Dear Evan-Eight Months Old

Hello!
I look back at this last month and I am blown away at all that has happened. The month started with you sitting up on your own. You have gotten stronger and stronger all month long. Now all you want to do is stand up and bounce. Daddy and I are both getting such a workout from bouncing you. We have a bouncer that hangs in a doorway and you like it but not as much as when one of us is holding you and bouncing!

You now eat three solid meals a day. You have had pretty much all vegetables and fruits. Vegetables are your favorite over fruits but you are slowly starting to like applesauce and you love mango and pear. You still don't like bananas. You want to feed yourself and always grab the spoon from me. You like to gnaw on the spoon to help with your teething. You have three teeth now! Last week you cut the bottom two front teeth and lastnight you cut your top left tooth. Your face is changing so much. I can't imagine how it will look in another month. You play with your two bottom teeth with your tongue. You quickly hide them from view by blocking them with your tongue or closing your mouth shut from anyone trying to take a peek!

This month you started playing peek-a-boo. It is your favorite game. It started one night when you were on the bed and we threw the newly dried clothes next to you. You pulled one of the blankets out of the pile and threw it on top of your own face. You quickly removed it and started to giggle. Daddy and I were there and started to giggle with you and add in "Peek-a-boo"! You loved it. Now I can place a blanket over my face and ask you, "Where's Mommy?" and you pull the blanket off of my head and crack up. Your sense of humor is so funny. It is fun to see you laugh and smile. You take after your Dad as out of the blue you will get a blank stare and start to giggle. I laugh and wonder what you are laughing about as I did nothing to provoke the giggle! Your Daddy does the same thing! Tonight, Daddy was playing with Gordy, the monkey pretending that Gordy was running and then crashing into the blanket. You were giggling and laughing like it was the funniest thing you have ever seen.

You give us kisses. You will place your mouth open on our cheeks and leave it there for a second or two.

You are crawling backwards and can get a few feet away from where you originally started. You turn a 360 in each direction on your belly. You can't get from your tummy back to sitting on your own. This is very frustrating and you cry when you get frustrated and need help getting up.

Your favorite toys are household items: remote controls, the telephone, measuring cups, spoons, anything in a box or package, your blocks and stuffed animals. You love going to the mailbox with me. You actually start jumping in my arms as I am reaching for the key to unlock the box. I give you a piece of mail and it is like a piece of gold. It will keep you entertained for quite a while! You also love Daddy's camera strap.

You are so alert and happy! You have just started to say DaDa and MMMMMM and Mama and Mum. We aren't sure if you know that you are naming us yet but it feels good that you are starting to understand. You babble now and talk and talk. I LOVE listening to you. It is fun to hear how you are learning how to talk. We had one day this month where all day you said the word "BLAH". "Blahblahblahblahblahblah" It was so funny. But-like many language things it doesn't last too long. You will get hooked on a sound and say it for a day or a week and then it's gone. You start working on the next thing!

You now move to music!

You are 19 pounds and just over 29" long. People always comment about how happy and cute you are! You love to watch people pass us by and anticipate that they will look at you and you smile before they even look at you!

I love you so much! I am so lucky that I have you and am so excited about each say we have together!

Happy Birthday!

M