eight months

dear Elizabeth,

as you grow, you continue to be as cute and squishable as ever, but you are becoming even more fun to play with! this month you started doing the "mad dog", sniffing in and blowing out through your nose very loudly, to the amusement of anyone who happens to be within ear shot. you definitely know how to get a reaction out of your sisters, and it's impossible not to smile back at your crinkle-nosed smile! i think you are learning how to wave, but it may be a bit of a stretch at this point. i've been doing the signs for "please", "more" and "all done" with you and you giggle as i move your hands into the proper position. 

playing while your older sisters are at gymnastics

you still hate purees and being spoonfed, but you have chowed down on all sorts of things this month: macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, tiny pieces of meatball, scrambled eggs, peaches, banana, watermelon, baked fish, Cheerios, peanut butter smeared on teething biscuits, and tiny pieces of ham. i thought for sure you would love to try vanilla ice cream (Cecilia tried it at this age and it quickly became her favorite food!), but you cried and shook your head when you tasted it! just in the last week, you've begrudgingly started to eat some purees out of pouches, but you have to be the one to hold the pouch and put it in your mouth otherwise it's no dice. 

it's a no on the ice cream...

you are sitting up unsupported and if left to your own devices on your stomach, you will eventually scoot yourself a few feet away. you still love your exersaucer, and you babble all the time: da-da, ba-ba, a-tah, etc. the one syllable i haven't heard come out of your mouth once is ma-ma, so things don't look promising for that to be your first word. 

fun at daycare

first time on the swings!

my three little monkeys

this month, you had your first trip to Knoebel's, the zoo, and Idlewild! you went on the carousel at each place and we discovered you don't like riding on a horse that goes up and down. you at least tolerate sitting on a stationary horse, but your favorite was sitting on my lap on one of the little benches. you do start to get a little cranky in the late afternoon if we're out and about, as you don't want to nap and miss any excitement, but otherwise you are happy to come along on any adventure. 

first carousel ride - Knoebel's

first zoo trip: the Erie zoo, for your friend Adeline's birthday!

meeting your new friend Elias

you loved riding on Puff the Magic Dragon! 

Idlewild!

you loved riding Trolley through Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood!

you are now wearing 9-12 month clothes. apparently at this age (on review of past monthly updates), your sisters were already wearing shoes that coordinated with their outfits on excursions out of the house, but as a poor neglected third child, you haven't worn them once. all the better for proper foot development, i suppose! 

BELLY (...and THIGHS)!!!

we love you more than words can say, sweet girl!