Talmage turned 8 months old on the 11th! Last week I took a bunch more pictures of him before Church. He was good for a picture or two before he started looking anywhere except the camera and pulling any face except for a smiling one!
He's worried about the pending pictures. I was worried about the potential for fire ants to bite him while he was sitting in the grass.
"I can't see you, Mom! I can't see you!"
"Wow, what a tall tree...and there's Daddy up on our balcony, coming out to say hi!"
A little attitude
"Now I'll just let go and watch the cars driving by."
Finally, a smile!
Picture of innocence
At eight months he is bursting with energy and usually dissatisfied unless he's on the move.
-He now says, "Mama" as well as "Dada," and it's more than just in his babbling. He definitely says our names to us. He calls for me when he is crying so it sounds like, "Waaa-Mama! Mama!-Waaa!" So cute! And he says "Dada" when he sees Sam or pictures of him. Sometimes he leaves off the last letter and says, "Dad?" or "Mom?" which makes him sound so old!
-He gets so upset every time I try to get him to crawl! He has finally started scooting around a little bit, but he loses patience with it very fast. Instead of crawling, he only wants to walk. He cruises quickly around the furniture now and is always squirming to get off our laps and either walk around the furniture or walk while we hold his hands.
-He loves being outside. He also loves a thrill. From being tossed into the air to being spun around to crash landings in our LoveSac, he loves things that give him a little thrill.
-There isn't much that scares him. However, the other day I was using the food processor and he started sobbing so hard every time I turned it on! He still loves vacuums and blow dryers, though.
-He is fiercely independent. Sometimes I will try to put Cheerios or something in his mouth, and he will calmly but firmly push my hand away, take the Cheerio away from me, and put it in his own mouth. If he doesn't like how I am touching him or where I am resting my hand, he will stare me down, grab my hand, and adamantly move it without a fuss. But it is very clear what his message is!
-He has texture issues. He loved all store bought baby food, but when I tried making my own, he gagged on it and wouldn't eat it because it had a lumpy/grainy texture. He won't eat regular food mashed up, but he will eat it if it is cut into bite-sized pieces...usually. I was trying to give him a piece of a breadstick, and he wouldn't take it no matter how hard I tried. But then he promptly grabbed the whole breadstick and shoved it in his mouth and began chewing on it. The biggest issue is that he just wants to be exactly like us, so if our food isn't in little pieces, he doesn't want his in little pieces either! Silly boy. I also made a card for Sam for Father's Day with Talmage's handprints in it, so when there was paint on his hands, he loved that texture! And if some of the food on his high chair tray is squishy or something, he will start smearing it everywhere in fascination.
-He is incredibly social and loves to meet new people--especially little kids. He absolutely loves it when little kids come get in his face and loudly talk to him. It makes me cringe, but Talmage almost always has a huge smile on his face!
-He is so determined, and I can see his scientific nature coming into play all the time. Several months ago he figured out that if he couldn't reach something, he could bang his hand hard on the table or couch and make whatever he was reaching for jump toward him. I see him experimenting with things all the time, and there is virtually nothing that will distract him from whatever he is set on getting.
-One of his most desired objects lately have been electrical cords! I am constantly grabbing him away from whatever cord he found before he can put it in his mouth and chew on it.
In essence, our pediatrician was right when he told us to make sure our house was baby-proofed because Talmage would find trouble fast! He is so full of energy and definitely has a mischievous streak. He will sneakily smile as he reaches out to yank my hair, always gives me a huge grin when I tell him "No" about something, and loves playing teasing games. He has taught us to have more enthusiasm for life in general. He makes us laugh harder than you can imagine, and melts our heart with his sweetness and unconditional love. We are so grateful for this precious gift we have been sent and thank Heavenly Father multiple times each day for him!
