Age: 8 months old
Birthday: July 31, 2013
Weight: No new stats.
Length: Next appointment isn't until 9 months. Right now that is scheduled for early May.
Sleep: Praise the sleep Gods because we have a new routine in town! Recently we were visiting my sister who is a pediatrician (I know right?)- we were there for her birthday party and of course she is friends with several other pediatricians! My husband and I were talking to them of about Baby Truman who was the life of the party! We talked at length with them about sleep, night time routine, and our biggest problem of not being able to get him to sleep all night. Several other mommies were there and they all weighed in. The general consensus was that we needed to let him "cry it out." Unfortunately- we had slipped into the habit of running to him every time he made a peep. We were still swaddling him, which we thought he liked- but at this point is really a no no, since he can roll over onto his stomach. And the process of putting him to bed had become more frustrating because many times, the second we would lay him down he started crying. We have totally changed it up and now he is sleeping 11-12 hours a night continuously. WOW.
My Bedtime: Truman's bedtime routine has TOTALLY changed! We start a lot earlier, he seems to be tired by 8 and I think we were just making him more cranky by keeping him up until 9. So...around 7:45-8 we head upstairs, he gets a bath every other night. Then lotion, pj's, and a bottle. He's eating close to 6 ounces now before bed. We have done away with the swaddle! Hooray!! So after he's finished eating, we lay him down, fully awake. He immediately rolls over onto his belly and may or may not cry. If he does cry, it hasn't been longer than a few minutes. He's able to reach his pacifier which is a huge benefit for us all. And he's right to sleep! YAY! He has woken up a few times here and there throughout the night, but we leave him alone and he's right back to sleep on his own. This is a game changer! It has given Chris and I more "us" time at night and we are all SO much more rested and happy! I feel fully ready to take on the day when I get up now. It's such a difference from being up 3-4 times every night. Our friends really encouraged and supported us which has helped. I was expecting the worst with the whole "crying it out" method, but it truly has been a success! And it makes me happy to know that we are fostering his ability to self soothe and be independent. I know at only 8 months old that might seem sad- but in the long run this is definitely worth it!!
Favorite Toy: He is still playing with mostly the same toys. Stuffed animals, rattles, and balls. Chris and I are on the hunt right now for a swing we can hang under the deck. I can't wait to see his little face in a swing outside. I know he would love that!
Clothes Size: He is in a few 6-9 months now but mostly 9 months.
Diaper Size: Size 3 in Pampers Swaddlers. Size 4 in nighttime diapers. We had a few nights when he was peeing through his diaper every night but since we've made this switch the problem has taken care of itself.
Milestones Reached: Truman is sitting up GREAT all by himself! This makes for an even happier babe sitting on the floor and playing with his toys. He also crawled for the very first time on April 1nd. He was 8 months and 1 day old! My parents were over for dinner and after dinner my Dad got down in the floor with him to play. After my Dad got up and walked away, Truman took off after him! SO cute! He does a little army crawl and just seems to push off with one leg. I think a couple more weeks and he is seriously going to have the hang of it! He will be chasing the dogs around in no time :) Run Heidi and Cali! Run!!!
Firsts: He had his first bite of mashed potatoes this month. Just a tiny bit and I'm not sure what he thought about it. Lots of other first foods! Blueberry puffs, strawberry puffs, peach yogurt melts, and first time drinking milk out of a sippy cup. I love that we are able to try out all these new foods. He is really liking sweet potatoes now and getting the hang of mealtime. He's a total sweetheart!
Best Mood: ALWAYS. Really it's not natural to have a baby this happy :) We are beyond lucky. Starting to think I can do this again :)
