eight months | letter to lyla

e i g h t   m o n t h s   o l d

| LOVES |

Feeling textures.
Apple sauce.
Bath time.
Sitting/Standing/Crawling/Walking
Cooing/Talking
Spoons

| HATES |

Green beans.

Getting dressed.

Vacuum. 

| DEVELOPMENT // GROWTH |

Lyla's new tricks this month ... saying her first word ("da da", I think we've officially figured out who is the favorite and I'm 0 for 2 in the first word department haha), clapping, and spitting (it's hilarious when she does it while crying haha). She wearing some 6-12 month clothes and some 12-18 months, size 3 diapers, and she is finally starting to grow out of those 0-3 month shoes. ;)

| SLEEP |

Lyla has FINALLY started taking two naps most days, one around 9 and the other around 1. She typically wakes 1 or 2 times at night. She slept all the way through the night for her first time once this month!! 7 pm to 7 am and I woke up in a complete panic and celebrating all at the same time! We added blanket type bumpers around the bars of her crib and she loves to snuggle against them in the night.

| EAT |

We resumed solids this month and it has been touch and go so far. Before I was trying baby led weaning but with her reflux issues we are sticking with purees only for now until she completely stops spitting up. So far she has loved sweet potatoes and can suck down a squeezable apple sauce in less than a minute. She has hates most of the veggie ones of course and loves fruits. She is nursing before and after each time she wakes up.

Dear Lyla,

How are you 8 months old?! I've almost had you in my arms as long as I had you in my tummy! I'll never understand why time moves so quickly with you here and crawled when we anxiously awaited your arrival but they have been some of the best months of our lives with you in them. I can tell we are going to have one busy summer with you because you are mobile as can be. You have the cutest crawl ... it is essentially a swan dive/belly flop (you can only move your arms a couple times before you drop on your tummy). haha It doesn't stop you from getting where you need to go though. You also do this downward dog yoga pose where you get up on your hands and toes, such a strong baby. Speaking of strong, if we put our hands out, you can pull yourself up on your own already. You are starting to giggle more!!!! Mostly at whatever Liam is doing (usually dancing) but some times you give your daddy and I the time of day too. ;)  Summer is officially my favorite season to dress you ... showing off all of your rolls in bloomers and rompers! My favorite time of the day is right after nursing you to sleep ... you lay your head on my shoulder, your heavy body against my chest, and you start to snore. It is one of the few moments during the day that you are still and I walk around your nursery for a few extra minutes every time just soaking up those quiet moments with you. We gave you your very first pony tail/spout this month and your dad and I die over it every single time! Which is a good thing because you've started destroying your bow collection by pulling them down and chewing on them any time I put one on you. You've had your first trip to the zoo, your first stroller ride, your first ride in the shopping cart, and your first time sitting up in the bath tub on your own. You are the best thing to happen to all of us and we love you so much!!!
Love, Momma

| EIGHT MONTH PICTURES |

Her first time at the zoo ...

Her blankie bumper rails I mentioned ...

Carrying her in the baby wrap never gets old. It will be a sad day for me when she gets too big for it. Also that hat!!!

Big girl riding in her first shopping cart ...

Her favorite toy in the world right now, spoons ...

First pony tail!!

The downward dog pose haha ...

Sitting up in the bath on her own ...

See what I mean about the summer clothes showing off her cute rolls!

life lately

It's Monday and I'm REALLY feeling it today. That 6 AM workout alarm clock came quickly after several night time wake ups with Lyla and I'm ready for my partner in crime to be home with me again. My blog has definitely taken a bit of a back burner this year which is not necessarily a bad thing. I recognize that life has its seasons and this just happens to be one where I share when I can. It's the season of updating with "life lately" so here's what we've been up to the past couple months ...

Liam is in his last couple of weeks of his first year of preschool. Now how in the world did THAT go so fast?! He's loved it though and learned so much! His teacher will occasionally send me cute pictures of their activities and I love to see him interacting with his friends. He rarely remembers what specifically they learned every day but he NEVER forgets what snack they had. Boy after my own heart. ;) His favorite day of the month is sharing day and my favorite day is every day when I pick him up and he shouts "It's my mommy!" and comes running to hug me from across the room! 

Learning to stand in line (like herding cats haha) and checking on their class pets, a couple of goldfish!

Sensory activities (bless her for the mess that must have made on her living room floor!) ...

Spring has finally found us and we've been getting to play outside more and more. My new favorite night time routine is having dinner as a family, bath time, and then putting on the kids' pjs, plopping them in the stroller, and going for a long walk around our neighborhood. 

My forever baby kangaroo ...

Nice weather also means mowing season, Liam's favorite chore to help with! He is very much in a pretend phase which I love and Nic told him this hockey puck was his very own weed eater so he took his job very seriously. He even changed out his battery when daddy did his. ;)

We've pulled out the sidewalk chalk for the season (my favorite as you can tell!)

And we've had our first dinner at our patio table, Friday night pizza a couple weeks ago!

Lyla is obsessed with these squeezable applesauces and I'm obsessed with her lips as she drinks from them!

I can already tell this will be my favorite time of year to dress. All of those cute arm and leg rolls to show off! ;)

A couple weeks ago our ward at church had a dinner and auction night. I was in charge of helping with the photo booth so Liam was my test subject who also felt the need to rearrange the props/knock them over a few times. 

How our family picture actually turned out later that night. HAHA That scowl!

The auction was a hoedown theme with a chili cook off for dinner and all Liam ate was a cornbread muffin and saltines.

Bath time with these two is one of my favorite times of the day. Their interactions are hilarious and so.much.splashing.

Liam's current phase ... always making a silly face for the camera, that goofball!

Playing at Brooklyn's playground ...

Lyla's favorite toy right now is a spoon!

Her first time riding in a cart ...

I'm quickly learning that saying "the days are long but the years are short" can be so true. I'm practicing living fully in each moment because they slip through your fingers so quickly. So what I'm getting at is that "life lately", it's the best it has ever been with these people that I love. I wouldn't change any of it for the world!!!