Dear Ethan. Now You're Eight Months Old.

Dear Ethan, 
Mummy's been crazy busy this month - there always seems so much to do, which I guess is actually a good thing, as it's much better than being bored! So, that is why I'm late with this update. I have always managed to get it up on your monthly birthdays (the 17th) but this month I'm coming in a few days late. 
Here's how you've been getting along lately...

FOOD

You still eat very well and eat pretty much anything that we give you. You usually have porridge for breakfast, though this morning it was scrambled egg. For lunch and dinner, I alternate you between a shop brought jar and home cooked food. I give you things like lentils, butter beans, spinach, all different kinds of vegetables, pasta, cheese, etc and you eat it all. You love bananas and little yoghurts. 

SLEEP

You use to sleep really well, but in last months update, I touched on how since going in your own bedroom things had been a bit more rockier. Your sleep pattern is definitely not terrible by any means,  I can't complain as some other Mums and Dads have it really bad. But your sleeping pattern has definitely got its hiccups. Most nights you wake up crying, this appears to be because you want to come into Mum and Dads bed to sleep, which we let you do. I've tried to settle you back off to sleep in your own bed, but you won't have it and your crying gets louder the more I try. So you spend half tyne night in your own bed and half the night in ours usually. You usually have a nap in the day around midday but this depends on how you feel. It can range from nothing, to 20 minutes to 2 and half hours. If you do nap, you only nap once. We use to be able to settle you at 7pm with a bottle up in your bedroom, but the last couple of nights you've decided that you don't want to go to sleep in your cot and your cry until either I or your Dad come and get you and either get you back to sleep by holding you and sneaking off or bringing you back downstairs. 

DEVELOPMENTS

You are so much more aware of everything lately. I've noticed such a change in the way you play with your toys. The way you are with other people. The way you are when your recognize Daddy as he walks through the door in the evening on weekdays. You're showing so much personality. You rarely lay still anymore, you're always rolling on to your front or trying to pull yourself to sit up. You can scoot yourself about on the floor by rolling and shuffling. (In fact, just as I am writing this, you have shuffled yourself around the rug and gone and got your own toy out of the toy basket.) Your bum often goes up into the air when you're on your front and I find myself wondering if this is it, are you about to crawl? But there's been no crawling as of yet. 
One major development we have had, and I say major because I nearly cry of pride every time you do it, because 1. I am your Mum and that's what Mums do and 2. because it literally is the funniest thing I've ever seen, is dance. You love to dance. It all started with your radio that you play with at Grandma and Grandpops house, they saw you do it first and sent me a video. I couldn't believe it, there you we're swaying side to side, your little bum bopping along and your head going back and forth to the music. You would only do it to your radio tunes but you now do it to all sorts of music and even to Mummy singing or Daddy making 'choo choo' noises at dinner. It's hilarious!
It's Christmas Day tomorrow sweetheart and I can't wait to wake up in the morning and start the day. It's going to be so magical for all of us. You loved visiting Santa and I just know you are going to love the magic that Christmas Day will bring. 
We love you so much. We really do. 
All my love now and forever, Mummy. xx