Who needs a photographer!

I did with our engagement photos…and with every family photo since…yes I take my own family photos.  I really have mastered the "camera timer sprint".  10 seconds to run 20 feet, get positioned and still try to look fabulous!  The pictures are not perfect, by any means…but at least we have a family photo to put on a christmas card.  

Tate 8 Months

Tate…Tater…Big T…Tater Tot…The Beaver…this baby has acquired many nicknames in his 8 months.  Tate definitely keeps me on my toes… (and has me hiding my toes)  He is into EVERYTHING and puts EVERYTHING in his mouth, especially paper… paper is like catnip for taters.  This month I have dug the following items out of his adorable cheeks…a Wal Mart receipt, a piece of dog food, toilet paper, a fake flower, plastic, chicken?, carpet and list goes on.  He doesn't like to be contained in the pack and play (believe me I have tried)  so I let him roam the house, I always know when he is up to something because he turns his back to me (normally he spends his time playing between my feet and never wants me out of his sight)  Tate has 4 teeth now, the 2 from a couple months ago and now the 2 top teeth are poking out.  When company comes over we don't have a "beware of dog bites" we have a "beware of Tater bites"…don't take your shoes off at our house either…his favorite chew toy is a big nasty toe!  He loves the bath…he won't and hasn't since he's been sitting up (at 5 month) stay in a baby bath tub, so I bathe him in the big tub and he crawls around splashing.  He likes to stand and watch the tub fill up…and really Tater likes the whole idea of a bathroom…if he sees the bathroom door open he kicks the crawling into hyper-drive to get to the ever-so-sanitary magical bowl of water….in which he splashes his hands in and eats toilet paper!

We have been crying it out for the last month or so…which is much harder to do with the second child…simply because you don't want all the crying to wake the older child.  Tate used to fall asleep nursing at night but now he is well aware of everything.  So we starting practicing putting him in the crib and just walking out.  He did well at naps, but not at night…well these last 2 weeks have been effortless and thank God, cuz Tate can WAIL!

Tate is such a happy baby, laughs and giggles all the time.  He is loving and playful and such a joy to have.    

8 Month Milestones:

cruises briefly along couch and coffee table

doing better with feeding himself crackers and puffs

holds his sippy (doesn't get a lot of chances to practice)

12-18 month clothes

size 3 diapers

eats everything

nursing exclusively…working with the sippy of juice for practice

Sleep schedule established…2 naps  and in bed by 9pm

says dada baba and a bunch of other undefinable

climbs stairs

It's that time of year...

It's beginning to feel a lot like christmas…

well at least Tate thinks so