Eight months

This past month has been so much fun. We've taken Lydia so many new places, and she's doing really well.

On Saint Patrick's Day, we went to a music festival out in Taylor, Mississippi.

We've taken lots of walks in the park.

Lydia is still in size 2 Seventh Generation diapers, but she started soaking through them at night and waking up with damp pajamas, so we started using the Pampers Baby Dry 12-hour diapers at night. Those seem to hold a bit more pee. She's outgrown all except one or two of her 3-month onesies and pajamas. She mostly wears 6 month clothes.

Since last month, we've started feeding Lydia baby food at breakfast in addition to the food she gets at lunch and dinner. We added breakfast because she stopped eating a big bottle in the morning. She got to where she only wanted 2 to 3 ounces first thing in the morning (between 6 am and 7), so we added cereal and fruit at 8:30 am. She eats baby food (fruit or veg mixed with rice or oat cereal) at noon, another small bottle at 3 pm, and more food at 5:30 pm. She consistently gets tired at about 7:15 pm, so that's her bedtime. She eats a 3 to 4 oz bottle when we put her to bed. I am still getting her up for a dream feed at 10 pm. We have thought about dropping this bottle (and we have skipped it a few times), but she'll usually eat her biggest bottle of the day (5 to 5.5 oz) at this time. I really think she still needs the calories, so as long as she'll drink it, I'm going to feed it to her. My guess is that this bottle is the reason she pees through her night diaper.

In early April I pumped for the last time. I made it 7 1/2 months. I'm not happy with my decision to quit pumping. I actually feel pretty terrible and guilty about quitting, but it is one of those things that once it happens, you can't get it back. I would probably start back now if I could. My supply was fine. But, I started getting busier and busier at work and started having to skip pumping sessions there. Then, I started feeling like the time at home that I was pumping was taking away from time that I was actually interacting with Lydia. Then, the weather got nice, we started doing stuff away from the house, and I was really craving wine or beer in the evenings. One thing led to another, and I just decided on an impulse to quit. It was so easy to quit. My boobs really didn't hurt that bad. I didn't leak. I went from three times a day, to two, to one, to skipping a day. I think I pumped one more time because I had some knots from clogged ducts, then that was it. Waah :(

So, I have a small freezer supply that I'm keeping for a few months just in case Lydia gets sick. But now she's solely formula fed. Boo. I've had lots of people tell me that babies get most of their immunity in the first 6 months of their lives. That makes me feel good that I at least made it that far. I'm still bummed about quitting, though.

This month was Wonder Week 26 (based on Lydia's adjusted age), and Lydia really didn't have hers until about week 27/28. She was sleeping through the night really, really well until about week 27. Then she started waking up every night between 2:30 am and 3:30 just babbling her heart out. She'd keep it up for a good 45 minutes happily, then would start screaming for someone to come in there. We tried everything: feeding her a bottle, rocking her back to sleep, bringing her to the living room sofa to hold her, taking her to the guest bed to sleep, bringing her to our bed to sleep, then finally just letting her scream. None of it really worked. All she wanted was someone to play with. Then finally, a few days ago, she slept through the night again and has been since. She's slept through the night (7:30 pm to 5 or 6 am) five nights in a row now.

Her babbling has lead to an isolated incident where she sounded like she said something that slightly resembled, "Mamamamamama." Haha, I'll take it. My baby said, "Mama." I've barely heard a "Da" sound pass from her lips. Haha.

Lydia is still not sitting up on her own. I really thought she would be by now! She is getting really close though. She is really creeping now, too. Every once in a while we see her get those knees up under her, so I know crawling isn't far ahead. Maybe just a couple more months now.

I have been trying to get Lydia to take two longer naps a day (morning and afternoon) in her crib. It is so hard! Up until now her sitter has mostly held her during the day for naps, so it has been a transition for her and Lydia both. Lydia goes down in her crib so easily at night, but during the day it is a different story. As soon as you put her down her eyes pop open. If you put her down awake she just plays with anything and everything she can get her hands on for a while, then screams. I feel like consistency is the key here. We just need to keep doing what we are doing (putting her down in the crib) and eventually she'll get used to it and nap there.

Whew... That was a mouthful, I know! If you are still with me, I'll wrap up with a few pictures of Lydia at her piano. Her and dad like to make music together! A few weeks ago I put her down on her play mat about 5 feet from the piano. I went to the kitchen and not two minutes later I hear piano keys. Lydia had rolled over to the piano and was lying on her back with her arm outstretched, hitting the keys.