Ella still has big blue eyes, so it seems like they'll be staying blue, as they've gotten bluer since she was a newborn (they used to more of a gray-blue). She has so much more hair now, especially on top, and even though I brush it every morning it usually is sticking up in all directions which is just so precious. Her cheeks are perfectly round and spongy and just calling out for constant kisses, and she is almost always smiling.
Still no teeth, although I've been expecting them to pop through any day now for the last 2 months, so who knows. For now I just enjoy that giant gummy smile.
Ella is close to crawling but not quite there - she sits up all the time very steady and can get from a sit to her tummy, but isn't sure what to do after that. She will put one arm out in front of the other, and then the other, but then stop, and doesn't get her legs up underneath her. She can stand pretty well with my help, and I think if she were motivated to get moving she could pull up pretty easily and we'd have our hands full. Her main mode of transportation is rolling and she will roll a few times to get where she wants to go. She has had times though of getting frustrated b/c something was just out of reach (because we put it there) and not being able to get to it.
She LOVES her toys. Of course most of them quickly make it to her mouth but Ella loves the option of having several in front of her and choosing which ones she wants to pick up and play with.
Look at this mischevious little grin
Ella is so happy and laughs a lot, especially when we're tickling her (she is VERY ticklish), or thinks our pets are particularly funny - which happens a lot. Just seeing Nomar usually makes her giggle and more and more she'll just laugh looking at Steve or I and the faces or gestures we make at her. Her giggle is incredibly sweet and very contagious.
To our delight, Ella is now saying "da-da" and even says something that sounds awfully close to "hi, da-da" which is just so precious. She'll sometimes say it quietly and almost to herself, but then she'll get loud and happy and just keep saying it. She says a lot of other syllables too, but "dada" is definitely her first word.
She's developed a little bit of separation anxiety over the last few weeks and it's gotten harder to drop her off in the morning because now she knows I am leaving and usually starts to cry. I know she is fine in just a minute (I watch her through the glass) but it is still really sad to walk out of the room with her crying. Luckily the teachers are very helpful and I usually hand her off to one of them and then she is happy. When Steve picks her up in the afternoon, if he doesn't go right to her and starts to pack up her stuff first instead, she will either get upset and cry, or give the ANGRY ELLA face and hand gestures to convey her unhappiness with the situation (see a few posts below if you missed the full description of ANGRY ELLA:
As far as food goes, Ella eats 2 meals a day and has now had rice, oatmeal and whole wheat cereal, and carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, spinach, pears, prunes, blueberries, bananas, applesauce, and lots of combinations of all of the above. Her favorites are the orange veggies, especially carrots and squash. She does eat the green veggies now but not very happily. We also started giving her puffs a few weeks ago, and she feeds them to herself. They are really airy and easy to pick up, and dissolve in her mouth - that's not to say I didn't almost have a panic attack watching her try to eat them the first week or so. She also gets 3 bottles a day at daycare and I nurse her twice a day - I don't think I'll be nursing much longer and I think it's going to be a very easy transition for her because lately she seems to be happier with a bottle than nursing. Less effort and instant gratification!
Getting up 2 and 3 times a night seems like a distant memory since Ella usually sleeps between 11 and 12 hours a night, and bedtime is now easy and peaceful with not even a peep of crying most nights. On nights when she does cry it is for about 5 or 10 seconds. We give her a bath every night and then read books or sing and snuggle in the rocker with her. She'll curl up on my chest and fall fast asleep, it is the most wonderful feeling. Usually I end up holding her a while after she's asleep but I just want to keep looking at her and kissing her instead of putting her in her crib.
Here are a few other 8-month pics
What a wonderful daughter we've been blessed with!
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