Bailey at 8 months

You finally went to the zoo (and we have season passes now so there are more trips in your future)!! You even got to have Bumpa join you and he loved every second of it J

 

We lowered your crib mattress (on the 4th of July). You are crawling around in your crib now and trying to grab at all of your toys on the mobile. You LOVE your crib, it's like a fun playpen for you

You can crawl – very, very fast! Time for mommy and daddy to get baby-proofing!

You can pull yourself up onto things. Not a lot yet, but it's done multiple times/day

Hi mommy, I'm standing like a big girl!

You celebrated your first 4^th of July (quite stylishly, I might add)

  

You went to the Apple Valley 4th of July parade and met up with Charlee!



Hi Charlee - nice to finally meet you - pretty dress :)



Daddy - this is so exciting!



   

Check out all this candy I can't eat!



  

You love to splash in your little pool (and the bathtub!) When you see mama with the pool, you get really excited and follow me around until it's time to get in :)

 You've tried quite a few new foods this month

More peas, please!

We went to the cabin the weekend after the 4^th and you had fun with your cousins and (practically) step-cousins

Maylee and Bailey in the pool

Checking out the lake with daddy

snoozing on the raft with daddy

You started swimming lessons! You and Austin are the only ones in your class and you like to mimic each other and flirt with each other. It’s the cutest thing ever!

Daddy and Bailey swimming on night 1 (of 7)

You did so well on your first long car ride! I was dreading the car ride so much (as per usual, but even more with an almost 8 month old baby). We spent 9 hours in the car each way driving to Minot, ND. I can’t even express how proud I am of you!! Out of the whole time in the car, you maybe cried a total of 15 minutes (max) which is pretty much unheard of.

  

After your amazing car ride, you did not sleep very well in the crib that was set-up for you at uncle Travis and Auntie Marie's house. I’m blaming the cold basement we slept in at my bro’s house for your out-of-the-ordinary sleeping behavior that landed you in our bed for 3 nights. I’m not a fan of allowing babies to sleep in the bed with parents, but it was what worked for us at that time (and I’ll be honest, I kind of liked having our family cuddled together in bed for a few nights…). Now time to get you back to your normal routine!

You survived your first Marsland Family Reunion. You were a pretty big hit with the family

I took no pictures of the reunion (blogger fail), but here you are, Bailey, snoozing in the boba (mommy really liked you cuddled up with her!). Also, we've had the reunion in a retirement home the last few years and it really isn't very fun. I'm hoping next year it will be somewhere more exciting!

Other things to note

Height: unsure

Weight: at home weigh-in was 18lbs
Head: unsure

Places you've been: Cabin - MN Zoo - Minot, ND - Apple Valley Parade - Swim Lessons
Doctor's Appointments: You don't go back until 9 months

Daycare: Still driving to Elko about 2-3 days/week. Sometimes daddy keeps you at home with him instead of taking you to daycare (less driving)
Sleeping: You've done really great minus when we were in Minot, ND. I think it was due to the coldness in the basement (64 degrees)
Eating: Eating 7oz every 3-4 hours. Some new foods you've tried this month are carrots, peas, mangoes (which made you poop 4 times at daycare so that was the end of that) and some store-bought food combos (chicken and apples, fruit medley). I've made the carrots, peas and mangoes for you! 

Clothing: Mostly wearing 6 months and still squeeze into some 3-6 clothes

Diapers: You are wearing size 2 diapers when you wear regular diapers. We've had a few incidents with the cloth diapers. I'm not sure if it's time to "strip" them or what, but you wake up soaked in the morning with your overnight cloth diapers and occasionally leak through the ones you wear during the day. For now, you're wearing a disposable overnight diaper until I can figure out what the problem is there.
Things you like: Playing peek-a-boo, chasing your puppies around and stealing their food, splashing in the puppy water bowl, pool time (lessons or at-home pool), when we fake sneeze, you LOVE it when we clap our hands and praise you, the vents on the floor and walls, mommy/daddy assisted petting of the puppies, going for walks, watching other kids play, moving around on your own in the house
Mommy likes: when you see mommy pick you up from daycare you get a big smile on your face, when mommy sings and dances for/with you, you love to pull mommy's hair and necklaces and suck on them, you try to give mommy kisses (which sometimes involves a tongue in mommy's mouth),
Daddy likes: when daddy sings to you in the morning to wake you up, when daddy gets home from work, daddy cuddles

On the eve of your 8 month birthday after I gave you your bottle before bed, I started singing your “Bailey Bear” song  and your little head popped up from my chest where it was resting and you had the biggest smile on your face and you just watched my lips sing the song to you and you started giggling a bit too. I keep thinking of that moment and it just makes me realize how much of you (and your personality) I just love to pieces. You are so unbelievable. You make me and everyone that meets you smile.

“Bailey Bear”

My name is Bailey Bear

I have some pretty hair

I’m so cute!
And I toot!

I love my mommy

And my daddy

And my monkeys, too

Oooh!