river james - eight months

eight months old and we have three teeth! the fourth should be making an appearance any day now. sleep has improved for the entire family and i'm wondering if we have an amber teething necklace to thank? this most recent tooth didn't cause near the ruckus the first two (pre-necklace) did. who knows? river has been changing and it's so fun to see his will and desires emerge as he has become more mobile. we are still rocking on all fours and don't have a full out crawl but he has perfected the army crawl. little man will drag himself to and fro across the living room in pursuit of petra's kong while we toss it just out of reach. we are not sure if he is going to full-out crawl or is going to suffice himself until he reaches his ultimate goal of walking. he LOVES to walk with our assistance. i had a heck of a time finding him a pair of shoes that fit his chunky feet this month. i figured it was time to put some soles on him with him wanting to walk everywhere. he's also started to pull up on furniture - he especially loves when i put him in the laundry basket to pull up on. feeding has been going better, i've been giving him more table food which he really enjoys. none of that nasty pureed stuff for this guy - he loves spaghetti, chicken and dumplings and cheerios. 

i can't believe we are two thirds of the way to a year! it's such a joy watching him develop and grow as a person and i can't help but wonder what kind of an adult he will be. then i remind myself to enjoy the present and not while away this time. i always try to give him an extra kiss or squeeze throughout the day or snuggle him a little longer at bedtime because i know someday i will miss these fleeting days something fierce.