Cedar is 8 months old today

Cedar is eight months old today. He's still growing like a weed and starting to get more hair on top. He's wearing 2T now, nothing left of the "baby" clothes, so he looks like a little boy most of the time.

He had a pediatric appointment this month, so we got to see the ol' growth chart again. There's the lines, and the percentages, and then there's Cedar off in space doing his own thing. Yes, he's off the charts at this point, and roughly the same size as an average 2-year-old. Wow!

Needless to say, he was too big for his carseat. We figured out the carseat dilemma though. He was a few pounds past the weight limit for the rear-facing carseat. The tricky part was finding one that would both accommodate his weight, yet still have a rear-facing option since he's not old enough to face forward. I also didn't want to have to buy another one a few months later....I was busy looking for convertibles, and didn't know about the 3-in-1 option that will take you all the way from 5-100 lbs. Wish I had known that sooner. So now he has a new carseat that should last until he no longer needs the darn things.

We've been experimenting with solids for the past month or so. In general, he's a pretty good eater and great about sitting still and opening his mouth wide. He's not crazy about texture though, so that pretty much limits us to purees. He has tried rice cereal (yuuuuck!), apples (too tart), pears (he loves these), bananas (pretty good--he likes the homemade puree even better), blueberries (yum!), peaches (too sour), squash (likes), sweet potatoes (loves them), and carrots (loves them). He's not crazy about anything that's mashed or has the least bit of texture...sigh. Since it's the end of summer, and prime produce season, I've been making homemade baby food for him-mainly blends of the above. Since I'm out of work, I'll probably be able to take advantage of the fall produce season and be able to make some really good stuff.

He's been less irritable lately, getting a bit of a reprieve on the teething front now that a bunch have come in. He's got 5 teeth now, the 2 lower teeth, and 3 out of 4 upper teeth.

He sits up pretty good now, but still can't get there on his own. He likes to roll over onto his tummy, but doesn't know what to do when he gets there. His tolerance for it has definitely grown though, and once he figures out how to get his feet to do something, he will be in business.

He's all about this toys. He really likes the rainbow caterpillar rattle that Deb gave him a whole lot. Other current favorites are the linking rings and jar lids. He also really likes to play with his pacifier and would rather play with it than use it as a pacifier. He never took to teething rings, but likes to play with them as toys.

He still takes 2 naps during the day, although the times are shifting around a bit. Last week he took lots of catnaps, but this week, they've been longer. He still likes to get up at 3am, and I'm guessing he will for a long time to come. He will sleep until 8am most mornings, which is nice for me.

He likes to bounce in your lap if you hold him (he does the bouncing, all you have to do it hold on tight). He still likes to be held a lot, but doesn't want to sit still in your lap unless he's tired. He also likes more rambunctious moves like being swung around. That makes him giggle wildly and smile real big.

He's still a big smiler, and babbles quite a bit. It's fun to take him out because he smiles and flirts with everyone. He's easy to take out because generally he likes the stimulation of being out and about. On the other hand, if you want him to pass out, just drive for 15 minutes, and he'll be out like a light. Lately he's been in a better mood, most of the time, probably because he's been feeling a bit better. He's also doing better at being on his own for a little while, and will entertain himself for longer periods than he used to.

He still is a huge fan of sucking on his hand or trying to stick his feet in his mouth. He isn't spitting up much any more, so that's a relief. It's nice not to have to worry about that so much. On the other hand, he gets the hiccups at the drop of a hat.

He's still a totally happy kid and generally only cries when he's really hungry or tired. He's not mobile enough to really hurt himself, but that's on the horizon.

He still thinks daddy is the coolest thing ever, and likes to play with his beard.

He is starting to grow some more hair. Can't tell what color it's going to be-strawberry blonde? brown? His eyes are still grey but there's more brown there now. They still are both gray and brown. I don't know if they're done changing or not.

He is not creeping or crawling yet, but he appears to be on the cusp of doing so.
He likes to be on his belly now, but he hasn't figured out how to push off with his knees. He definitely isn't ready to do any standing.

We've been doing more floor play lately, since he can sit up a lot better. I can park him on a blanket with some toys and he'll sit up and play with them. I have to stay right with him though or he might go toppling over (and bonk his big ol' noggin').