we have an eight-month-old

Still. no. teeth.  Not even swollen gums or little white bumps.  The only indication we have that he might someday grow some teeth, is that he loves to chew on things with his lil' gums.  Drool yes.  Teeth no.  

He is still a really good little eater.  He gobbles up pretty  much everything I feed him (including the things that he didn't really like at first), and if he starts to make faces, I can just mix in a little bit of something I know he loves (like yogurt) and he does great!  He is much more interested in self-feeding these days, and loves his "mum-mums" and yogurt puffs.  Hendrix also really wants to eat what we are eating......he seems to think that if it comes off our plate it must be better!  Sometimes we let him have some.  :)  His newest recent foods are papaya, asparagus, and chicken.  yum

No crawling yet either.  He is pretty content to sit and play.  He does do more leaning forward these days, but hasn't made any efforts to get up on all fours.  His lack of mobility doesn't seem to frustrate him yet, so I guess I will just be patient and appreciate that I don't have to worry about his safety as much right now!  We have been looking around for some 'good-looking' baby gates (do they even make these?) for our stairway!

His hair is getting so long!  I find myself brushing the front hairs to the side so they don't hang down so close to his eyes....and then he has a silly baby "combover".  He definitely takes more after his daddy with his hair as I just plain didn't have any until I was almost two.

He has a fascination with pulling off his sock(s).  Usually it is just the left one, but sometimes both of them.  Of course, they go straight to the mouth when they come off.  :)  He is most definitely in the learn-about-the-world-by-tasting-everything phase.

His other favorite things right now include:

• playing outside.....he loves to sit on the grass, be in the stroller, look at the fish in our pond, and play on the playground equipment.
• spending time with riley and gabe - he loves watching them just run around full of energy, and is especially smitten when they talk to him, sing to him, and read to him.  He is all smiles when we walk in the door to their house each morning.
• car rides....he either falls asleep immediately, or he sits back there just babbling to himself.  so cute.
• bathtime.  i can't believe how much can change in such a short time.  You might remember that he hated baths.....now he adores them. 

I don't know that I can pinpoint anything as his particularly favorite toy.  He does have the same couple in his diaper bag usually so he plays with them alot, as well as the same few in a toybox in his room, or downstairs, etc.  I guess this gives him alot of variety and maybe it is helpful that he doesn't have just one toy that he can't live without.

On the other hand, he adores his blankie.  Absolutely adores it.  He likes to hold it, eat it, and bury his face in it.  He sort of forgets about it while he is awake and happily playng, but the minute he starts to get tired, he wants to know where it is.  I washed it the other day while he was busy playing, and when I gave it to him fresh from the dryer, he seemed rather displeased that he didn't recognize the spit-up smell on it anymore.  Don't worry, the smell returned within a few short hours.  The corners are starting to fray a bit, so I might have to do some blankie magic one of these days........in the meantime, we need to make sure we don't lose that blankie!

He is a busy boy, and he keeps us really busy.  What a joy being his mommy is!