eloise: 8-month update

posted by mommy

well, i missed posting an update for eloise at 7 months, and am a bit late on this one. but here goes!

1. nursing - eloise still nurses roughly 6 times a day and 1-2 times per night, always before and after sleeping. the distracted phase is still in effect, so we almost always exclusively nurse in her room before she joins in on the action with her brothers (and they are banned from entering her room if we are nursing...the three of them simply love each other too much!).
2. eating - she is basically eating three small meals/snacks every day whenever we are eating. she enjoys cheese, crackers, apple, root veggies, chicken, potatoes, oatmeal, etc. our newest adventures are eggs and apricots. like most kiddos, we are also finding her interest in certain foods is often dependent on delivery method. she far prefers to feed herself, and generally likes any soft pureed or smoothie-like food in a pouch instead of by spoon. she still hasn't quite gotten the hang of using a cup for water, even with the no-spill valve removed!
3. growth - we will be going to the doctor in a few weeks for her 9-month check-up and are curious how much she has grown. even though she is definitely growing into more clothes, it still doesn't feel like she's growing a bunch since we see her every day.
4. development - eloise generally sits up nicely on her own, although still falls over from time to time as she reaches for toys and such. she also has two more teeth (upper middle), and is working on two more that have just recently begun poking through. eloise is also quite the little problem-solver. although she hasn't yet begun any type of crawling, she is often found rolling across rooms, or pivoting her whole body in circles to get what she wants.
5. sleeping - she continues to wake once or twice a night to nurse (generally due to the discomfort of teething) but still goes back to sleep easily. her naps have evened out again for the most part, with a 1-2 hour nap in the morning around 10:30/11, and another longer 2-2.5 hour nap in the later afternoon around 3:30. she has fully attached to her lovie, of which she was gifted another one for christmas that is kept in the car. whenever she is tired and ready for a nap or for bed, we simply give her a lovie and she begins to cuddle with it and suck her thumb. so stinkin cute!
6. overall demeanor - eloise is still a super happy baby most of the time. she is definitely attached to mommy and sometimes does not like being with any one else!
7. favorite things - her newest faves are feeding herself and cuddling with her lovies!