Eli's eighth month has begun with some exciting news but more on that later. He started eating solids 3 times a day now for breakfast, lunch, and supper. He has moved on from the single fruits and vegetables to the mixed fruits and vegetables and pureed meals. Prune juice has also been added occasionally to help with his little digestive system issues lately. While he is a very noisy eater, he has become much less messy. He has even tried tiny little bits of table food, all of which he really enjoyed. He has tried bits of crackers, string cheese, small bites of potato, green beans, and even a few sweets including strawberry cheesecake and Grandma Mary's yummy bread! Along with the solids, he takes a total of 26 ounces of formula each day. Eli has yet to develop the pincer grasp before more finger food is a regular part of his diet. We have tried the sippy cup again, this time with formula in it instead of water, and I think it still might be a while before he is really able to use it effectively.
Elijah's sleeping pattern is the same yet with a 7:00 bedtime, and then he is up for the day at 7:00 in the morning. He has actually started to take a longer morning nap instead of his usual hour. Now, he will almost always sleep from 10:00 to noon, while he is ready for his afternoon nap at 2:00 and will sleep 1 to 2 hours.
Along with his mom, Eli enjoys getting out of the house every once in a while:) This usually amounts to grocery shopping, going out to eat on the weekends, and going to church. Since we have had such a mild winter, we have been able to go for walks quite a bit, especially lately. He loves riding in his stroller! He is still fascinated by books, and especially loves the touch and feel books.
This past month, Eli has been rolling over more and more, especially to try to get something he wants that is out of reach. I have started finding him rolled over onto his stomach during his naps and at night now when he sleeps. He sometimes wakes up in the morning in some interesting positions! He has scooted backwards a few times while he was on his stomach. His arms are becoming much stronger as he has been able to lift his chest up off the floor. Another new trick is his ability to put his pacifier in his mouth by himself. He can even twist it around if it is upside down since it fits in one way, but he has yet to learn to hold his bottle by himself, which to me seems like that would be an easier task.
(Looks like he was experiencing a bit of a bad hair day...)
Hmm....really? I'm not so sure...
I think I will really miss the small town of Lost Nation. I really enjoyed living here the past 3 years and getting to know the people in town. From the postmaster who very soon knew me on a first name basis to the people at church and the patrons at the local bar and restaurant that we have met and gotten to know over the past few years, everyone has been so welcoming and friendly.
On the other hand, it will be much more convenient living in Maquoketa when it comes to running errands, and the best part will be Ian's parents being right next door!
