happy 8 months to our favorite boyfriend! oh Brady you get better by the minute, and while that is coming from a completely biased opinion I can attest to everyone that loves you that you.are.amazing.

letter board // crib sheet // onesie + bowtie

our happy baby boy is the most popular guy in the house and we’re soaking in every moment with him while he welcomes all these hugs and sugars freely. I know there will come a day when he swats all these girls away when they come in for the baby boy loves- but not today!

whats new

hat // cardigan // tee // leggings // moccs

• cheeks.  I think your cheeks are the greatest EVER.  I could kiss them all day long!
• we’re actually rolling over.. and over and scooting and moving.  he prefers to sit over being on his back or tummy so I’ve been terrible with the tummy time since he started sitting up to play.
• Brady is starting to get on all fours to stretch for toys just out of his reach while sitting. I foresee crawling soon!
• he is hard pressed to pull himself up to stand and play. most of the time he needs help but once he’s standing he squeals in delight and thinks its absolutely hilarious.
• playing outside in the grass is still his favorite place to be.
• ..well the bathtub is a close second.  we introduced sink baths this month since he is pretty sturdy while sitting and I swear I about had a heart attack the first time he attempted to pull himself to a standing position right before my eyes.
• BLW continues to go great!  its become especially easy when we are out and about and I don’t have to bring any additional food for him to eat.
• hes mastered his pincer-grasp and can pick up smaller pieces of food.. and toys!  its been a huge task or reminding the girls to understand that their shopkins are NOT a toy to play around Brady
• Brady is learning to play peek-a-boo and its so cute!  he loves to throw a blanket or a hat over his face and wait for us to move it down and he falls over in giggles!
• we’ve got a boy that says “mah-mah” in addition to “dah-dah”
• he loves to bang his toys together, on the floor, or his highchair tray.  just anything to make noise!
• Brady is also following simple commands like “wave bye-bye” sometimes he follows through and sometimes he doesn’t.
• Brady is in size 3 diapers and this will be the last box in that size I buy.. and wearing 6-12 months clothing.

EAT

sloth // sleeper // bottle

I gave the rundown in a previous post (HERE) about why BLW is a good option to consider- and although its working out for us really well, I did want to mention that BLW might not be a great fit for everyone.  it wasn’t even on our radar for Parker and Jolie and I was curious of the hype behind it with Baker… and I will tell you that now, Brady being number four in our brood, that well, we’re kinda lazy.  I had gotten really used to feeding the three girls and when it came time to sit and fiddle with feeding Brady from a jar or thawing out frozen sweet potatoes that I made from scratch.. and he didn’t even care much for it, I was a little deflated. baby led weaning has fit in really well, but you’ll know what is good for your baby when the time comes.

some days Brady loves food- eats like a champ, hoovers graham crackers, chicken, veggie burgers.. avocado and peanut butter toast.  but then there are some days he’s totally uninterested and we move on from meal time pretty quickly. some of our favorites at 8 months: granola bars, veggie burger, grilled cheese, English muffin and peanut butter, banana, chicken, graham crackers, string cheese, waffle with almond butter, blueberries, and strawberries.Brady is taking about 6-7 ounces in a bottle 5-6 times a day. I nursed him for the last time this month and although it was bittersweet it was time.  he still gets breastmilk in a bottle in between formula feedings but not because I’m pumping but because I have a frozen stash to blow through, which won’t take long. I HATE that our journey has been cut short form the 12 months I planned for, but after he was sick with croup a couple months ago I couldn’t get my supply back up to par when his appetite finally did come back. 8 months is still awesome milestone to meet!

PLAY/DEVELOPMENT

Brady loves to imitate sounds- like clicking his tongue and blowing air. he’s putting sounds together while he plays and is very vocal with his sisters when they are playing with him!  if they start singing songs or clapping their hands in front of Brady he immediately starts doing it with a little smirk on his face as he plays along.  Brady has also continued to gain strength in standing to play and he can nearly pull himself up onto the activity block or whatever he is playing around to stand!  Brady also loves looking at books an playing with puzzles.. even though the pieces end up in his mouth he still loves to grab the little nobs on the puzzle to pull the shapes to his mouth.

a lot of these I mentioned these developmental changes in Brady last month, but he’s continued to make strides with growth and development on top of what he started to master last month. we love to read books and play with toys that are interactive.

SLEEP

I am SO HAPPY to say that sleep has drastically improved over the last several weeks. after I all but threw a fit about not sleeping last month, Brady miraculously started to sleep longer through the night.  naps have never been a problem for us- and even when Brady misses a nap or his day sleep is interrupted by preschool pick up or cat naps in the car, he is a trooper.  most days he gets a really great morning nap- lasts anywhere between 2-4 hours. afternoons are much busier in our house and a second nap in his crib in the same day happens just a couple times a week.  I continue to make a real effort to be home in the mornings for Brady to get a solid nap in so that in the afternoon if we get out and about a cat nap in the car or in the solly wrap will suffice for making it through the afternoon.

some nights Brady will sleep all the way through until 6am and others he will wake once or even twice fussing and it takes brief cuddles and consoling to get him to go back to sleep.  since he isn’t nursing anymore he’s not eating through the night anymore either.  I have heard that with other bf’ing mothers that their baby doesnt sleep through the night until they weaned and while that wasn’t really the case with Baker, its proven to maybe be connected to Brady’s sleep at night.

BRADY JORDAN

my Brady boy, you have grown so much in the last 8 months!  time is passing in such a blur and while I can remember every single fleeting moment of your tiny face snuggled into my chest the morning we brought you into this world life has been nothing short of a blur in the 8 months since.  suddenly your grasping my fingers, reaching for my nose, rolling over, giggling, sitting up, and now scooting and pulling up!  did I say pulling up?!  yep.. it won’t be long that you’ll be pulling up on your own and perfecting that skill like a champ.  thats exactly how this month has been spent- perfecting the skills you jumped to in month 7.

its been a slow month for us as a family- we have all been a little under the weather and so we have laid low, but loved getting ready for the upcoming holidays!!

we did make a few trips to visit daddy at the fire station..

hat // hoodie // harem leggings..and perhaps the most important milestone- celebrated halloween! goodness sakes you were such an amazing trooper in the chilly air and I have to say I am not sure how I can top this kind of cuteness for years to come.you love Oscar (our wire-hair pointer) and will pet him gently and quickly revert to pulling his whiskers and grabbing his giant paws and you will surprisingly let Oscar get nose to nose without even making a flinch.  you squeal and giggle when he comes and the feelings are mutual from that dog’s point, too!

slow mornings are a favorite and waking up first with snuggles from Baker followed by Parker and Jolie.. before mama gets a chance to come in and rescue you from all the sugars and love!  Parker’s favorite part of the day is feeding you a bottle and you fit perfectly in her arms while you drink your warm milk.  you guys are like two peas in a pod.

trucker // tank + shorts I love your open-mouth smile and your squealing laugh when I tickle you and you squirm away. I love how you reach for me when you are sad or scared..and even more so when you lean in close to snuggle your head into the crease of my neck. I love reading books to you (although all you want to do right now is put them in your mouth) and I absolutely love watching you interact with your sisters. you are such a ham.  the most adorable ham I’ve ever seen.

8 month photo dump

hat // jammies hat // jammies // my hat // hoodie 
my jeans + tee // booties // B’s sweats // moccs

my sweater + jeans // boots Brady personalized blanket