Eight Months Old

Our baby girl was born eight months ago today. Wow! It is strange to think that I've now had a baby the same amount of time I spent anticipating the baby. I can't decide which period of time went faster - the pregnancy or Tay's first eight months. She is changing daily, but I think the changes between months seven and eight are the most dramatic yet. Taylor is developing more and more personailty, and I just want to freeze-frame this stage! Taylor loves her...

1. Daddy. I wish I could properly capture the look of love/excitement that lights up her face when Tommy comes home from work. She starts flapping her arms and squealing the second the garage door opens. It melts my heart.

2. Lovey and Paci. No nap or bedtime is complete without a paci in her mouth and lovey over her face. I don't know if she could sleep without these... and I hope I don't have to find out anytime soon (I keep stressing that I'm going to lose one or the other).

3. Mommy's Phone or Remote. Even though Taylor has her own cell phone and remote, she much prefers anything that she sees me holding/using. She loves to play with the keypad on the phones, so I apologize in advance if any of you are accidentally dialed in the process.

4. Jump & Go. In the past week, Taylor has figured out how the Jump & Go works. This is a seat that hangs on a spring from the crown molding in the door way, and Taylor can bounce all over the place. It is the cutest sight!

5. Talking. Taylor has developed her own little language. It started a couple of weeks ago with "ba ba ba" but now it has turned into all sorts of sounds. She even says "ma ma" and "da da" regularly, but I don't think she understands what they mean. Of course, Tommy and I love it when we hear those sweet sounds. I'll post a video soon of Taylor "talking."

6. Early Morning Crib Time. When Taylor wakes up each morning, she will play in her crib for 30-45 minutes. We just love to listen to her on the monitor as she rolls around and talks to herself.

7. Mirrors. Walk past a mirror, and Taylor's face will light up. She loves to look at herself. Ahhh, my modest baby girl...

8. Sophie. Sophie is Taylor's giraffe. She resembles a dog toy - made of soft rubber and squeaks - but Taylor loves to chew on her ears, neck, and legs.

I took Taylor for weight check today. She now weighs 16 pounds, 0.6 ounces. Our little peanut is still small, but at least she is growing! She is starting to become very frustrated when she wants a toy but cannot get to it, so I am guessing that she'll be crawling by her nine-month birthday. In the meantime, it is pretty cute to watch her try. Her little "fish out of water" movements on the floor are too cute.

Last weekend, Tommy and I took Taylor to the Puyallup Fair. As most excursions go with a baby, it was a lot of work and not much reward, but oh well. Hopefully by this time next year, Taylor will enjoy seeing "oinkers" and "moo-cows" a bit more. Tommy took her into the petting area, though, and she tried really hard to pet the animals.

Below, Taylor and Daddy are dressed up to cheer for their favorite football teams. Fortunately, both teams won that day!

Look at that tongue!

Love this face!
Taylor's first swing at the park near our house. For some reason, I think this picture of T in her little cap is so cute.
Just chillin'

Eight month picture with Chancey