8 months

Yesterday was a sweet day-Makayla turned 8 months old!!

This month we have seen a change in our sweet baby girl like no other. At 8 months Makyla is
*Standing!!! She started this a few weeks back and now we can't stop her from standing anywhere and everywhere. She is constantly standing and loves to show mommy and daddy what a big girl she has become.

*Sprouted her first 2 teeth. I noticed her 2 bottom teeth breaking through last Sunday.

*Tackling her first colds. She picked up her 1st. cold a few weeks ago and has been sneezing and fighting a runny nose again this past week. Poor pumpkie...notice the snot bubble in this pic :(

*Enjoyed a ride on the big kid swings for the 1st. time. I met my friend Michelle at the park this past week for a lunch date with her kiddos and we put M in a swing..to my surprise, she adored it. Every time the swing would swing forward she would giggle which in turn would make mama giggle. SO cute to watch her experience 'New' things in life!

*Celebrated mama's bday with her. This year my bday was especially sweet as I got to spend it with my sweet baby girl. Further proof that when you make a wish and blow out your candles on the cake, they do come true ;)

* Celebrated mommy & daddy's anniversary with them. Having our sweet baby girl join us for our anniversary celebration was the greatest Blessing to us. She is a reminder of our answered prayers that we get to look at, love, and treasure each and every day.

*Is enamored with the pets more then ever. She is constantly climbing all over the pets and just adores her brothers and sisters, the fur babies. Now the fur babies, they are not so fond of the new affection that there baby sister has developed; Duke (our gentle giant) will growl and bark at her but then just turns around and licks her. Dakota will scatter away as soon as she reaches out to touch her (or grab a huge handful of fur as it will be ;) and the kitties, well they just let her do her thing


*Has developed a fondness for tags. I noticed it awhile ago, when I would go to check on her in her crib and there she would be inspecting and observing the tags on her teddy bear, blankets, etc. So what else was mama to do, accept make her her own taggie blanket :)
She looks SO grown up to me in this pic...sniff, sniff...Where did my baby girl go??

*Moved up from a size 2 to a size 3 diaper

*Added meat and pumpkin to her repertoire of food (she's not so fond of meet so I have to mix it in with squash or carrots in order to get her to eat it)

*Has become quite the social butterfly!! This past month I started a women's Bible study at our church as well as joined a M.O.P.S group. Both activities allow for me to bring M so she has gotten to experience play time with a bunch of kiddos. I've really gotten a kick out of watching her interact with other babes. I am Blessed to serve in the children's ministry @ the Women's Bible study for an hour so I get to watch her interact 1st. hand and well, we have a happy social butterfly on our hands :). There are some children who enjoy being held the whole time, are crying, want your attention, etc but not M...she is perfectly content to sit there and entertain herself while chatting up a storm. I do have to say, she is the loudest one in the group by far ;) Hmm..I wonder where she gets that ;)!!!
*LOVES to demolish my magazines!!! I have now had to strategically move some of my magazines so that our family room doesn't become one big paper trash pile!
* Has taken a fondness to cartoons. Just a couple of morning ago I stumbled upon Sesame Street and she couldn't take her eyes off of it. Of course, the Disney movies are still top of the list at the Mellstrom house though :)
*Has started to get into things. Time to start baby proofing ;). When I have her in my studio with me she is easily entertained, as there is all sorts of things to get into
Like this sticker tag, this looks yummy...let me stick it in my mouth!
*Started to stick out her tongue..LOL

*Started to give herself her own bottle

*Can successfully escaper her car seat if not strapped in.

The other night, we were eating dinner and she was in her car seat in the family room. All of a sudden I look over and see her sitting on the outside of her seat playing with the ribbons on her car seat cover...Hmm...how did that happen?

This month has been such a huge Blessing in our lives. We have seen life through a child's eyes and have become more aware of the precious gift of life, the little things in life that make it complete.

Baby girl, you are our most precious treasure- You are our heart. We love you!