Blimey, I'm 8 months old...

Irish eyes are smilin' on me this month!  Goodness, sometimes I wonder if Rhys could be a happier baby.  Yes, he has his fussy days.  Don't we all.  But most days, most of the entire day, he is a blissfully happy little man.  

As long as he can stand or has something to chew on when his legs give out and he has to sit down, he's content.  Most definitely an independent player.  I can sit in the playroom with him and pretty much watch him.  Sometimes, I can even leave him there while I get something done in the house.  

He crawls to me when he wants me.  Love that.  He leans his head in to mine for a forehead "kiss."  Love that.  He giggles when I kiss his stomach.  Love that.  He plays with toys in his high chair while I fix dinner or food for Aubrey Kate.  Love that.  He nuzzles his face into my chest when I sing to him before bedtime.  Love that.  

In fact, the only thing I don't love is that time is absolutely flying by.  

Really, he's eight months.  How in the world did that happen?  I know I say that every month.  And I sincerely mean it every month.  He is growing so fast and since he's my last baby, I would like for time to just slow down a bit.  

Okay, for stats.  We didn't measure him.  He looks taller to me than last month and I'm sure he is.  His little pants are getting shorter by the minute.  Chris weighed him and he's up to 20 lbs.  

Twenty.  Pounds.  

Good gracious.  That's HUGE.  

We're wearing 9 or 12 months in Carter's stuff.  They fit him best because they seem to be made for tall and skinny.  The 6-12 months stuff from Old Navy and Gap still fit but he doesn't particularly like putting them on.  They're a smidgen tight going on but fit well once we wiggle his arms in the holes.  

He's still a serious eater although the past week he seems to have been vetoing the solid baby food.  The last several days we've been lucky to get three or four good bites down him.  Bottles are still his favorite.  I just bought him some Puff's tonight.  I suspect he will LOVE them.

He's also still sleeping like a champ.  Most mornings, he wakes up around 7:00 am.  If he wakes up before that, I feed him and put him back down.  If the sun ain't up, babies ain't up.  In the mornings, he takes a 30 - 60 minute nap about 2.5 to 3 hours after he wakes up.  The afternoon's are his long nap.  Anywhere 90 minutes to 2.5 hours.  He's dropped the late afternoon nap entirely.  We start the bedtime process at 7 pm with bath, bottle and bed.  He's down by 7:30 pm.  He may play a few minutes but he's easily asleep by 7:40 pm at the latest.  

On a serious note, I feel such a burden to pray for him and his life.  Almost as if I cannot pray for him enough.  His life is such a miracle.  I have a feeling God has big plans for him.  He will be responsible for leading a family someday.  At least, I pray he will.  What a calling!  Having him has given me a new respect for the weight Chris, my dad, my father-in-law and brother carry and carried each day. One day, I'll share the prayer I say for him each night.  Maybe in his first birthday letter.

Which, the first birthday, is coming lightening fast!  Family, I hope y'all are prepared to come out!  It's hot in Texas in July.  Consider yourself warned.  

Blurry picture because he never stops moving!

His favorite thing to do...stand up! 

Sweet picture before he realized there was dirt and stuff to play with behind him...