Grant: 8 MONTHS!

Eight months has gone by already!  

Okay, so really eight and a half by the time I am actually posting this. 

This guy is pretty excited about growing up.  

I, on the other hand, am not so sure...it is all happening too fast! 

Yep, 8 months.  It's true, Grant.  

Okay, let's eat.  

And SMILE.  

Grant remains such a happy, go with the flow baby.  

Isn't he beautiful? 

He loves his toys.  

Everything goes in his mouth and I keep thinking he is going to get two more teeth on the bottom but they haven't showed up yet.  His tooth count is still at 6! 

Grant's most notable milestone this month is pulling himself up, standing on his own for up to 15 or so seconds at a time and he is walking around furniture and with his walker.  

Thankfully, he has figured out how to lower himself down more gently than the abrupt plop.  The plop still happens occasionally but his control is MUCH improved. 

I again waited to do the 8 month photos right before bed and so the big boys wanted photos again.  The impossible task of getting all three in a photo has gotten even tougher with Grant's mobility.  

Hang onto him. 

Wait, Grant!

I finally get them all in one photo and two of them are completely distracted.  One teeth gritting smile though! 

Dad jumped in for some night time fun. 

I don't make this stuff up!  Crazy kid. 

I think he was picking out his bedtime story.  

Note: when Tyler was a baby, the unruliness of this shelf would have driven me crazy.  Now, I am just pleased the books are not all over the floor (thanks to Tyler being a bit OCD like me and picking them up).  I love how kids have mellowed me out...a bit.  

Grant's 8 month birthday fun facts include: 

• Sleeping!  He naps usually 2-3 times a day.  We are working on cutting out the 5:30p nap even though it is handy to get dinner on the table when he would lay down.  Bedtime is around 8:30 and he typically sleeps until 6:30a.  
• Eating!  Grant is not a huge fan of baby food.  He would much rather eat what everyone else is and so we have expanded his solid foods a lot this month.  Bits of grapes, pears, carrots, peaches, green beans, etc.  Most of the things I have in baby food form, just now in small chunks.  He is so much happier about meal time now.  I am telling you, the kid wants to grow up too quickly.  He still nursed about half the time at the 8 month birthday and since mom has really be working on closing down shop, if you know what I mean.  Formula feeding has been going great and Grant LOVES his bottle!  
• Talking!  Only two words that we can understand: dada and mama.  Most of the time it is "dadadadada" and "mamamamama" over and over again.  I think Grant just gets excited he got the sound down and doesn't want to lose it.  It. Is. Perfect.  I will admit he said dada first and often.  As overwhelmed I as sometimes get with the amount of times a day I hear "mommy" there is still something wonderful about hearing your baby call you mama for the first time!
• Playing!  Grant is in awe over his big brothers and now that he can "chase" them is on the go and all up in whatever they are up to.  Most of the time once Grant catches up to them, they are on to the next activity but this has really helped improve his speed lately. :)  The older boys are great with him, often sitting down to read him a book or shake a rattle for him.  I am not sure Tyler and Nathan are ready for Grant to grow up and get even more into their stuff than he already is.  Grant destroyed the track on the train table the other day and it did not go over well...at. all. 
• Personality!  Grant is a delightful baby.  He smiles a LOT.  He loves attention but plays very well on his own.  He is a bit sneaky and I really have to watch to keep bathroom doors closed as he crawls to the bathtub constantly.  He will stand there, dance and grunt as if to say "let's play in the bath, mom!"  He knows what he wants.  He works hard to do things most 8 month old babies don't - lots of grunting to indicate his hard work. 

We love our "Baby Grant" (as the boys call him)!