8 month tidbits

Dear Norah Bird,

It's happened again. Another month has gone by and you've grown in so many ways. Our days seem to go by faster with all of the exploring that you do. We've settled into a routine of sorts that usually includes a walk with Mom and Oakley in the morning, Daddy-time in the evenings, and lots of rest (some days), exercise, and discovery in between. You eat your breakfast, lunch, and dinner with us at meal times now and nurse mostly for comfort or when you're sleepy. Peaches and squash have been added to your growing list of foods that you like.

Stink Face! Morning playtime.

Playtime has become more interactive. You still have all your favorite baby toys but we've had to cut the tags off all of them because you like to suck on them. And just when I think I've gotten them all, I find another one in your mouth! Beyond the basics of passive play, you now enjoy the benefits of increased dexterity, attention, and a little more mobility although you're still not crawling yet. I'm starting to think that you may be one of those babies that go straight to walking. Most of your baby friends are crawling by now but I'm not worried because I know that once it begins there will be no stopping you and my usual methods of infantile containment will be usurped.

Norah in a basket = a timeout for Mommy.

You can now handle yourself pretty well and like to roll around your pack n play with all your toys. You also like to see, feel, and taste things through the mesh sides of the pack n play. You've always loved textures so this is no surprise to me but it's always a novelty to you.

Messy meshy kisses.

Video Link: Norah's meshy kisses

One of your fanciest toys is your constellation glow turtle. Currently our apartment doesn't get dark enough before your bed time to project the images onto the ceiling. But you appreciate anything that lights up.

Seeing stars.

They're everywhere...

They look best on me, don't you think?

No way! Now it's green?!

Shut the Front Door! Did you see that?! 

One of your less fancier toy favorites is bubbles. Like most children, this old standard amazes and captivates both you and Oakley, putting you on an even playing field of discovery. Of course by the time we took the video you were bored with the bubbles and Oakley had mostly figured them out.

Video Link: Norah's Tiny Bubbles

You're starting to enjoy certain activities that we've been doing for a while now, like reading, bath time, and "peek-a-boo" but you're only just now beginning to appreciate. I've always read to you but mostly you were interested in eating the book. You still like to gnaw on your board books if given the chance, but you now pause to listen. You mostly like the rhythmic stories like "Flip Flap Fly" and "Pout Pout Fish." But we also enjoy the Eric Carle books as well as your touch and feel books. One of your favorite books is an audiobook, of sorts. Your Aunt Erin, Uncle J, and cousin Natalie recorded it for you when you were in the hospital a few months ago. You love listening to their voices tell the story.

Daddy just has to turn the pages.

Tubby time has gotten a lot more fun for you. As part of our bedtime routine we give you a bath before changing you into your big-girl pajamas. You enjoy splashing and playing with your little squirty toys and you're getting much more efficient at distributing water. We indulge you until your little toes prune up or there's no water left in the tub, whichever comes first, and then it's time to come out. We wrap you up in your bath time burrito towel, say goodnight to the baby in the mirror, and head off to dreamland.

Video Link: Norah Tubby Time

Another milestone that has been reached is needing to lower your crib mattress. You've started pulling yourself up onto things and often scrunch down your crib bumpers to peer out at us. So before you learn to pull yourself up and launch yourself over the side, we decided we had better lower it which was no easy task. More or less it involved me "holding" the bottom up from underneath while Daddy adjusted the thingies to lower it. You were blissfully ignorant of our struggles and were content to chew on your hair brush.

Death by crib.

Finally we got the crib all set and wrestled the mattress back in (because we were too lazy to take the bumper off). You took a break from chewing your way through your toiletries toys to give it a test run. Now you enjoy peering at us through the crib slats and this is how I usually find you in the mornings and after waking up from naps.

Cutest little monkey in the zoo!

Your vocabulary has grown rapidly in the last few weeks. You have yet to cognitively produce actual words but you're more assertive with your "babababa" and "mamamama" sounds. Recent additions include a sucking sound, a "geh-geh" sound, and even a complex "nyeerp" sound that resembles what I would imagine is close to alien dialect. You enjoy communicating with your Dad and I, babbling back and forth. And my favorite noise of all, of course, is your laughter. You find more humor in life now and your screechy giggles and belly laughs are music to my ears. There is no sweeter sound. Speaking of music, we still regularly attend your weekly music classes with your friends and you very much enjoy them.

Norah and Riley at the drum.

I'm making noise!!!

Baby music class somehow always turns into mommy aerobics class.

Last week we also tried out baby story time at the local library. Mostly you enjoyed it but there were a lot of "older babies" there and it got a little crazy. But you were on your best 8-month-old behavior and listened to the stories and rhymes. We even met a little boy who was born just one day after you.

Norah and Snuggle Puppy enjoying some stories and rhymes.

We've enjoyed getting out for our classes, story times, and play dates when they don't coincide with your nap times. I think it's important for both you and I to get out of the apartment as much as we can and I think it's good for you to experience baby-friendly programming and classes that expose you to other children since you spend most of your time with me. Even so, we still spend lots of time just taking things in on our own time and you love being outdoors to explore anything your eyes can take in, your toes can wiggle through, or your little paws can grab.

Tall parents help me reach the trees!

Got it!

Daddy's girl.

Some afternoons, if it's not too hot, we venture down from our balcony to spend some time chilling under a tree waiting for Daddy to come home from work. We like to watch the goings-on of our apartment complex world and entertain any visitors who stop by to admire your cuteness. Sometimes your neighbor buddies come to play with you, but mostly you just enjoy feeling the grass in your toes and exploring things close-up and personal.

Video Link: Norah Sitting Outside

Hello, world!

Fascinated by the little things.

Some things require further exploration.

It's been a busy month and, as completely lovable as you are, you still present parenting challenges. It took me seven months to finally start this blog, in part because I didn't want it to take away from time with you and those first 6+ months were pretty demanding for a new parent. Most of my time spent putting this together is done while you are napping or after you've gone to bed at night. I want to share your moments with your family and friends afar but don't want my doing so to take away from the time I spend with you day to day. As such, there are periods when I have plenty of time to compose your stories and others when we hit a dry spell due to a napping strike or a busy social calendar. Last week was one of those times and it just so happened to be a week full of good news that I will have to include in my next story, "A New Home for Norah."

Love,
Mom

Toes in the grass. Ankle rolls. Does it get any cuter than this?!