Months 7 & 8

I have to say that there is a major part of me that feels incredibly guilty for only now getting to this blog post, but another part of me that feels proud that I am getting to it before you are actually 9 months.  Life has been the most joyous kind of crazy there can be.  May and June have been jam-packed with fun and milestones achieved.  You, my precious little girl, have TONS of personality!  You have sprouted 2 bottom teeth, and I think the top two are on the verge of breaking through.  You love to babble and talk to anyone and anything.  My favorite is watching you on the monitor in the morning and when you wake up from your naps.  You have lots of books and toys in your crib and you sit and play and talk to yourself for a little while before deciding you are ready to get up and join us.  Another love you have is climbing.  We have a stuffed shark that Jack received from the Hayes at Christmas and you love to crawl, climb, and bury your face in that thing.  Just like your brother you love your cousins and your Dixie dog.  You crawl around the house with intense purpose and don't like it at all if you find yourself sitting alone at any time.  You absolutely adore Jack and he is starting to warm up to you (wink, wink).  You find great amusement in everything he does, especially when he starts crying... you find this hilarious.  You continue to be a tremendous napper, sleeper, and eater.  You declared your independence this month by refusing to eat anything from a spoon, which was fabulous since I, ahem, had just made all kinds of purees.  You love food, but you just want to feed yourself.  And no one better eat in front of you...you tend to have a bit of a temper.  Speaking of tempers, you display yours with a frustrated cry that makes you sound as though you are constipated.  We will have to keep you in check with that temper in years to come, little girl.  I love how happy, well-rounded, and spirited you are.  Sometimes I feel sad that I don't do as many things with you as I did with your brother, but you are so fortunate in other ways.  You have a big brother that constantly entertains you and teaches you new things.  You haven't said any real words yet, but I have a feeling when you do, it will be "Jack."  We just absolutely love you to pieces, Mikayla; you make our family complete.

Pictures tell the best stories...

You just adore your brother!

Selfie!!

Eating like a big girl in your high chair at 7 months (notice all the food everywhere...you are quite the messy girl!).

You love playing with your brother's toys.

My smiley girl!

Such a pretty and sweet baby.

There are two things I love about this photo: the look captured shows how thrilled you are to be sitting next to your brother and to be up on the chair like a big girl.

The look on your face says it all: he is next to be and not moving!

Classic Kayla move.  For the record, your brother is sitting so far away from you because he said you were going to get him.  I guess he was right!

What you are doing to your turbans half the time you are wearing them.

My 8 month big girl.

Playful girl!

Look at that smile!

You LOVE electronics!

You are always turning things from from front to back to try to figure it out.  You do the same thing with books.  I think you are looking for the image.  You are quite inquisitive.  I think you will be a lover of science.  At least I hope you will.

You will pull yourself up and climb on anything you can get a hold of.

 The next group of pictures shows my attempt to take a picture of you and Jack together.  Jack was reluctant and you were squirmy!

You love it when I take your picture.

 You are both so lucky to have one another. 

You crack me up in this thing.  You will lean all the way back and just relax.  You are just the cutest!

My playful girl.  You love crawling through and under things.

You love books...let me rephrase that, you love sitting on books.  You are not so much interested in hearing the story, but rather trying to figure out the pictures and where they go once the page is turned.  As for sitting on them, that is just you!

No words, just love.

This one is my favorite.  You heard Daddy on the phone down the hall in his office.  I was trying to change your diaper and you took off.  You pulled yourself up and scratched on the outside of the door trying to get him to let you in.

We have this papasan chair up in the loft that used to be in my classroom and you love to play in it.  We spin you around in it and you love to climb up the side and then fall (shown in the next picture).

Like this.