8 Months

[Sorry for the delay in posts, but we've been busy with Thanksgiving, Elina's piano recital, and Eli's big birthday party. Slowly but surely I'll catch up again.]
Evie is now 13 pounds and 4 ounces. She's gained weight, but she's still "petite" as our pediatrician politely calls it.
The big difference is that Evie is now a much happier baby. The stranger anxiety has subsided, bringing much relief to my arms. I don't know if it was the stranger anxiety or the need for more solids or a combination of both, but she's definitely a cheery little girl now. Listen to her awesome laugh--

Here are a few things about Evie now--

1. She can play by herself for long periods of time. Her favorite toys this past month have been Sophie the Giraffe, the exersaucer, the Jumperoo, and the Lil' Superstar. Evie sits in front of the Lil' Superstar and presses buttons to hear music and she loves to stare at herself in the big mirror. This toy has also become Elina and Eli's favorite toy as well. They can sing all the songs and tunes on it.

2. The nighttime sleep has improved as well. She now sleeps the full 12 hours at night and wakes at 7:30am. (Hopefully, I'm not jinxing it by posting about it.) She was waking around 6am before this...or she would wake up around 4am and cry for about 30 minutes or so. Now, most of the time, it's just quiet at night. Quiet is nice.

3. Evie loves to eat. She is a demanding eater, so if the spoonfuls don't come quickly enough she will definitely let you know. We love the way she opens her mouth when she sees the spoon comes towards her face. She opens her mouth the widest it can possibly open with her nse all scrunched up and her eyes squinted...the funny thing is that baby spoons are SO small. It's just hilarious to see how wide her mouth opens, but how tiny the spoon actually is.

4. Evie is starting to enjoy walks around the neighborhood with the family. She loves riding in the Step 2 Push Around Buggy that we got for Eli. It is the world's loudest ride-on (and could possibly cause slight hearing loss), but every kid seems to enjoy it.

5. Evie's not quite scooting around on her belly yet, but she can travel pretty far by just rolling around. She has also started to push herself a little with her feet, so she's getting there.

6. Evie thinks that everything belongs in her mouth.

7. She sticks out her tongue when she's happy. This makes for an adorable smile. (Unfortunately, I still haven't been quick enough to catch it on camera.)

8. She still isn't quite making real syllable sounds yet. She loves to scream, but she doesn't love to make real sounds.

Time sure is flying by!