8 months

Kendall is 8 months old today!!!

There are no pictures, but I do have a couple of videos that Evan will post soon. For some reason, every time I try to post a video, it won't play. Whatever. I'm not savvy with technology AND I don't have the patience to sit and mess with it.

It seems like Kendall is doing so much more than she was even a month ago AND that it happened over night! I swear, the child has NO fear, and she does not get that from her momma! (I'm already praying for where her fearless personality lands us during her teenage years!!!) :) She crawls EVERYWHERE and pulls up on EVERYTHING! Kendall is trying to figure out how to sit down after she pulls up on something, but can't quite get it. We laugh as we watch her take one hand off the coffee table (or whatever) and reach to the floor.

She babbles ALL the time. She says "ma ma ma ma ma" and "da" a lot, but very indiscriminately. She also loves to say "la la la" and stick her tongue out. She smiles constantly and loves to laugh.

I completely quit nursing about a week ago. Kendall was doing great in the mornings, but the before bed feeding had become a chore. She was fighting it, and I was frustrated. For a couple of days in a row, I would nurse her, then we'd end up giving her two ounces of formula. Finally, I decided to pump, just to see what I was giving her at night. (Not that I think that is completely accurate, but at least a way to gauge.) I think I pumped about 2.5 ounces that night. I knew she was needing more than that to make it through the night, so I just decided to bite the bullet and give it up. I had enough of a frozen supply to get through two more weeks, so she still gets one pumped bottle at night. (That will run out sometime this week.) I know I don't get the "I nursed for a full year" badge, but I have to say that I'm pretty proud of my 8 months. I also think God timed it perfectly, now that my mom is so ill. If I do end up needing to go to Nashville and stay, I can leave Kendall with Evan without having to worry about pumping/feeding issues.

Kendall sleeps a solid 12 hours at night. She usually goes to bed around 8 and sleeps until about 8 in the morning. She gets 5 bottles during the day and a breakfast/lunch/dinner of solid foods. I think she could go on 4 bottles a day, but with her weight issue, I'm going to hang on to the 5th bottle until her 9 month well baby visit. Sometime this week, I need to take her for a weight check. I think she's gaining just fine, I'd just like to know where we are! I'm still making her baby food. She loves so much stuff...pears, squash, sweet potatoes, applesauce (I buy packaged), carrots, bananas, oatmeal, peas, peaches......I'm going to try green beans again soon; I'm thinking if I mix them in with something she likes, she might take them a lot better. Deceptively delicious, right?!?!?! She also loves toast, but she's not real big on the puffs yet. We are working on the sippy cup and she sort-of gets it, but can't figure out how to turn it up to get anything out. Evan gets really tickled everytime I say, "Kendall, tip it up." I think he's having flashbacks to his days of partying! HA! (We aren't even going there!!!) :)

Kendall loves to play. She loves anything that rattles and her ring-stacker thing. She also loves board books AND when you read to her. I LOVE that she loves books!!! Kendall also loves bathtime and her rubber duckies!

Our biggest challenge right now is changing diapers and getting dressed. She is a wiggle worm! I've made up a "diaper song" that I sing to her to keep her attention instead of rolling over. Evan likes to sing the Razorback fight song to her, which she also enjoys! Sometimes, we just have to "tag-team" it. After bath is the worst. She's just fired up and ready to go.

Oh, and we've got a tooth coming in. I can barely see it, but can certainly feel it with my finger. I'm praying it will cut soon. She's a little on the cranky side these days!

I think that is about all...I'm sure you all loved reading a novel about my child! HA! This is really more for my sake than yours anyway! :)

Watch for videos, they are coming soon!!!