Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Lincoln: 8 Months

Dear Lincoln,
Well, my big, little-man, you have reached 3/4 of a year, and trust me- that 1-year mark seems closer every day as the time speeds by! You have had another busy month, full of activity, trouble and growth. I think you have grown a foot and added several pounds this month- despite moving faster than ever! Here's a full update:

~On our home scale you're weighing in at about 20 lbs- which astounds me as your big sis weighed exactly 20 lbs at her 1-year checkup! I wish that meant you could go ahead and turn your car seat around, but that's not how it works. I know you're getting taller too, b/c you only fit in 9-mo clothes, and even a few of those are a little tight! I've had to go get you some 12-mo pj's! I wonder if you'll be taller than your 6'2" daddy?
~Maybe your new height has given you more stability, b/c this past weekend you took your FIRST STEPS! Daddy just wanted to see if you could do it, so stood you up in front of him, let go, and you took 2 full steps to him! We were shocked that you just did it that easily!! You took 2 more steps again, then 4 steps next. We were all cheering and laughing so hard!! You're definitely not walking, as you won't do it consistently, but First Steps are, well, the first step!
~You love to practice your walking on the Hippo Pushcart. I'd say it's your favorite toy right now. You walk it fast across the room, hit the end, look at us to turn it around, or even try to turn it yourself, which often results in you flipping it over on top of yourself. If Georgia gets ahold of it and starts pushing it around, you chase her down and holler till you get it back. Maybe soon we'll leave the Hippo cart out of this and you'll just be chasing her?!

~You have earned the nickname "Puppy" as you're always crawling underfoot, especially in the kitchen, nipping at our toes (literally!), chewing on shoes and the rug, and slobbering on everything. Georgia calls you "doggie", since I guess that word is more familiar to her than puppy. She says "no puppy!" when you're trying to get in the trash, and "down puppy!" when you're nibbling at her toes when she's in the high chair!
~Speaking of being underfoot in the kitchen, your favorite game seems to be to open & close the drawer of pans under the stove, banging loudly on it and shutting your fingers in it. Not a fun game for mommy as I'm trying to cook a hot dinner above you!

~You seem to cause trouble all day long- tossing all the books out of the bookshelves, escaping thru the barrier down the hall to the bedrooms and bathrooms, where you repeatedly flush the toilet and unroll the entire roll of toilet paper, trying to eat the peace lilies in the dining room (which are poisonous), climbing in the dishwasher, getting stuck and continuously banging your head in our seemingly baby-proof home, and just being generally noisy! You love to screech, yell and scream at the top of your lungs, no matter where we are or what we're doing! We call it your pterodactyl yell. (yes, like the dinosaur.) Also- you're learning to climb on top of sister's chair to reach the sofa table- and cause more trouble!

~All this ruckus and trouble give you a great appetite! You cont. to eat 3 full servings of baby food and 4 bottles of formula per day, though I've decreased your fluid intake from 8 oz bottles to 7/7.5 oz (mainly to cut down the dirty diapers!). You still will eat any baby food except peas, and your absolute favorite is pears. We may try a few squishy finger foods soon, as your 'grasping' skills are improving.
~You also continue to be a great sleeper- 2 long naps and 8-7 at night. Thankfully, you kept this up thru several trips out of town this past month, and even on plane rides. We will always be thankful to Babywise for teaching us how to teach each of our kids how to sleep well!

~The last exciting development I'll mention is your first little tooth! It started coming in at the end of last month, and sprang right thru after that. There's no evidence of another coming to join it, though you continue your furious chewing and drooling. So, for now, we just call you "little snaggletooth"!
You continue to delight us with your smiles and giggles, and though we can already tell we're going to be chasing you for many years to come, we love your strong spirit and "can-do" attitude, already showing thru at this young age! I love how you're learning how to interact with the family more, rolling balls and playing peekaboo with Georgia, wrestling and tackling daddy on the floor, and coming back to mommy for kisses and snuggles whenever you need comfort. You are a true blessing to our family, and we continue to pray for you and pray for guidance in raising you, every day!
love, Mommy

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

He is so precious and I love all that blond peach fuzz!!! He really looks alot like his Uncle Frank did and Great Grandpa Frank! I hate to see all of his head bruises but after spending time with him, I know there's just no way to protect his precious little head! He has such a gentle disposition which is good bc Georgia won't give him much of a break! Love all of the wonderful updates I've read since coming home from Africa. You do such a wonderful job with this blog K and I really appreciate it! See you soon. mom

Us said...

Happy 8 months, Lincoln! I think you are going to give your mommy and daddy a run for their money with how active you are! You'll keep them young, that's for sure!!We love you!

Sony Girl said...

I can't believe how big Lincoln is. I wish that I was there to pinch those cheeks! Love the pics, especially Lincoln's big smiles. Miss all of you - Laura