart at the same time.  I can't hold you every time, but you sure do try! And when you get excited you do what we refer to as, "the emphatic yes".  It's exactly what it sounds like, and its so cute to watch you throw your head back in delight!  Another of your signs of excitement is what we call the "pug dog".  You start breathing hard and fast, and since you always seem to be a little bit congested, you sound just like a little pug dog :)

Your daily routine has not changed much recently.  You still wake up around 7:30, take 2 good naps a day, and go back to sleep at 7:30 at night.  In the past month (now that you finally roll over), you have started sleeping on your belly.  Almost every night when I check on you before I go to bed, that is how I find you.

You still nurse four times a day.  Morning, night, and after both naps.  Then we give you one container of food three times a day.  Your favorites are the orange foods.  Sweet potato, squash, carrots.  You love them.  And oddly, you are not a huge fan of fruits.  It seems as though you prefer the veggies.  (Are you really my child??)

You have been doing lots of babbling, which includes dada and mama.  It still doesn't seem like you really say those words to us, but who knows.  You also really love to hear yourself scream, which is cute, but makes this already loud house even louder.  It often feels like a zoo in here!

Gnawing on your toes is still one of your favorite past times:

Grandma and I took you to the beach for the very first time this month.  It was a day trip, and had us very nervous, but all in all, you and your sister were awesome!

Here are your monthly photos:

This face cracks me up!

Your big sister's preschool ended this month, so this was our last month of quiet Tuesday and Thursday mornings, just me and you.

I know that I am biased, but I think you are the cutest baby around!  The cutest and by far the sweetest!  You are such a blessing to our family, and I am so thankful that God chose me to be your Mommy.  I love you to the moon and back baby girl!

Love,

Mommy