Baby J is Eight Months Old

Baby J is eight months old. He now weighs 20lbs 9.5ozs and is 73cm long. I think. He is a very wriggly baby these days and it’s hard to get an accurate measurement of his height!

This month J mastered his first word, “dada”. Last month he was babbling quite a lot but I was being strict and didn’t want to count it as a first word unless it seemed in context. This time he has actually said it to Ian, so it definitely counts!

For a baby who can’t quite crawl yet [he is so close though!] J certainly manages to get about easily. He is a speedy little roller, he whizzes across the room, pushes himself up like a cobra then changes direction before rolling or shuffling off in the other direction. Little N is most distraught that his toys are no longer safe from the tiny, inquisitive hands of his baby brother.

I am going to kick myself for saying this if it jinxes things, but Baby J has suddenly started sleeping for really long stretches at night. He likes to go to bed around 7pm, I simply take him when he seems tired. He has a nice long feed and lots of cuddles before falling asleep, then I transfer him to his cot where he sleeps until about 3am. He wakes anywhere between 1am-3am for another quick feed then he’s back to sleep until morning.

I don’t let myself get too stressed about sleep, or the lack of it, because it’s part and parcel of parenthood. I made the choice to have babies so I will adapt to their needs. However I can’t deny that these last few nights have been amazing!

If only we could get day naps sorted. Unfortunately my toddler puts a spanner in the works as far as naptimes are concerned. He shrieks or bangs and generally does everything he can to wake the baby up. So poor Baby J only gets a proper nap at the weekend when Daddy can help me keep N quiet!

Baby J is doing so well with his food. He eats so much, more than Little N does! And he eats a whole range of foods, he loves everything I give him. You can read more about his introduction to baby-led weaning here and how his first month of baby-led weaning has gone here.  He is breastfeeding noticeably less now; he has 4 feeds during the day, then bedtime and one feed during the night.

Now that Baby J settles so well in the evening it means I can spend a little more time on myself. I’m loving being able to do my evening skincare routine again, particularly as I’m having hormonal breakouts so my skin needs nurturing. My hair is having a much needed growth spurt and I have lots of new hair regrowth too, thank goodness!

I’m hoping to start going to yoga once a week now that J doesn’t nurse as frequently. I’ve also got Charlotte Crosby’s 3 Minute Belly Blitz on DVD so project “Bye Bye Mum Tum” is a go. Wish me luck!

Missed an update? Catch up with Baby J’s One Month, Two Month, Three Month, Four Month, Five Month, Six Month and Seven Month updates, and read my birth stories here: The Emergency C-Section and The VBAC

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