8 Months Old!

Everyone warned me about this and it is happening now more than ever. Time is flying by. Tula turned EIGHT months old the other day and it really was almost impossible to believe. There have been "monthly birthdays" of hers that haven't really phased me, maybe because of a busy schedule or holidays or just not thinking enough about it. But this was definitely not one of them. Friday night ended up being a pretty emotional one for me. I just cannot get over how fast the time has went by. And now that Tula is changing and growing so quickly it seems to be flying by even faster.

This is truly a fun age and stage that Tula is going through. First of all, I have really noticed this month how much *easier* she has become. Just with everything. The carseat is no longer an issue. She used to HATE the carseat and it made me feel panicky anytime I had to drive anywhere with her. I think that stage has been over for a lot longer than this month, or at least getting better for awhile. But this month I really noticed it to be a non issue. I can actually pop her in and out of the seat to go do things. Like, more than once. It used to be that if we were going anywhere she could come out of the seat twice, max, before going into hysterics when I put her into it again. Now, I can take her out and run into Starbucks or Costco and it is a non-issue. I have found a new freedom in this and sometimes feel like my old self, able to bomb around town doing little errands and not thinking twice about stopping here or there. of course, its not QUITE that's easy, but close enough. I am so glad the carseat-hating days are gone! Those were rough times! Oh yeah, this month we switched Tula to her "big-girl" carseat(I just realized I never posted the pictures of that, I need to get them from my Mom). Anyways, she loves her new carseat and really does look so much bigger and older in it. It's a little higher up and makes looking out the window so much easier for her. She loves to check out the view while we drive, and now that the weather is nicer she likes it if I roll the back windows down for her too. Quite the little Arizona girl, if I do say.

So besides the fact that this month is the first month of Tula being officially "on the move" there have been a few other changes or "first" as well. A big one, Tula had her dedication on Feb 10th, so I guess she was about 7 and a half months old. It was a really special day for us, we love having family around and this brought a bunch of both John and my families to town for a few days. It was great to have the company and show of support for such a special day in Tula's life. The service was very simple and short (this is important with a room full of babies) but it was a special reminder to both John and I of why we are so blessed to have this little girl but what a responsibility it is as well. I have always been taught about "with great privilege come great responsibility" and those words are never truer than when talking about parenting. It has been a great reminder to John and I to keep ourselves and our actions in check. Our attitudes, our words, our expressions of feelings, our priorities. She is starting to just absorb everything and I constantly find myself reevaluating the smallest things and making sure the decision I made is in line with the decision I would want Tula to make when she is older. It is NOT always easy or fun, but it is another way that being Tula's mommy has been a test to my character and teaching me to live the best way I know how.

As far as food goes, I feel like things have changed so much since the last time I posted about her eating was when she turned 6 months old. That was about two months ago, and in "babyland", that is about a million years. As you can see from pictures in the mac gallery from Feb, she has really started eating solid "finger foods". She loves to feed herself. Little bits of cheddar cheese, cheerios, cut up cucumber or banana. I have even let her try Ritz crackers. And, yes, you can see in her pictures she was sucking on a rib bone at Houston's out for dinner with Grandpa and Grandma. Grandpa snuck it to her and she loved it so much I couldn't bear to take it away (she was just sucking on the sauce) but that probably won't happen again for awhile. I think I am going to try and keep her meat-free for as long as possible, at least till she is one, I am thinking. I have an easy time letting her try all sorts of new foods, but meats just bug me and I don't really know why. Well, maybe I do but we won't get into that. Let's just say after that huge beef recall this month I seriously considered becoming vegetarian myself and it reaffirmed my "no meat" decision for Tula. Who's kidding who, I could never give up meat completely, but Tula doesn't "need" it yet so as for now, she is a vegetarian. ooh, though she did try egg yolk for the first time this month as well. I fried her her own little omelet and cut up some cheese and she loved it. I think more than the new foods she loves all the new textures. And of course she knows when she is eating what mommy eats (I have eggs every morning) that makes her feel like such a big girl. Today we went out for a Greek dinner and she had some pita with us. John even dipped it in a little tzaziki for her to try. She didn't love the dip, but the pita made her feel pretty cool. It was cute to watch. She is really becoming this little person, just sitting there eating with us. Oh, and there is another reason that life is easier. Restaurants. Now that she is totally comfortable sitting up in her highchair she is happy (for the most part) to sit there and let us enjoy a meal while she munchies on a MumMum or some cheerios. What a treat! Oh, she hasn't tried any juice yet but a friend of mine had given us some lemons and oranges. Yesterday I chopped one of the oranges in half and squeezed it into her sippy cup with her water and she seemed to like it. She still doesn't drink a tonne from her sippy, when we go on walks and its hot I catch her drinking from time to time. And she seems to tell me when she is eating solids by putting her fingers in her mouth that she is thirsty. She will just stop eating and keep her hands in front of her mouth (or in her mouth) until I give her a sip. I guess she is developing her own form of sign language....lol. It's working though! As far as foods go, I can't think of anything else really new. Still eating three solids meals a day. Still doesn't *love* greens (though she did eat her spinach the other day when I mixed it with pears...how does THAT happen?). Still nursing about 4 times a day (between each meal) and once or twice throughout the night. Still eating most of her food pureed. The finger food thing she finds "fun" but most of it ends up on the floor and I have to feed her something afterwards anyways. It buys me a little time and she enjoys herself though so we both win.

What else is new? Hmmmm......Tula had her first bath in the real tub. It was with me, but still. She had fun. We still use an infant tub for her, its huge and she can sit up in there but John (who does the bathing) finds it easier and she likes her little tubbie. But one day I decided I wanted to get in there with er and she loved the company. I think she missed the comfort of her small little tub where her toys could never float away from her reach, but she seemed completely fearless reaching for them. She seems to love the water, always has I guess. I can't wait till the weather gets just a little nicer and the pools are arm enough for her to go into again. She loved swimming last summer and I hope she does just as much this year! I think we are going to start lessons in April on Saturday mornings so John and I can rotate weeks. He is looking forward to swimming with her as well, that's one thing he loves to do with her.

The weather here has really changed the last two or three weeks. It is a beautiful time of year to live here. I think last week it was high 70s or low 80s every day. Tula and I have been taking advantage of the great weather by walking everyday. She loves it. There was one day nothing seemed to entertain her, she was not a happy camper. In the stroller we went and she was content the whole time. Most of the time we walk for about 30-45 minutes and she doesn't make a peep. Well that's not true, if the sun is in her eyes she lets me know. That is one thing I am learning she does not like at all! Maybe not so much of an AZ girl after all? Do you have to love the sunshine to be a true Arizonian? Hmm.....well she will get enough of it this summer to last a lifetime so I guess she will learn. I laughed cause the other day near the end of our walk she was getting fussy because it was getting a little warm. Maybe it was 83,84? I am thinking, "Girlfriend, if you think this is bad, you have NO idea." Its going to be a hot summer, that's for sure.

Tula is also babbling like crazy and has found her "scream". she loves to use it to show any emotion, especially excitement. She obviously has no concept of when this is appropriate so it is an issue from time to time. But it's fairly new so its all still cute for now...lol. I will let you know next month how "uncute" it has become. Tula still loves pee-a-boo. One of her all time favorite games is "Where's Tula?" and then me finding her. She will laugh with excitement when she knows I have almost found her and kicks and flails her arms when I do. Oh, and another game she loves is when I talk to her dolls. She especially loves when I kiss them or talk to them *about* her. If I say to the doll, "Mommy LOVES Tula" or "Tula LOVES Mommy" or something like that and act very lost in the conversation with the doll she seems to love that. It's sweet.

No more teeth for now, but those bottom two are growing big and now completely visible with every smile and babble. I constantly find myself shocked when I see them in a picture of her and then remember they ave been there for over a month. I look back on pictures and can't believe how much she has changed and grown over the last 8 months. I see pictures of that tiny newborn and the Mommy who thought her baby would stay little forever. And although I thought I "knew better" at the time, I realize now that I had no idea. I was reading back on my blog the other night at the post about her being one weeks old. It said "Well Happy One Week Birthday Tula! Thank you so much for the most amazing week of my life so far. I love being your Mommy and you are sweet perfection to me. Thank you for showing me what the word Mommy really means. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I am loving every minute of it!" Now as true as this was at the time for me, I look back and think, "I didn't even know her then", and "I love her a million times more today than I did then" and "I had NO IDEA what the word Mommy really meant until now". And I guess that's what this Mama business is all about. About growing everyday, in life and in love, with this little thing who is growing up everyday as well.

I love going through this growing journey with you Tula. I love waking up everyday thinking that I love you a million times more than I did yesterday. I love your smile and laugh that fills every nook and cranny of me with joy every time I hear and see it. To say you are the world to me wouldn't be enough. Mommy and Daddy love you more than you will ever know!