My Littlest Boy is Eight Months!

It seems like Kylie was just excited that her and Karter were both five! (5 months and 5 years), and now Karter has caught up to Kade and they are sharing the number eight!!

Here is the man of the hour in all his toothy glory!!

His arms and feet are still often in motion.  He moves his feet like a choir director would move his hands.  It is really interesting . . .and always makes us smile.

I LOVE having windows/doors that he can sit in front of and look out of.  I've never been able to do that with any of my other kids, and I think it is so neat for them to take in the outside world.  (what is maybe not so neat is the fingerprints left behind . . . .but that is completely off topic!)

This is a picture I found on the camera which was taken by Kylie . . . with Kylie's hat on Karters head.

Kade and Karter . . . .Do they look alike????  I still hear that he looks a lot like Kevin from some people, like Kade from others, and like neither from still others.  I think he's got a bit of each kid in him which gives him his own unique look.

Our new bathing station. It's quick and easy, but doesn't allow for splash and play time.  We do the big tub occasionally for that and he still loves it!

Karter is not crawling yet, but he is certainly beginning to move.  He can turn in a pretty quick circle and he inches around slowly but surely.  He is also starting to pull himself up . . . which is a little dangerous.  This chair came tumbling down on him once already, and he's pulled his highchair over and an island stool . . . and all this before he has started crawling.  Let's hope he figures out that it can be slightly dangerous.  So far only one has landed on top of him. The other two fell beside.

At eight months Karter:

• has seven teeth.  Does that seem like an awful lot to you? It does to me.  I affectionately call him "tooth" or "teeth" sometimes.  His teeth often surprise people when he gives them a big smile!
• is starting to play strange.  He has always been really quick with his smiles - stranger or familiar face.  Now he takes a few seconds (or longer!) and sizes the person up before either giving them a smile . . . or a really, really sad face which quickly turns into a wail/shriek, unless I distract him quickly enough!  It's too bad . . . but he still does nursery etc. no problem . . . and it is super cozy and cuddly for me when he snuggles into me b/c he is shy/scared or sad.
• LOVES to eat.  In fact he is quite intense about his eating and does this really funny thing that makes us all laugh.  He eats everything we give him (still pureed mostly).  Sometimes the first time he tries a food, he doesn't like it, but now it seems like he'll take anything.  He is not real good with chewing yet, so we're still doing mostly pureed and mashed. 
• enjoys cheerios . . . especially banging his highchair tray so they all fall to the ground. I don't think he's ever gotten one into his mouth on his own which is interesting b/c everything else seems to make it in his mouth no problem!!  (I guess his hand/eye coordination is not as good as I thought it was!)
• is quite pale . . . pale skin, pale hair.   He looks like he needs a week down south.   His hair is really growing now and he gets some pretty crazy hair sometimes - especially with hat season being here.
• goes to bed really well. He never ever cries when I put him down for a nap or bedtime.
• still does not sleep through the night . . .but he had a pretty good night last night;)
• still nurses regularly  . . .and yes the teeth do sometimes make the experience a little less cozy.
• seems to love being at home.  This is where he is in his element now.  Not that he is bad when we go out, but he seems to be especially cheerful at home.
• usually has a morning  nap and an afternoon nap (which added together would very rarely amount to more than 3 hours) and then he goes to bed around 8pm.  (can we call that a routine??;))
• was 19 lbs when he was last at the doctor - around 7 months.
• loves mirrors and pictures of himself.
• claps his hands and folds them.
• shrieks like a girl when he is really excited.
• hates having his nose blown.
• LOVES his mama and papa . . .and we sure love him too.