8-months-old

Charlotte Ruth is 8-months-old already! I can't believe how quickly time is flying by. I am really enjoying watching her grow and learn, but the days turn into weeks and before I know it, she is another month older. According to our at-home estimates, she is about 19 lbs. She is a good eater and is not lacking for nutrition!
Charlotte is still quite the social bug. Now that she is mobile, when we are around a crowd of people she wants to crawl around and check it all out. She particularly loves being around other children. I just know we will have so much fun at Christmas with both our families and her cousins! She spends her days with a 15-month-old and a 3-year-old so she is used to the noise and chaos.
Here are some things about Char at 8 months:

- pulls up on everything. She will spend 10 minutes just standing holding onto our ottoman and checking everything out.

- has started to cruise on furniture but only sporadically and very short distances

- still crawls at the pace of a snail. She really makes me laugh. She is determined and knows where she wants to go, but she takes a while to get there.

- easily distracted mid-crawl by lint and fuzz. She will stop and check out the smallest speck on the floor

- thinks that anyone jumping up and down is hilarious

- doesn't like her changing table because she has to lay still and can't crawl around

- can go from crawling into a sitting position

- we find her awake in her beds after naps or in the morning either sitting or standing in her bed

- loves to say "da da da da" but doesn't actually associate it with her Daddy

- understands what "no tree" means, or at least seems to since we put up the Christmas tree

- thinks Oreo is her best friend - although he would disagree

- pretty much eats any veggie but hasn't like any fruit we have tried

- on a regular basis eats green beans, peas, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and oatmeal

- we have tried bananas, peaches, and pears but she hasn't liked any of them

- when she doesn't like a food she will make a gagging face like she is going to throw up and will clamp her mouth shut after about the third bite

- loves to play with the little puffs dissolvable treats but doesn't realize they're food

- doesn't understand the concept of what to do with a sippy cup

- has started to reach her arms out to be picked up, but not on a regular basis

I could go on and on. I am just so overwhelmed with how amazing it is to watch her grow and know that she is my perfect and amazing gift from God. On a daily basis, I can't believe how blessed I am. Praise God!