8 Months

This hasn't been one of the easiest months for Jude.  He has been sick most of the month.  He's had just about every bug...one right on top of the other...stomach, cough, runny nose.  On top of all of that he has been teething.  His bottom two teeth came in right in the middle of all of this.  He has been eating and sleeping very poorly.  He's been a trooper despite being physically exhausted from his lack of sleep. 

Jude is on the verge of crawling.  He can get up onto his hands and knees and rock back and forth but his primary mode of movement is what I call the "stretch."  He stretches as far as his arm can reach in one direction, then stretches with his other arm until he slinks his way to where he wants to be.  He also rolls from place to place.  He is sitting up pretty well without support.  He wobbles and falls frequently knocking his head on the ground (which he hates).  He also has some help falling over on occasion from Owen, who takes it upon himself to see that Jude doesn't sit up for very long.  

Jude enjoys playing with toys.  He likes many of the other kid's favorite toys.  He plays well for short periods in his jumper.  This is how I get food on the table, Jude plays next to me in the kitchen while I prepare meals.

Jude is beginning to finger feed himself.  I am hoping this will help us at mealtime.  The only way we can get through meals with him in his high chair is to give him a pretzel rod to suck on.  Otherwise, he screams the entire meal.  Between meals Jude takes about 6 ounces from a bottle.  He gets a bottle when he wakes up, one between breakfast and lunch, one between lunch and dinner and another at bedtime.  Jude is no longer nursing.  He just refuses.  He screams and jerks his head away when I try.  So, I just gave up.  It was too stressful for us both.  He gave it up earlier than all the other kids.  

Jude loves attention.  He HATES being left to play alone on the floor.  He screams until he is picked up and immediately stops when we pick him up.  This is a sound you will hear very often in our house.  

Of all the kids, Jude is probably the worst napper.  I lay him down twice a day but he rarely sleeps more than 45 minutes at a time (at least this has been the pattern the past several weeks).  There are three good reasons for this... Annie, Millie and Owen.  I swear that they are amplified during nap time.  Typically Jude sleeps through the night from 7 to 7 but this month has been rough.  He has been waking up in the middle of the night at least once.  I can't tell if he has developed a bad pattern or if he genuinely is waking up from a cough, runny nose or teething pain.  Whatever it is, I wish it would end!  

I can't believe how much Jude has grown and all the new things he is doing.  He is finally past that infant stage of pure neediness and although I am glad, I am a little sad that I didn't take more time to enjoy it.  When we describe Jude, we describe him as simply the sweetest!  He loves to smile and be among others.

Foods Jude is eating:

Pureed squash, peas, carrots, green beans, corn, apples and pears.

Yogurt

Oatmeal

Cut up Blueberries, grapes and raspberries.

Toast

Cheerios, puffs, yogurt melts.

He LOVES pretzel rods and cut up fruit in the mesh bags.

Enjoys:

Bathtime

Being tickled

Books

Balls

Toys that light up 

Baby Einstein and Hoopla Baby

Dislikes:

Being alone

The highchair

Dropping something and not being able to get it