em-jay...

This little sweetheart is already 8 months old! I can hardly believe it. In fact, even though I've been through this four times previously and could go back and re-read every time in the past I'd said the same words, I must have thought I was delusional. Let me say right now forever and always, I honestly am sitting here dumbfounded by how quickly the time has gone. Emilie is my baby and it's somehow just a little more exciting and a lot more poignant when she reaches milestones because I find myself every time saying that "L" word. Last.

She's not crawling, or army crawling, or scooting or anything akin to moving around really yet. She does do some pretty good rolling but I'm not entirely sure it's motivated by a desire to go somewhere. She's an excellent sitter, though, and just seems very content to stay in one place for now. I'm not worried developmentally because she pulled herself up to standing next to one of her toys the other day. She's just apparently chill enough she has nowhere in particular she wants to go yet.

She's a lover and a kisser and a cuddler. She loves music and being sung to and babbles with the best of them. She's getting her D's really fast and we wake up every morning to the sound of Emilie talking and singing her her crib in the other room. Erick calls it the Emilie alarm clock. Lucky it's not really early, usually somewhere between 6:45 and 7 am.

She is a great shopper and loves to go places in the car. She doesn't laugh easily and sometimes frustrates strangers with a cool stare, but loves her family and smiles for her brothers and sisters at the drop of a hat. And she smiles at her stuffed animals. They love her back equally, and our home is more full of love and joy than it's ever been. I forget how babies do that! Lately we've gotten a kick out of her fake cough. She'll sneeze or something, then give us coughs for as long as someone will cough back in reply.

Emilie loves most foods, but if we feed her she doesn't like she just refuses to open. It's funny because the look on her face is more "I forgot we were eating" than frustrated or angry, it's like she's just decided it's not good, and lost interest completely in food. Once again, totally chill. I seriously love this child.