Shepherd: 8 months

Another month has flown by, and Shepherd continues to grow and change right before our eyes. This boy rolls and rolls and rolls all over the room, babbles noises that sound like "da-da-da", grabs his spoon and tries to feed himself, and even figured out how to use a giant Lego ice cream cone as a whistle.

When the temperatures are bitter cold, I bundle him in his snowsuit to go outside and wait for the school bus. He's content in it once I pick him up, but while lying on the floor he looks so sad because he can't move. 😂

I can't move my arms...someone please help me up!

I've started feeding Shepherd purees three times a day: usually fruit for breakfast, a fruit and veggie for lunch, and then veggies for dinner. We are still avoiding bananas, but he loves mangos, peaches, apples, pears, and now blueberries! His favorite vegetable is still sweet potatoes, but he will eat carrots, peas, squash, and white potatoes if the temperature and consistency are just right. He really doesn't like foods with texture (such as oatmeal!), so I have to make sure his purees are nice and smooth. We made a big pot of my mom's homemade vegetable soup last week, and Shepherd was so envious as he watched us eat that we let him try some broth. Boy did he love it! We gave him a spoonful, and by the time we put the spoon back in the bowl to get some more, his little mouth was hanging open like a baby bird. It was adorable! Soup broth is by far the most seasoned, flavorful thing he has tried. We will have some again next week on Christmas Eve, and I can't wait to share some more with him!

Shepherd's sleep patterns have been a little wonky lately. He's finally getting more predictable with his daytime naps, but now nighttime sleep has changed. I've only been giving him a bath every other night because the winter air dries his skin out so much. By evening his poor little nose and cheeks look so red and chapped. I lather him up with lotion, and in the morning he looks better again. On a bath night he is in the tub at 6:30, and on the other nights we start changing him into his pajamas around 6:45. I still nurse him and read him a few stories before laying him down in his crib for the night. He goes to bed around 7:15, but recently he's been waking up between 11-12 to nurse and then sometimes again between 3-4. As much as I don't enjoy getting out of my warm bed, I know this stage won't last forever so I'm enjoying the middle of the night snuggles with my sweet boy. I figure between teething and growing so much developmentally, his sleep is going to be affected. Shepherd is officially a tummy sleeper now, so most mornings he wakes up soggy because he has wet through his diaper, pj's, and sleep sack. I guess sleeping on his tummy only leaves one way for all of that pee to go!

Just as Big Sister is losing her two front top teeth (one came out tonight!!), Shepherd has cut his two bottom teeth! I still haven't gotten a good look at them because he sticks his little tongue out whenever I try, but I can definitely feel them! He is still drooling and chewing on everything like crazy, so I have a feeling he is working on others.

I can do it myself, Mama.

Mmmm..blueberries :)

I'm not getting into Ryder's stuff, I promise.

rolling everywhere and disappearing under tables

I managed to capture two of Shepherd's tricks on video yesterday...enjoy!

A while back Harper gave Shep some of her Legos to play with, and we always set them out on his blanket when he is on the floor. They are the duplo size ones that make an ice cream cone, and one day Shepherd discovered he can blow into the cone end and make a whistling sound. The first time he did it I was across the room and didn't know where the sound was coming from--I kept watching him, and the next time I heard the sound I could see his little cheeks puff in and out. Hilarious! Now he will reach for the cone on purpose and start inhaling and exhaling when we ask him to play his whistle. Smart little boy!

busy playing and jabbering :)