Saturday 31 October 2009

Eight and a half months...

It's November tomorrow, I wonder where the year went?? I suspect a small boy ate it!

Just thought I would update with some more Ot-chievements. I'm liking eight months as an age, though it's strangely grown-up-yet-still-tiny. Before I had a baby eight months seemed very old (nine months still does!), and while Otto can do a freakish number of things for someone who was a moderately sized bump this time last year, he is still very little indeed. I can't contemplate leaving him for more than an hour or two...sometimes it feels a bit restrictive, but mostly it feels just right. If he needs me, he needs me. I've had, and will have, plenty of time to indulge my own wants. A bit of sacrifice is doing me good!

Anyway, life achievements for Baby Bean. He now says Mama and Daddy. He tends to say Daddy in conversation and Mama at times of crisis! He says Daddy to the phone, regardless of who is on the other end (or indeed if it's connected at all!) which is very cute. Granny is also convinced that he says Quack if you give him a rubber duck, but I'm a bit skeptical (sorry mum!).

His walking (holding on to a parent for now!) is really coming on, and he can stand unaided for a second or two. He can squirm for toys on his front, and he seems fairly content with that. All his progress is definitely on the walking side rather than crawling - much like Daddy was apparently (and nothing like Mummy who didn't bother walking til 18 months...not that I crawled either!).

Ottie's pointy finger is still very much a feature of who he is. Anything new is probed with his outstretched index finger (often his left, though he seems fairly ambidextrous). It is very sweet, and he takes such an interest in texture as he has since he was very small. There certainly doesn't seem to be any problem with his eyesight as he can spot the smallest crumb or mark to poke and explore...woe betide if you "miss a bit" when cleaning! His pincer grp is also pretty good, he can pop individual rice crispies into his mouth without too much trouble. He still hasn't tried dairy or egg, though I have a feeling his excema might be getting better (in that I don't recall noticing it for a week or two!). Otherwise he seems fine with food, he enjoys it and is still eating a fair amount. He drinks from an open cup too which I'm pleased about as I didn't ever want to have to use a bottle, and I'm all for skipping baby-faff!

We've just spent a few days on holiday in Shropshire and had a lovely time (though O takes a long time to get used to a new bed!). I'm really enjoying being at a stage where he is actually able to enjoy things outside of his immediate surroundings. He is lovely company too, generally very placid and serene and very smiley. Making him giggle takes a lot of effort and plenty of tickles on the whole though!


Saturday 10 October 2009

Wooosh!

Feeling the need to update here despite it being almost a week til Otto's month birthday. Seems like seven months is a funny age because babies leap directly from being six months old to eight months old.

Otto is now starting to crawl :-) not in a proper organised fashion, but with much squirming he can get to his target. This has made him a much happier baby as life has become much less frustrating!

He is really getting into his standing and walking too - he's starting to "cruise" along the furniture. I still think he will be an early-ish walker. The health visitor reckons he will be one-ish, but I think sooner - she thought he was struggling with a saggy middle this week, but actually he was just bobbing up and down with glee at finding someone new in the house when he woke from his nap!

O is definitely saying Daddy now, and occasionally seems to try a mmm sound for Mama. He isn't showing a lot of interest in his baby signing, but it is early days. I thought he would love the classes, but while he quite likes the singing he definitely prefers trying to charm the mothers of the babies on either side of him. He is very much a people person.

Other new developments in his little world have been the first sparks of understanding mirror baby's real identity (very cute, lots of slow hand movements and intent expressions!) and a sudden upturn of his food intake resulting in much more grown up poo - some of which I have managed to catch in the potty to my delight!

He also really loves animals and gets very excited by them. His excitement is very infectious, lots of bouncing up and down, flat handed slapping and urgent "uh uh" noises.

I'm sure I'll be back to add more when he turns eight months, but just wanted to catalogue the big changes taking place at the moment!