Sam, Sammy, Sammer pants

is 8 months old! (And there are at least 3-4 other nicknames for him, in true Finnerty tradition) I haven't really taken time to reflect on or record all the changes since my last post, oh... about 2 months ago.

Let's see...what can I say about my beautiful boy? I love him more than I can express. Observant, cautious, curious, sensitive, sweet Sam. In the last few months, he has started eating 'solids' and is definitely enjoying food these days. His favorite thing so far is mashed banana. He also eats a boatload of puffs each day, which is so great because I can set him up in his highchair in the kitchen and dole out the puffs while I go about cooking, doing dishes, etc. Ah... little bits of freedom are so nice! I'm still nursing him, but he's a pretty quick eater, actually more of a 'snacker' now except for first thing in the morning and right before bed. I'm supplementing with formula now though, just so I know he's getting enough. I feel like I'm not able to keep up with his appetite anymore. He doesn't have any teeth yet but I can feel the bottom two, just slightly, and think they might emerge soon.

He loves his routine - gets up around the same time each day and goes to bed fairly early because he's not a great napper in the afternoon. He loves his bath and is ready for bed after that each night, like clockwork. He's turned into a pretty good sleeper, only waking once to eat after about 9-10 hours, then he'll go back to sleep for a few more hours. I never thought we would get here!

The days I'm home with him we usually play in the morning, go out for a long walk with the dog, and then try to get out somewhere in the afternoon, either play dates or errands. He loves to ride in the front of the Bjorn and take in all the sights, or try to get strangers' attention. He squawks just to hear his own voice - it's pretty funny, but ear-piercing sometimes. He's getting to the point now where he doesn't want to sit, just stand (while I hold him up) or lean against something. He can't crawl but is getting better about being on his tummy & pushing up. I make him 'work out' each day. :)

He is pure joy, and making him giggle is the best feeling in the world. I wish I could bottle it (that, and snuggling). I'm so excited for him to experience his first Thanksgiving and Christmas this year! I'm hosting my family tomorrow (Bill has to work from 2-midnight... boo!) so am a little stressed about pulling everything together, but I hope I can still enjoy the whole experience. Hopefully I'll be a little better about blogging through the holiday season, documenting all the firsts! For now I need to go get my kitchen ready for the madness tomorrow.








Happy Thanksgiving everyone!