8 Months!

Today Mary Elizabeth is 8 months old.  I can't believe it.  I know I say that every month but its true.  It seems like every time I blink, she's turning one month older.  I remember when I was trying to get pregnant, a month seemed like so long.  My book on infertility (which will hopefully be published soon!) is called "Waiting in Months" because every time I found out that another unsuccessful month had passed, I knew it would be another long month of waiting and hoping.  It is funny how things change.  Now I just blink and a month is gone.

I am truly falling more in love with my daughter every day.  She has become so much more interactive and loving.  She knows how to give kisses now, though often chooses to withhold them.  She hugs too, which is super sweet.  She's really become attached to me in the last few weeks.  The separation anxiety is right on track for this little girl!  She does pretty well with it but she makes it known that she is not happy when I pass her off to someone else.  I don't hate it.  :-)

Snuggling with mom :-)

Giving kisses to the baby in the mirror

She's still eating so well.  This girl is definitely a McFarland!  She loves to eat and it really doesn't matter what I serve her.  She loves it all!  She's gotten really good with her finger foods now too and can eat cut up fruits and veggies all by herself.  She especially loves puffs.  I can sit her down with a tray full of puffs and she'll be content probably for hours on end.  She never gets tired of puffs!

Eating all by herself!

She's also been doing really well with signing, though she prefers if you just give her what she wants without having to work for it.  She does the sign for "more" and "milk" fairly regularly.  I think she understands more than just those 2, as I do about 20 different signs with her.  Those are the only 2 she's done so far though. 
Yesterday, she finally said mamma for the first time.  I don't know when in my life I've smiled as big as I did the first time I heard it.  Yesterday morning, I had my mother's group so she was in the daycare.  When I picked her up, they said that she had been saying mamma the whole time I was gone.  They even tried to get her to say dada but she wouldn't.  I told them she had never said mamma like that before and they couldn't believe it.  When I finally heard it yesterday afternoon, I welled up with tears and had the biggest, goofiest grin on my face.  I've waited so long to hear someone call me mamma.

Here's a video of us playing.  Her laugh is easily one of my favorite sounds in the entire world.

She's still not crawling but she wants to so bad.  She doing really well standing and pulling up but she still falls a lot so I have to be right there with her.

She's in 9 months clothing and size 3 diapers.  I think she's about the outgrow her baby carrier.  I'll probably install the new "big girl" car seat this week.  I can't believe it.

I have tried to have her sleep in my bed with me a few times, when Parker is not here.  I love to snuggle her, especially now that she's big enough that I don't have to worry about rolling over onto her and anything crazy like that.  However, she is kind of a wild sleeper.  I found out the hard way on more than one occasion that she punches and slaps in her sleep.  Not so fun for me.

She has two teeth now!  So exciting and super cute, though wow are those two little suckers sharp.  She likes to chomp down pretty hard on a finger giving her dinner and those little teeth are like sharks teeth.

As for her schedule, she's still sleeping great at night, usually about 12 hours.  She seems like she's transitioning to 2 naps a day on her own, though I'm still pushing for 3 since she's cranky if she only gets two.  I nurse her 4 times a day and she gets one meal a day (dinner) that's just people food.  She does eat a small breakfast after I nurse her, usually fruit and puffs.

Wakes up on her tummy every day now

Things Mary Elizabeth loves at 8 months: Hershey dog, mom's milk, clapping her hands, puffs, any and all fruits and veggies, baths, her walker, any toy that has lights and music, outside, standing, hanging out with big kids

She loves playing with Hershey Dog!

One of her BFFs, Kate

Things Mary Elizabeth does not love: Mom putting her down, anyone touching her nose, having her clothes changed, being on her stomach (unless she's sleeping)