8 months!

This post is almost a week old but we just got back from my parents' and I couldn't possibly put up a Lucy post without pictures, now could I ? We are now bracing ourselves for a big storm. If you don't hear from me in a couple of days, its probably because we don't have power. 

What a month this has been for you, my little one. First of all, you are now mobile! You aren't doing a full hand-and-knee crawl but you have several other ways of getting around: the army crawl, the rock-lunge-repeat movement and my favorite, the inch worm. For that last one, you get up on your hands and knees then lift off your knees (think downward facing dog if you know your yoga poses) then go back down again.

 Somehow this puts you a few inches in front of where you were so you just keep repeating it until you have reached your goal. It's not the most energy-efficient way of doing it, but you do get there. And I am serious when I say reaching your goal. I'm not sure why I expected mobility to change your personality but I did think that you might want to explore more once you figured out how. Nope, you only move if you want something. I can almost always entice you with a remote control, cell phone or your uncles's video game controllers and sometimes you'll move to get your blocks but mostly, you come to your daddy or I and pull on us until we pick you up. 

Feel free to pick me up now!

And the last few days you've actually learned to pull yourself up - but only on me! I was talking to Bubbie when all of a sudden, I noticed you were standing up and holding onto my arms, trying to nurse through my shirt. We couldn't help but laugh - you may not talk yet but you can certainly communicate your needs.

You are getting better about playing by yourself though. Your favorite toys of the month are boxes and blocks. You love to knock down towers. And although you can't put them up by yourself yet, luckily for you, I happen to be an expert tower builder who is willing to spend hours setting them up for you to knock down. 

You also like to play the "blocks go in the box" game. I say "blocks go in the box", hand you a block and you put it in the box. The first week or two you didn't quite get it and would hold your hand over the box but refuse to drop the block. Now that you get it though, you love it. You will even play it without me. You also like to bang blocks together. Your toys go unplayed with a lot of the time except for your blocks and one other special toy. 

What is this toy you have come to love so dearly? No, not your soft stuffed animals, your cute little baby doll or your pink lovey that I had hoped you would come to love. Nope, you love your "eat more chicken" cow I got when Chick-fil-a sponsored MOPS! 

I guess it's good for my pride that you are so often seen in the company of a fast food toy. And at least it will be easy to replace if I ever need to locate another one. Another recent addition to your favorite things is your paci. You finally decided you like it. But not to suck on, to chew on! Because you like to chew it, it is always off to the side of your mouth and not centered. Its so funny looking but I have yet to get it on camera. I don't quite know why but you also think it is hilarious when you share your paci with me. 

Here mama, have a paci.

You have also become a good eater this month. Your favorite foods right now are broccoli, Cheerios and strawberries. Ever time you see a strawberry now you start jumping up and down in your seat until it is in your hands then you shove as much of it as you can in your mouth. But you'll pretty much eat anything from salmon to roast veggies with garlic to peanut butter toast. 

You also love to eat paper. I let you play with old catalogs quite often. You rip apart the pages and then tear tiny pieces off. But now you have started trying to eat the little pieces.

When I say no and take it away from you, you get mad and scream but only for 2-3 seconds. Then you pick it up again and rip more for a few more minutes before trying to eat it again. After a while you start screaming and throw down the paper as soon as I say no. I'm such a mean mama aren't I? This is only one example of your melodramatic side. I'm sad to say it is emerging more and more lately. Sometimes when you are frustrated, you'll just lay your head down on the floor and whine. I probably shouldn't laugh when you do that but its so cute I can't help it. 

Oh wait, was I upset about something?

And you always get over it so quickly though that by the time I have walked over to you, you seem to have forgotten you were even upset and start smiling and laughing. Oh silly baby, how I love you!