8 1/2 months

Okay, okay. I know this is four updates in half a month. I think I'll be done after this one, though--I can't imagine him learning anything ele in the next two weeks!!
After weeks and weeks of expecting it to happen at anytime, he is FINALLY CRAWLING!!! It is so cute. He's into everything now (like he wasn't before...), and we're busy and tired now (I'm chasing him everywhere), but I'm so proud of him. :)
He started it two nights ago, Wednesday the 25th. We were out the whole day running errands and we came home and took a nap together from 4-6. He usually doesn't get a nap that late since he goes to bed around 7, but he's still doing his thing where he'll go down for a couple of hours then be up until 11 or 12. We got up from our nap, and suddenly he knew how to crawl. I set him on the living room floor and sat next to Hazen on the couch. He had an empty jug of orange juice on the bottom tier of the coffee table (obviously he drinks out of the carton) and Ian saw it and wanted it. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him crawl but I wasn't really focused on what I was seeing. Then I realized he was right next to the jug and I said to Hazen "Oh my gosh. I think he just crawled over here". So I moved the jug in front of the entertainment center, and sure enough, he crawled right over to it.
His first day of crawling was pretty funny. He'd get on his hands and knees and pretty much pull his knees along with his arms. His arms would get tired quickly and he'd have to stop and rest pretty often. But then his second day (yesterday) he got pretty good. He actually uses his knees, too, now. I thought the crawling might make him a little more independant, but not really. Today he was sitting with all his toys and he crawled over to me and sat down next to me. Oh well--it makes the baby chasing a little easier when he stays put.
I'm a little panicked because I didn't finish the baby proofing. I started doing all the cabinet locks the night he started crawling, but those things are a PAIN. I can't do them well at all. I've finished two and messed up two more. Blah.
His sleep is back and forth. He slept awesome for about a week, then the three nights before last night he was awake every 1-2 hours again. But then last night he slept from 7-2:30 and then 3-7. Then I brought him to bed with me and nursed him back to sleep until 9. I love those nights. I think all the crawling yesterday tired him out.
He's sitting at my feet crying (I think it's naptime) so I need to end this. I just had to share our exciting news. :)

One more update on the kid

Told y'all it's been a busy week in Ian land. ;)
He said "mama" last night. And not just babbling, it was actually look-at-mama-smile and speak. Even when he woke up last night, he was screaming "mama! mama!"
I was hoping his first word would be dada because I feel so bad about all the time Hazen missed out on--I thought it would be really nice for him to hear "dada". But I admit I really love hearing "mama". I was doing all I could to hear him say it yesterday (he does it during hugs and also when I'm "walking" him around the living room-it's more of a drag really...)
Also, we went out and got him some 12-month jammies the other day thinking he'd grow into them over the summer. They looked so huge, I was certain they were too big. Out of curiousity, I put some on him last night and they fit PERFECTLY. We can't believe it. We've now realized we're going to have to go get him some 18-month ones to grow into over the summer!!!

Eight months and nine days

My horrible sleeper of a baby--you know, the one I've been complaining about for the last 8 months and 8 days?? Well, last night he slept from 9:30 until 5!!! And then he went back to sleep from 5:30-9:30. I can't help hoping that this is the start of something wonderful, even though I'm afraid to even think it. I'm sure it was a fluke, but part of me is like "Please, PLEASE let this be an everyday thing now". I can't even believe that it happened. When Hazen's alarm went off this morning at 4, I was so scared. I thought something horrible must have happened. But when I got into his room, he was all curled up sleeping. No problems at all, no idea that I was even there.
In other Ian news, I can't get the kid to hold still! He is so busy all the time now. He used to always want to be picked up, but now he struggles to be put down. He can get himself into the sitting up position, he can roll anywhere he wants to go, he can scoot (especially backwards), and he can ALMOST crawl. He can take one or two "steps" and then he falls over or gives up. He gets into everything, which is amazing to me. I realize I need to vaccuum much more often now--he finds every little tiny thing on the floor. we also haven't finished baby-proofing. We really need to get to that (all I've done is cover the outlets and take everything off the bottoms of our tables).
Sorry to make this so short--he's napping and I have so much homework this week I'm a little panicked about it. I just HAD to tell someone about my awesome night. :)

Eight months old

Ian will be 8-months old tomorrow. He's growing up so fast, I can't believe it.
He's grown a lot in the last month--he's changed just since Hazen's gotten home. Suddenly he has all this hair, and he's getting a little chubby. He's also getting long. He's still just got the two bottom teeth, but the top two are coming in and making for a cranky baby. He got moved into the convertible carseat last week. I was sad about the milestone, but he looks so much more comfortable in it. I also took apart the swing yesterday and put that up. I also had to go through all his clothes and box up what's too small. He's outgrowing everything.
We started him on finger foods a couple of days ago. He gets some of the Gerber puffs. He LOVES them. The first time he could not figure out what to do with them. He just kept grabbing the bowl and flinging it over his head. But now, he can get most of what he attempts to get into his mouth into his mouth. A lot of them still end up on the floor and in his lap, but it's a big improvement. It cracks me up how hard he concentrates on what he's doing--it's tough getting those chubby little fingers to do what he wants!
He's almost crawling, but not quite. I guess I'm glad since I enjoy not running after him, but at the same time I feel like it's time. I thought he'd be doing it by now. He gets on his hands and knees and rocks, but that's about it. He always changes his mind and either rolls onto his back or sits back down. Today for the first time I watched him go from his tummy to his bottom. I was pretty impressed. He also let me watch him roll around his bedroom last night. He's been rolling to get places, but I have never seen him do it. I'll leave the room with him in one place and get back with him in another, but finally last night he showed me how he does it.
Sleep still sucks. He did sleep for 5 hours straight last night, though--the most sleep I've gotten since he was born!! He even slept all night in his crib--I never brought him into bed with me. He FINALLY went to sleep just before 11 (he's been doing that lately. I don't know if it's because of the teething or what, but it's exhausting!!!), woke up at 1, then slept until 6. He went back down around 6:20 and slept until 8:50 when we got up for the day. He also took two naps today, one was 1 1/2 hours and the other was 30 minutes, and now he's been in bed for about an hour (since 6:30). Hopefully he stays asleep for awhile and doesn't think it's time to wake up for a few hours when he wakes up.
I know I have more to say, but I can't think of it. I'll update when I remember. :)