8 Months

Karsten,
You are now eight months old!!! Wow!!! Right after your eight month birthday, you started crawling!! It is by far the cutest crawl I have ever seen. You use your arms the traditional way and you are using your knees, but it seems like you are pulling more with your arms than using your feet to push off. You are kind of dragging your knees behind you, and it is soooo cute. You also started to wave hi to me when we are driving to work in the morning. You will occasionally wave to daddy but that is about it. You still won't do it on command, and won't do it for the daycare ladies, but get you in the car, facing your mirror, and you go crazy. You have such a sweet personality and I love every bit of it and can't get enough. You have the most heart-warming smile I have ever seen, and we know you mean it since you won't do it for just anybody. You save your sweet smiles and laughs for those closest to you.
You are by far one of the happiest babies, given the fact that your tummy is full and you have had your naps!! Even when you are sick, which you have been quite a bit lately, you are still happy and smiling and playing. Nothing keeps you from playing. The most simplest toys are the most fascinating, and anything that can make a loud bang is by far your favorite. You have taken to my pots and pans rather well, and enjoy helping me cook in the kitchen with your own dishes on the tile floor.
With this new moving ability, we have definitely entered the world of bumps and falls. I am pretty sure both your dad and I need to learn to not even make the most subtle movements, gestures, or sounds, because when we do, you suddenly realize what you have done and get very upset about it. Whenever we don't take notice of your accidents, you don't even seem to mind and carry on with whatever toy you were trying to get to.
A really cute thing you have been doing lately is trying to play with our little yorkie Penny. You have been watching over the past eight months exactly how she likes to play. You have studied her bringing toys to me to throw, and have now started to try to do this on your own. Anytime she brings a toy to me now, you try to grab it from her, you shake it around while holding onto it for a bit, and then toss it, usually in her direction, and not very far, but you think this is hilarious. You also love to hold on to her toys and have her try to take them out of your hand. Poor Penny, I don't think she likes playing as much as she used to ever since you grabbed her whiskers instead of the toy, but I am sure she will get over it soon enough. You love your doggies, and love to watch and study them daily. You smile and laugh at them often, and love to play in their dog food. Boy, has this caused some problems. You will crawl over to their dish, no matter where I put it. You empty it either by tipping it over, or by slapping the pieces out bit by bit. When it is empty, you either bat at the pieces closest to you, or you decide to play with their now empty dish. We thought we would never have to worry about you putting any of the pieces into your mouth, since you hate anything but baby food or milk, but sure enough, two pieces have found their way in there. We always know when they do because you always get this concerned look on your face and try to spit it out before we even have a chance to get in there to get it out.
You are such a joy to your father and I. I don't know how we ever lived without you and how we ever lived without all of your entertainment. You are such a joy to be around, and I catch myself getting excited for my lunch hour just so I can come by your daycare and hang out with you for a bit. I am sure your teachers think I am nuts, but I just can't get enough of you. There is nothing I want more than to make you smile. I enjoy each of your hugs, and count them as a daily blessing. You are such a big part of our family, and I am so glad God chose us to be apart of your life. I pray that you grow up to learn about Jesus and to accept him as your Savior. I cannot wait for that day. We love you Karsten!!!