8 Months

As of Wednesday, Sarah is 8 months! It just keeps getting better and better. I loved the newborn and little baby satge, but this is the best so far (I'll probably say that next month too). I love how interactive and responsive she is. She smiles lots, laughs easily and giggles when we tickle her. I also love how her eating times are aligned with ours. Not to mention the wonderful freedom that I am now experiencing during the day time now that she takes the bottle. Her great napping pattern and sleeping schedule have also been a blessing.

Sometimes people ask if she's on a schedule since she always eats and sleeps at roughly the same time. I never liked the word schedule, it just sounds too rigid to me, I prefer pattern or routine (but that's just me). Whatever you want to call it, I suppose she is on one. I never intentionally planned it that way, it just kind of happened. However, I feel like we still have lots of flexibility to change it up, I never feel tied down to her routine or feel like it has taken over our lives. She has always been a girl that has needed her rest, so she always has two naps a day (used to be 3). If we're out and about she can often handle just one nap at home, as long as she gets a little cat nap in the car or stroller.

We have continued to enjoy 7 pm bedtimes and 7-8 am mornings. This has taken effort and consistency on our part, and has not always been the easiest. If we're out at someone’s house we always bring her pack and play crib and put her to bed in there. I am so... glad that we started that right away when she was just a wee baby. It gives us freedom to go out and we know that our child is getting the rest that she needs. Every so often she will decide that she wants to wake up at some time in the night and we may have to go through a night or two where she has a period of crying, consoling, and crying it out to get her back on track (usually takes about 1/2 hour, really not that bad, but it feels MUCH longer). If she wakes up around 6/ 6:30 I can almost always feed her a little bit and put her back to bed, then she'll sleep to 8:30/9 am, again, not that bad.

There are so many things that I have learned these past 8 months as a mom. Consistency and routine have been so important for Sarah (just like teaching). With a semi structured day, I know that she knows what to expect and seems very content. I have also found that when we do totally disregard the structure for a day (naps, play time, etc) she easily gets back on track the following day since it's already well established. I've also realized the importance of being flexible and being ok to go back to the drawing board when something isn't working. She's obviously constantly growing and changing, therefore our daily routine and the way we do things with her has to change too.

What's working great today may not work tomorrow, and if that's the case, it's ok. Some days will always be worse than others. Be calm, don't panic. She definitely senses our reaction when figuring out how to react herself. If she falls and hits her head and I smile and act like nothing happened, then she seems to do the same thing. So we are continually learning and growing as parents. We by no means have all the answers, and never will. We just do the best that we can and recognize that each child is an individual. What we’ve been doing with Sarah may not work at all for another child. But I do think that consistency pays off, whatever the situation, at least that's what I remind myself when I am letting her have a cry at night or covering her mouth when she is spitting food out just for the fun of it.

I must admit that I am not looking forward to the 3 hour time difference when we go back to BC in a few days. I anticipate some grouchy evenings and very early mornings. Oh well, it's just the way that it is.

How is it that by the time I check over a post I have written so much? I suppose I am just enjoying writing these days. yikes

I found another great use for my braces elastics... Sarah's hair! They are perfect for making one little pony tail on the top. I love it!