Eight Months Old

Isaac is eight months old today! Our growing baby is not such a helpless newborn anymore. Crawling, feeding himself, communicating with us more than just crying--although there is definitely still a fair amount of crying--he's changing everyday, in the blink of an eye it seems. I'm trying to absorb any ounce of baby he has left in him before it is gone forever. Isaac is quickly making his way toward independence. I miss the days when I could snuggle him whenever I chose, when I could change his diaper without making it a race against the clock (and against the baby who insists he needs to turn over and crawl away, off the changing table even!). Seriously, I thought I wouldn't have to deal with this battle for independence until his teenage years. Boy was I wrong!

In place of the tiny, snugly baby we once knew we have this amazingly curious and fun boy. And even though there is an inkling of regret that he's changing, it is absolutely wonderful to watch his growth and discovery. Every month I think, this, this is my favorite month. Quite the paradox: I want to keep him to myself, forever my brand new helpless little baby, while simultaneously watching in awe as he changes, excited about every new development. Learning to let go: Such is the life of a parent, right?

It's funny what little thought I'd given previously, even recently, to some of the details that I am completely absorbed in now. A stray piece of vegetable once could stay on the floor until I finished chopping, my phone or the remote or the laptop could lay around anywhere. My hyper-vigilance is endless now in order to keep Isaac safe while allowing him the independence he wants and needs to explore the world around him. And, of course, I am constantly baffled by the relentless pace of life and growth.

Isaac is army crawling now, very close to crawling on hands and knees. He is mastering the pincer grasp and can eat just about any soft food we give him. I started the month using puffs, thinking they would be an easy and convenient food to "train" Isaac to feed himself with. (That idea backfired as puffs are now one of his favorite things to eat.) He is also able to communicate with us a little. He recognizes some of the signs for "more," "milk," "hungry," and "all done," and will open his mouth and lean in when he's ready for another bite or flap his arms and suck in his breath to show his enthusiasm for whatever it is that he wants. There are also recognitions that took me by surprise like the puzzle pieces fitting on the board or how he brings my hair clip to his head when he's playing with it. How he pulls his own arms out of his seatbelt when we are taking him out of his car seat or stroller. He is a sponge, I tell you.

Some of Isaac's favorite past times this month include this incredibly adorable dancing to any sort of music (singing, musical toys, albums, commercials), yelling at the top of his lungs over and over, and playing peek-a-boo. He'll play it with you if you give him a blanket to cover his head with. The dancing is worth a (really rough and poor quality) video:

And so is the yelling. Please ignore my singing, I was originally trying to get Isaac to dance:

Along with these fun developments, there are also some we could do without. Like screaming and tantrums. A doctor-friend tells us this is normal -- he's realizing he has the ability (and vocal chords) to make himself heard. Good times, I tell you.

Quite possibly the most exciting development of all time is that Isaac is now sleeping through the night. Praise Jesus, he is sleeping through the night! We went from waking every 1-3 hours to sleeping for 8 or more. And it happened all in one night! The secret, you ask? We waited until he was good and asleep and then snuck him into his crib. That is all.

No, more seriously, we hit a point where both Isaac and I were ready for a little separation and a lot more sleep. He had begun waking hourly just for comfort and because I was right there for him, he looked to nurse. It was exhausting, neither of us were getting good sleep. The time for the crib and a little space was perhaps overdue. I think that's why Isaac didn't put up much of a fight when we moved him from our bedroom to his own. And we haven't looked back! Isaac's sleeping 10-12 hours straight now.

Our beautiful blue-eyed boy. Daddy's blue eyes ringed with Mama's golden flecks--the best of both worlds, says dad. The best in the world, I think. Happy eight months, Isaac Michael.