Haddie Mae: 8 months

Dear Haddie,

At 8 months...

• You wear 9 month clothes
• You weigh 18.5 pounds but are still very short (which makes for an adorably chubby body!)
• You wear size 3 diapers
• People often mistake you for a boy, which is probably my fault because I dress you in a lot of navy and blue since it compliments your fair skin and red hair
• You take 2 naps a day, usually around 10 and 2. You go to bed between 6:30-7:30, usually closer to 6:30-7:00 though.
• You usually eat about 6 bottles a day with about 5-6oz in each. 
• You eat 2-3 meals a day depending on your nap schedule- your favorite foods are zucchini and corn, mac n cheese, and almost anything with fruit.
• You are finally sleeping through the night (7 to 7) without any feedings, and rarely even need me to put your paci back in. Just this week you figured out how to find one in your crib (I keep like 4 in there) which has been awesome
• You are finally napping in the crib and are no longer swaddled while you sleep
• You have started being bashful around people and will bury your head in your car seat or my shoulder when you are feeling shy. But you never completely bury your face because you want to know where everyone is at all times. 
• Your favorite toys are anything that is not a toy (car keys, spoon, shoe, etc). Especially a medicine syringe, water bottle and your brother's hair. 
• You are getting two teeth in on the bottom, but they are just barely coming through. Even when you're teething you're still a great baby, slightly fussier on occasion and you want to be held a lot, but it doesn't seem to affect your sleeping or behavior too much. You do eat less and drink more milk, though. 
• You can sit up by yourself and I've started helping you stand and hold onto the table
• You still refuse to lay on your stomach, ever, for any reason
• You love your daddy, I'm pretty sure he's your favorite person. As soon as he walks through the door at night you track him everywhere he goes and you constantly smile and laugh at him 
• You have started holding your own bottle and do pretty well with feeding yourself
• You have started crying sometimes if I leave you in the living room alone
• You think your big brother hung the moon. Seriously. You watch him so intently and laugh even when he's not doing something funny. He puts your paci in when you cry and has fed you a bottle and constantly smothers you in hugs an kisses. 
• You get crazy with other kids. You start laughing and kicking like crazy, it's the only time we see you get hyper
• You are still a great car sleeper and I am so thankful for that!

There is a song by Jars of Clay called "Love Song for a Savior" and I have been singing it as I rock you to sleep this week. Here are the lyrics:

In open fields of wild flowers,

she breathes the air and flies away

She thanks her Jesus for the daises and the roses

in no simple language

Someday she'll understand the meaning of it all

He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens

As close a heartbeat or a song on her lips

Someday she'll trust Him and learn how to see Him

Someday He'll call her and she will come running

and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and she'll pray,

"I want to fall in love with You"

Oh, baby love. As I sit and rock you I look at your long lashes on your cheeks as you close your eyes, and your sweet dimpled hand resting on my chest, and I pray over and over again, "Lord, let this precious girl fall in love with you." All of the love and beauty and joy you have experienced so far in this world, it all comes from one place, Jesus. Rest in that, my littlest love. He is unwavering, he will protect you and love you fiercely, more than even Mommy and Daddy. We dream of so many things for your life, little one, but the biggest hope of all is that you learn to love Him fiercely, too. 

We love you to the moon and back, Haddie Mae. 

 Your hair is still very red!