Eight Months!

Hallie is checking off milestones this month! She's sitting up like a champ now, and we can surround her with toys and she'll play for 15+ minutes at a time independently.  She has two new bottom teeth poking through, and she's eating a variety of pureed meat, vegetables, and fruit every day.  We are also feeding her small pieces of soft table foods. She can grab foods with her fingers and fists, but usually just ends up mashing them or throwing them on the floor. 

She's not moving around much on her own, except when I put her on the couch and turn my back. Then she manages to tumble off, of course. It's happened a couple of times now, since mom is a slow learner. Sorry, kid. I guess it didn't happen to Emma because my attention was less divided and I could sit with her.  I don't feel like I sit down much with two kids. 

Bath time is so much more fun now that Hallie is sitting up!  I throw a few toys in the water before I put her in, and she kicks with excitement and can't wait to get in there and grab them.  She'll sit in the water for a good long time, happily splashing and chewing on her toys.  Now that she can hold her own head above water, it no longer breaks our backs to bathe her. She's had lots of baths recently because a warm, wet rag to the face is the best way to clean out her nose in the mornings.  She's gotten a few springtime colds, and after the first few days, she'll feel fine but wake up with her nose completely clogged.  It's a miracle that she doesn't constantly have pink eye, the way she rubs her nose and then immediately wipes her eyes! Yuck!

She absolutely loves going outside and to new places. My mom says that when Hallie gets fussy, she'll take her outside or even into the garage, and she will quiet down instantly. When I'm home with the girls, we often go to a store or a playground and since Hallie can't crawl yet, she's perfectly content to sit in the stroller or shopping cart and observe everything.

Sporting two new bottom teeth! 

Hallie is helping me get back in shape, and can sit like a big girl in the jogging stroller now.

She was officially introduced to the infant seat in the ladies' room at a store when I was sans stroller. Some wonderful person had installed this seat on the door of the stall to save me from having to use the toilet with a squirming 8 month old on my lap.  Because I wasn't about to put her down on the bathroom floor, knowing that she'd want to lick everything she saw. Emma was extremely concerned about Hallie falling out of the chair and was standing guard.

She still loves these types of toys that she can stand up and bounce in, but she seems to prefer sitting on her own now and being able to move more freely.

Bottle propping is already a thing of the past. She lasts for 10 seconds before she kicks or bats the bottle out of her mouth.

She is interested in anything new to touch and chew on, and often, non-toys hold her interest the longest. She's checking out some pretty baby shoes in this photo. 

She loves when you get right in her face and talk to her. She's talking to her cousin, Nathan.

 And playing peek-a-boo with her cousin, Aaron.

She's very interested in how her bottle works, but prefers to let someone else do the work of holding it while she drinks. She'll yank the bottle out of her mouth, grab the nipple and squeeze it with her fingers, and pull it back into her mouth. Then she throws her hands in the air like she just made a touchdown!

Our beauties in their Easter dresses.

Despite being sick with colds most of the month, Hallie usually still has the sweetest temperament. We love this 8-month old girl!