Great Eight----month-old!

This last month was a really big month for Taryn... Her first Christmas, her first flight, her first new year, her first night away from mommy & daddy (not sure she noticed). She had a really healthy month up until this last week when her asthma has flared up a bit and an upper tooth is coming in. Talk about the perfect storm of sleep disruptions. Urgh!

Taryn is closing in on 22lbs and wears size 18 months. We have to roll up the pant legs, but the shirts fit perfectly. She is taller and bigger than her friend Julietta at daycare who is 2 months older than her and her cousin Cora who is 5 months older. I'm beginning to believe that she isn't going to crawl. She scoots around, but prefers standing and walking. Of course, that worries me as a parent. Darn it, you're supposed to crawl! But, my mom has told me that I followed pretty much the same path and then crawled at the last minute. Right now Taryn can make her way around pretty well walking while holding on to the coffee table. Good thing for her we have a small living room. Her favorite goals to aim for are the cord to the laptop, the cell phones, and pretty much anything else you don't want her to grab.

Taryn is starting to munch on some solid foods. She really likes her "Lil Crunchers" which are like Gerber's version of Cheetos. She also likes the puffs and the wagon wheels. I am not a big fan of cleaning up the wagon wheels. They are always in about 4 pieces and absolutely soaked in slobber. Often times I can't find a piece and it is glued and mashed to the palm of her hand. Yum. She loves getting tastes of whatever Lee and I are eating. She even liked when my dad gave her a taste of beets. Eek. She's more adventurous than I am!

Taryn still loves to smile at people. I'm afraid she's going to be a bit of a drama queen. We were at the allergist's office and she was hell bent on getting the attention of the other patients in the waiting room. First she was smiling at them and sticking out her tongue. When that didn't work, she tried doing her excited screams at them. She finally got their attention and then she was dancing and waving. It was pretty funny.

This is a really fun age. Taryn is so interactive. She loves to play with her toys. She likes playing peek-a-boo and pretending like we're running away from daddy. She still loves brushing her teeth for some reason. When we tickle her she giggles like crazy. When I walk into daycare to pick her up she smiles and lets out an excited scream and waves her hands. It is definitely a boost to the ol' morale. I'm a little frustrated that this semester is super busy and I don't get to spend as much time with her as I did last semester. BUT, summer is right around the corner and we'll have tons of time then. I can't wait to teach her to swim at the pool I used to play at as a kid. It is hard to believe she'll be 1 year old by then!