Eight Months.

Alice & Clifton go to Napa. Thanksgiving 2012.

Dear Little Bean,

You are eight months old today! We feel like we say this every month but your personality really seemed to shine through over the last few weeks. You are now talking and squawking in all different ways with Da Da Da! and Ya Ya Ya! being your favorite phrases. You are still shrieking at the top of your lungs when Mommy or Daddy leave the room but you've also learned to play by yourself for more than 5 minutes, making Mommy's days with you just a bit easier and a lot more fun.

Since you are now too big for us to weigh you on the food scale, we just sit you up on our bathroom scale whenever we are curious how much you weigh. Last time we did that you weighed in at just over 19 pounds! As far as height, we aren't sure how tall you are but you are as tall as some of the 11- and 12-month old babies in your baby class. With Daddy being 6'5", we aren't surprised that your 9 month sized pants are already too short on you!

You are proving to be a great eater and will have a bite of just about anything that Mommy or Daddy is eating. Some of your most recent favorites include hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken breast, kiwi, persimmons (Mommy's favorite!), spinach, blueberries, and mango. You haven't quite mastered the pincer grasp yet but that doesn't stop you from picking up handfuls of Cheerios and stuffing them into your mouth. Now that you've had all these fun flavors, those quiet crackers have become less interesting to you.

You aren't quite crawling yet but you manage to roll and army-crawl around when we lay you on the floor. Unlike Mommy and Daddy, you are quite flexible and have no problems sucking on your toes when in a seated position or when laying on your back. And you seem to have mastered some yoga-like poses with downward-facing dog being one of your favorites.

This past month you experienced your first snow and your first (and hopefully last!) hurricane. We've started bundling you up in your snowsuit for walks in the stroller and you love to squirm and squeal in protest as we put it on. We're sure once the cold Boston winter settles in, you'll understand why we torture you with that puffy thing!

Today, on your eight-month birthday, we are celebrating Thanksgiving. And we are the most thankful for you, Little Bean, that you are happy and healthy.

We love you so much.

Love,

Mom & Dad.

I'm over you, Clifton.