Dear James,

You are eight months old(note-blogging a bit late he was eight months February 2). I can't even believe you are this old. To me you still seem so small, yet you're so big. I can still vividly remember the early morning hours of June 2, leading up to your arrival. It still seems so fresh, so new. One of these days I should write your complete birth story so it always is fresh, and detail filled. I'm sure I've forgotten some of the minor details already but I will never forget the major moments of your eventful birthday. Fast forward 8 months and there you are. A handsome young boy with crazy hair! Yet to me you still seem so small.

I looked back at younger pictures of you recently and I cried. My baby isn't that much of a baby anymore. As you get closer and closer to being refereed to as a "toddler" I can't help but cry. My baby isn't a baby. Your hair was so dark, so thick. Your skin was so red. Your face so round. Now as I lay in bed staring at you, your not an infant. You're so old. Now that the sappy things are out of the way, James, I love this stage you're in. You can move baby! You are officially a speed crawler. It's not even like your trying to crawl anymore, YOU CAN CRAWL. Something else that is exciting is you can pull yourself up on things, to a standing position. And just today(2/11), you let go of the couch and for about ten seconds you were standing on your own. Of course once you realized what you were doing you fell, but hey, that's a start!

Your favorite thing to eat right now is....pretty much anything you see someone eating. You strive to be just like everyone else. If I'm drinking a smoothie, your drinking a smoothie. If I'm eating chicken, you're eating chicken. Something you do now, which I adore, is reach for people. If you want Grandpa, you're getting Grandpa. If you want out of your exersaucer, you now know how to express that. Sleeping is now down to a rhythm. You take two naps a day, one at ten and one at two. You fall asleep for the night by the latest 10:30. You are still addicted to pacifiers. Your favorite toy lately is the big legos. You love being able to sit on your own and play with the "big kids". You love untying everyone's shoelaces. You are OBSESSED with shoes. If there is a shoe left out where you can get it you better bet you will. You love going on walks and looking around.

You love being at restaurants. You are a huge flirt now, you love smiling at everyone. You still don't like sippy cups or water. You only get about 5 bottles a day now. You really like paper/magazines and ripping them up. I officially gave up even attempting to get you into your crib. Cosleeping is your top choice, and I don't mind it at all. I love being all snuggled with my baby. You still do not have any teeth. Although just recently it feels like we can finally feel a bump where one on the bottom is coming in, but who knows if I'm not just imagining that. You love my camera, any time I try to take pictures of you the first thing you do is reach right for it. Which has made it increasingly difficult to get good pictures of you lol.

You give kisses. If someone makes the kissing noise(and you're in the mood) you open your mouth as wide as you can and lean in. It's literally the cutest thing I have ever seen. Recently you have started having temper tantrums. If you are playing with something you shouldn't be and we take it away you let us know you didn't like that. By screaming as loud as humanly possible. You hate getting dressed and cry every single time we change your clothes. But you L O V E taking baths, and playing in the water. Which excites me for this summer when you get to swim in the pool. You love books and flipping through all the different pages. You make the "oooo" sound a lot. You are at my favorite stage right now.
I cannot wait to see all the changes that take place in the up coming weeks. I love you forever.
Love,
Mommy