Our sweet little Charlie girl.

How are you eight months? 

The thought of planning Charlie’s first birthday party has already entered my mind. As much as I want to say we still have a few months, I know September will be here before we know it. Which is why I am trying to soak in all these baby moments.

Charlie loves to listen to music, waves at people, claps her hands, attempts to pet Juniper, and is constantly laughing. I’ve never heard a baby laugh so much! Anyway, it’s been a good month, but there have definitely been some hurdles. So let’s dive in! 

Changes with Charlie……

FRUSTRATED. Might be the word to describe how an eight month old constantly feels. Charlie has been beyond frustrated that she can’t grasp crawling yet. She gets up on her hind legs, GRUNTS really loud, and tries to army crawl forward. 

After a few minutes she gets tired and rolls back over to play or just rolls around the room. About ten minutes later she’s back at it again. This whole process of grunting and army crawling repeats all day long. Like ALLLLL DAY LONG. But! I have to give Charlie props because she is determined to move her tookus. It’s amazing to watch her try to master a skill. 

Bret and I have been working with her a little bit on teaching her to move her arms forward followed by her legs. Sometimes she looks at us like, “What the eff are you doing?” Other times, she thinks we are just playing and she laughs. Honestly, I don’t know if we are doing anything to help further her mobile movement! 

We finally got a high chair!! I searched high and low for a high chair that wasn’t expensive nor made cheaply. Trying to find a middle of the road chair was quite the struggle. I ended up purchasing the Oxo Sprout Chair and I’m so glad we did. Super easy to clean, can adjust to babies age, and is not bulky. Charlie seems to like it, but also likes to drop food on the ground for Juniper. Sighhhhh. I guess the silver lining is I don’t have to clean the floors! 

I’m still doing baby-led weaning with Charlie, but I’ve also given her some purees. Homegirl is hungry and I want to make sure she is getting enough nutrition as well. I definitely think you can do both. Right now I give her a few items like chicken, toast, or salmon to work that back jaw followed by puree to help fill the tummy! Next, step is to work on her sipping cup game. I’ve been given her water which she is all about. 

SLEEP. Charlie had been doing really well with sleep (7pm to 7am). We did notice about a week ago when she would wake up at 3am or 4am and just be awake. Like crawling around her crib and chatting up a storm until 6am. Thankfully she would go back to sleep until 7am, but damn, that 8 month sleep regression is definitely a thing. 

Juniper and Charlie are still trying to figure each other out. Now that Charlie can roll around pretty regularly she sneaks up on Juniper and it pisses Juniper off. Once Charlie is crawling Juniper might be more into her. OR NOT. 

How’s your summer going? 

Great! Being able to sit outside under our huge catalpa tree during the afternoons when Charlie is fussy is a huge blessing.She sits on the blanket and picks grass while I toss the ball around with Juniper. Gives us all a break for the day. 

I think the best part of summer for Charlie is going to the Farmers’ Market every Sunday. Homegirl is a big fan of being out and about especially when her dad is pushing the stroller.   

We’ve finally had visitors! Meme and Poopa visited over the weekend and brought an extra set of hands to help us finish up the remodel….and a big girl chair for Charlie. She loves sitting in it. The best part is watching her scoot her butt down off the darn thing onto the floor. 

I found some super cute swimsuits at Old Navy for Charlie to sport in our backyard. Which reminds me I need to order a kiddie pool! Anyway, Old Navy has been crushing it with cheap yet cute baby clothes! 

How’s work going with Charlie almost mobile?

UGH. I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was frustrating. I’m seeing a theme here. LOL. I’ve had to make the mental shift from thinking I can work all day to condensing everything I need to get done into three hours while Charlie naps. I get one hour in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. I want to say that I am crushing work right now, but I’m not. And you know what, it’s okay. I keep telling myself you don’t have to do it all. The best thing I can do is enjoy Charlie because I’ll blink and she will be in pre-school! 

Best advice for moms after eight months? 

Let your baby lead the way with development. Whether it’s sleep, food, or becoming mobile your baby knows what to do. Like I don’t give an EFF that she is in the 40th percentile in weight. Her needs are being met and she’s happy. I decided for me it was better to meet her where she was at both physically and emotionally instead of trying to check-off textbook boxes. Way more relaxing and stress free! 

Things we are loving…..

– Hanna Andersson Pajamas: literally the best pajamas! Soft, holds up well after a zillion washes, and has the cutest prints! 

– Sit to Stand Learning Walker: Charlie is obsessed with this toy. She loves pushing the buttons and moving it around! Plus, I love that it teaches numbers, letters, and allows us to sing songs together! 

– Overnight Huggies: Um…Charlie had constant blowouts when she started sleeping 7pm to 7am. Like how can one little baby pee so much! LOL! These overnight diapers are legit and a must!!