8 Months Old!

James turned 8 months yesterday. So much has changed in this past month, and this is SUCH a fun age!! I feel like James is starting the transition from baby to toddler (I don't know excactly when that starts...I'm guessing when they walk??), and is just a little person now more than ever! I never could have imagined how much love I'd have for my baby boy, but it just keeps growing and growing beyond measure! He's my little pal or attachment who goes with me wherever I go and brings indiscribable joy daily. Ok, enough gushing for now! I know every mother can relate, though! :)

**James has gotten very mobile in the past couple of weeks. He crawls from room to room fairly quickly. He's graduated from the lopsided, adorable beginner-crawl to the equally adorable army crawl. I think very soon he'll be doing the pro-crawl, because he's trying to do it and rocking back and forth on his hands and knees a lot. It's so much fun to watch him learn and get enjoyment out of exploring on his own!

**James kicks his feet quite frequently (to where he gets lots of attention when we're out shopping), and they start going really fast when he's excited. I can always tell when I'm holding him and his cousins sneak up behind me, because his arms and legs go crazy!

**He LOVES peek-a-boo and started doing it himself a few weeks ago. We were so excited and in awe that he has gone from a newborn to a person who plays peek-a-boo with people in 7 1/2 months!

**As you saw on the last post, he's been making silly faces lately just CRACK me up! He LOVES to eat, so he mostly makes them when I'm feeding him cereal or one of his favorite fruits or veggies.

**He's actually done this for a long time, but I think it's so interesting how he knows what to expect in certain situations. I guess he's aware now more than ever. He doesn't like for me to leave him alone in the exercauser, because since I know he's safely playing in there, I'd use that as time to run around the house and get things done...which he doesn't like. If I put him in the carseat in the garage, though, and run back in the house to get my load, he's perfectly content, because he knows I'll be in there in a second and we'll be going somewhere.

**He's waving good-bye and has just started clapping. His clap does not actually make a sound, but he'll try it right after we do. This is a picture of him waving. His arm goes up and down like this.  

**He's a wiggle worm! He doesn't sit still anymore, unless we're standing up and moving around with plently for him to see. He lunges and arches his back a lot, too, which gets exhausting! Anything in sight has to go in his hand and then in his mouth. He's very quick and strong, too! He gets this funny, determined look on his face, and then you've got about 1 second to move it out of the way. He's keeping me on my toes, but it's all fun!

BTW, James's Mothers Day Out teachers made these for him for Christmas, and I actually got choked up when I saw them. I had no idea they were doing anything for the babies, and they went above and beyond. I have the first one framed on my mantle, and the second is a reindeer made out of this hands and footprint on a canvas. I will treasure them, and they'll be up in the house every Christmas.