Figure Eight

Just when we got used to saying "seven months," Ellie turned eight months old. A bunch of our friends and siblings who had babies around the same time we had Ellie all kept commenting about how fast everything goes. I didn't get it until now. But lately it has seemed like Ellie is growing up so fast. I think not living life just trying to survive from one feeding to the next contributes to that. We had a lot of fun with her before, but the reflux has gotten so much better over the last little while, Brady and I have just been amazed at what life is like with this baby now. We keep asking, "Is this what it's really like normally?" Ellie wants to eat now, so no more battles to get her fed. She hardly spits up now, and when she does it's usually not that big of a deal. We still have to keep her upright for 30 min. after feedings, but since feedings go so fast, it's not that big of a deal (not compared to hour-long battle-feedings and then holding her up for an hour after that). We've had even more fun with her, we've been able to take her places without over stressing about schedules, and everyone has been a lot more relaxed. Life is pretty good.

Ellie is still pretty fascinated with her feet, especially kicking them against the hard floor. The downstairs neighbors haven't found this quite as fascinating.

One of the highlights of month seven for Ellie (and her parents) was a visit from a grandma. Somehow this is the only picture I took of the two of them while my mom was in town. Ellie was showing Grandma her beloved They Might Be Giants videos while I was packing up some books.

Some of the things Ellie did with Grandma that I for some reason did not document included going to the international biscuit festival (I don't know if it was the international biscuit festival, but there was some talk of a biscuit from the Civil War still in existence). She also visited the mansion that General Longstreet used as his headquarters during the siege of Knoxville during the Civil War (but don't call it the Civil War in front of the tour guides--and don't ask them about the slaves on that plantation because apparently they didn't matter and that's not what the war was about anyway). She and Grandma are kind of history buffs. The rest of the visit was pretty laid back; walks to the park, watching thunderstorms, watching fireflies from the balcony. It was all very pleasant and Ellie has missed all the extra attention in the weeks since Grandma went home.

She has not, however, slowed down for us at all. She's not very interested in crawling right now. She never liked being on her tummy during the worst of the reflux months and hasn't really come to enjoy it since. So she doesn't spend much time trying to crawl, but she sure wants to walk. She is always trying to stand, preferring that to sitting sometimes. And she likes to try walking across the bed, across the floor, wherever.

Taking a moment to pose for the camera.

Ellie's favorite place in the house. She loves the bathroom. I used to sit her on the edge of the sink, but she slides herself in now. This is where we go when she gets fussy and nothing else will help. Sometimes when I'm on the phone I have to take her in here to be able to talk and she just babbles to the faucet and to the baby in the mirror. (I know she looks huge in the sink, but to her defense, it is a small sink.)

So there's your Ellie update. She's generally pretty happy, constantly wiggling, jabbering, and wanting to be entertained. She loves books, music, and to touch and then pat everything she can reach (before it goes into her mouth). Somehow this all takes very little energy on her part and just about every bit of ours.