Crazy 8

We'll start off with eight skills that first-time parents develop within the first eight months of their babies' lives.

1. How to function on little to no sleep (Unfortunately, memory is not part of what functions!)
2. How to do MANY things one-handed (Except folding laundry - I still believe that is not physically possible with only one hand free!)
3. How to install a car seat base and how to click the car seat in & out (This is not easy at first, and it gets worse as the baby gets heavier!)
4. How to distinguish between cries for milk, food, Mommy, Daddy, "more," etc (It's like a whole other language!)
5. How to remove a onesie that has been through a poop explosion (Did you know that the special "envelope" neckline on most onesies is made to allow you to slip the onesie down off the baby instead of dragging the poop through their hair?)
6. How to recognize a "poop face" (Thanks Mrs. Julian, for sending me an awesome funny video of babies' poop faces in slow motion!  Here's the link for a laugh:  Slo-Mo Poop Faces )
7. How to have lucid thoughts about important things while simultaneously singing the ABC's to keep your baby from crying
8. How to feel an amazing emotional tug at your heart every time you look at your baby, no matter what "problems" the baby is currently having (not sleeping through the night, crying when Mommy leaves the room, dropping food off the high chair onto the floor, etc).  It helps that babies are cute, too!

With that, here's Gabe's 8 month picture:

"According to these blocks, I am 8 months old!"

A few days later he turned 35 weeks old and we also celebrated his first Independence Day.

Thanks for the onesie, Auntie Kristen!

We broke out the umbrella stroller now that Gabriel sits up without assistance.  He's still a little peanut in it, but it's a lot cooler (not to mention lighter!) for the summer than strapping him into the carseat and using the click-in stroller.  Thanks to Aunties Julie/Deb/Lorene and cousins Justine/Chels for the umbrella stroller and to Theresa for the stroller organizer which so nicely holds water bottles and other necessities.

On the baby led weaning front, we have progressed to using some other nifty (do people say nifty anymore?) devices.  Since Gabe would rather drink from our glasses than his sippy or straw cups, I found the Munchkin 360 cup which acts more like a regular cup.  We bought a few of those baby food pouches for convenience sake, and a pouch holder (so baby doesn't squeeze out the contents accidentally) was recommended by an online BWL group.  (I am waiting on ordering some reusable pouches to fill with my own creations - just to see if Gabriel takes to the pouches well first.)

Munchkin 360 cup

Easy Pouch holder

Enjoying watermelon for the first time!

Other pictures from the week:

"You are furry, Mr. Bear."

Craig said, "Look, a beached whale!"

Apollo's photo bomb

"So many toys to choose from..."

After-dinner snack

Daddy tried to teach Gabe to crawl by moving his legs for him!  (Didn't work, haha!)

Mommy's little floor leech