Charlie is officially 8 months old which is something I can’t wrap my head around. 8 months?! What a beautiful blur. Everyone told me that the first year is filled with milestones but I wasn’t prepared for how quickly Charlie would change. As soon as you’re comfortable he wakes up and I swear is a different child. Those little brains are developing every day and it is so much fun to watch him discover the world around him.

Charlie and I recently spent a week in Charleston with my family (unfortunately Dave was unable to attend due to a bachelor party and work) and traveling with a baby then is so different than traveling with him now. He no longer wants to entertain himself, he wants us to sing him songs, play with his toys, show him how to do things, play peek-a-boo, dance, bounce around, etc. I thought it was hard those first few months but now it is full steam ahead and by the end of the day saying I’m exhausted is an understatement. I called Dave halfway through our trip to tell him that Charlie was no longer a baby but a little boy who wanted to bang and yell and throw everything. When we got home Dave couldn’t believe all of the things he was navigating on his own and how independent he wanted to be. It’s true what they say, savor all of those in-between moments, when they nap in your arms or just want to be held. Charlie is in full discovery mode and mama’s arms can’t hold him back. Here are a few updates on Charlie…

In general…Charlie is a peanut! He is in the 3rd percentile for height and weight and the 50th percentile for head. Ha! He takes after his parents with our enormous brains (jokes). His hair seems to be getting longer every day, he smiles non-stop which is just the best, he is rolling over and sitting up and trying so hard to crawl. He reaches for us when he wants to try and stand up and can pull himself up when our arms are low enough. We really need to baby proof our apartment because I know in a week or so he is going to be on the move. I am desperately trying to make ‘mama’ his first word, he will most likely say ‘dada’ or even ‘webster’ first. Webster is his favorite.

Current favorite products:

• OXO Tot High Chair – it comes in a bunch of fun color ways and Charlie loves it (it’s cushioned and super comfortable).
• City Mini GT Stroller – we keep our Nuna IVVI (which I also love) in the car and the City Mini on the first floor of our apartment. The City Mini is super easy to open one handed, close up with just the pull of a strap and is light weight and really maneuverable. A great city stroller!
• Activity Jumper – this thing is intense but Charlies LOVES it. I also love it because it is the only way I can keep him corralled for 10-15 minutes while I rush to get a few things done. It has a lot going on compared to others I have seen but honestly I think that is why he loves it so much.
• Foam Floor Tiles – thank the lord for these things. We are trying to help Charlie figure out how to go from sitting to his tummy, back to sitting and these tiles have prevented many head injuries/cries from face planting into the floor trying to find his balance. It’s something that has to happen because I need him to know that I can’t always be there to support him but these tiles are a huge help and make me feel better. They also fold up super quickly for easy cleaning.

Eating…Charlie is eating everything! I have touched on my experience with nursing here but if you’re new…I stopped breastfeeding Charlie at 6 months old due to his diagnosis with acid reflux and the fact that he was doing significantly better on the formula we were giving him to supplement (after he didn’t gain any weight between 4-5 months). At 5 months we started introducing solids after noticing that Charlie would open his mouth for food every time Dave and I would eat. We started with butternut squash (sweet and savory) and green beans (still his favorite) and he has been a great eater ever since. I had high hopes that I would be the super mom that makes all of her child’s food but there are just not enough hours in the day and the organic pouches you can now buy at Target, Whole Foods, Buy Buy Baby are seriously impressive. Charlie loves the pouches with greek yogurt, beets, oats, turkey, quinoa – the list goes on. I swear this kid has a more refined palette than I do. He is also eating bananas, cut up strawberries, these teething wafers and these coconut milk crisps. We also use these spoons on-the-go, they attach to the pouches and make it easy to feed him when we are out and about. Before solids Charlie was drinking 5 6oz bottles a day, now he is down to 4 bottles and probably ends up drinking about 3.5 total. He has a bottle when he wakes up, before his morning nap, before his afternoon nap and before bed.

Sleep…So many of you have asked about this and I should really do a full post about it. Charlie has consistently been sleeping through the night since he was about 5-6 months (about 10 hours straight a night, give or take). I started weening him from his night feedings after discovering this chart. Once I knew that he was getting more than enough (he was always on the max side) formula during the day, I didn’t feel as guilty cutting night feedings. This was much easier once I stopped breastfeeding because with bottles I knew the exact amount he was consuming each day. Nursing was always such a comfort in the middle of the night for Charlie, so I made sure I consoled him like I normally would but instead of nursing/feeding I would rock him in his chair with a pacifier and slowly he didn’t expect food anymore. We used the Merlin Sleepsuit until he was 6 months old and the transition was a little rough the first few days but eventually we used a sleep sack that I think still gave him the comfort of getting into some sort of covers at night. Now he sleeps in just footed pajamas. Charlie still has good and bad nights, for example with traveling I know not to expect a very good night sleep. Charlie would sleep about 5 hours straight in his pack and play and then wake up and I would pull him into bed with me where he would sleep for another 5 hours. We use this sound machine in his room and this essential oil diffuser with 3 drops of lavender oil.

Charlie loves…Webster, his activity jumper, his blocks, going on walks, swimming, trying to crawl, reaching for us to be picked up (so sweet!), stealing your sunglasses, bananas, being tickled, baths, bedtime, and reading books.

Charlie does not love…kale, getting dressed, when you don’t pay attention to him, when I don’t give him a sip of my coffee, when you put him down when he wants to be held, when you don’t dance for him, when you don’t constantly sing “Under the Sea” from Little Mermaid. The list goes on…this kid loves to be the center of my world. He is.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me! liz@sequinsandstripes.com

Happy June! Summer is here! xoxo