8 Months

Martin turned eight months today. I should go get a picture of him, but that might wake him. So I'll wait until tomorrow.

Eight months. What have we done this month? We traveled, by car, from Portland through SLC to Ohio. And he has spent a lot of time sitting on a blanket on the grass while we work in the yard and on the house.

In gross motor skills, Martin has really mastered the art of sitting. So much so that nothing else will do. This means NO tummy time. Which means he might never crawl. Oh well. In fine motor skill, Martin has mastered the pincher grasp. Everything can be pinched. Food is picked up with ease. (That was clear when Sunday last week he picked up 30 little cereal puffs in a row during sacrament meeting and put them in his mouth successfully.) Nursing is still going strong. But, he still loves to eat most everything. Except for banana. Ever since he threw up banana during the wedding bells plague, he will not tolerate banana.

He loves playing with his stacks that I bought him earlier this month. The smiling ball at the top is his favorite. Speaking of balls, he loves to watch Papa kick the soccer ball; it is even better when Papa has him in his arms while he kicks the soccer ball. Generally speaking, he is quite the daredevil. Loves to be hung upside down. Loves the swing... higher the better. He was also introduced to the Jumperoo this month. Loves it. In fact, early on when his little muscles weren't used to it, he would jump until he was crying from exhaustion. But he wouldn't stop jumping.

The screaming has thankfully subsided. He went through a tiny phase where everything was "mamamama" but that has gone away too. In fact, mostly it is grunts and giggles. And I still love his giggles.