8 Month Old Playtime

Eight months old is such a fun age!  I absolutely love watching the babies' interactions with one another and how they play with their toys. Now that we have two sitters and one scooter, the trio are showing interest in toys that they previously didn't care about. 

The activity cube offers entertainment for each baby. James and Maddie are content sitting and playing with the lights, music, mirrors, and gadgets on each side. Amelia is happier confiscating the blocks and scooting away.

Maddie and James took turns driving their stationary car today.

This photo op was short lived as James got mad that he couldn't press the buttons and Maddie cried because James was pushing her.  It was amusing to witness their interactions and first attempts at sharing.

Amelia was elated to jump in the jumper/exersaucer.  She would jump about ten times, then laugh and blow raspberries, then jump some more. Her leg strength is impressive.

The babies are also developing cause and effect relationship with their toys.  I'm noticing each baby make intentional efforts of pressing certain buttons that create different outcomes.  For example, Maddie favors manipulating the monkey to make his arms move, whereas Amelia likes to press the top buttons for animal sounds.

After so many months of watching the trio lay on their backs, it still surprises me to look at them sitting or moving about the living room.

I want to enjoy this stage for a while longer before having to bring out the walkers and toddler toys.

An Abundant Life

I don't know how Jesse and I are so fortunate, but once again we have received so many things for the trio.  (We spent $30 on their shared Christmas present, which was the first time we've spent our own money on the babies...CRAZY!)  The babies were gifted clothes, high chairs, baby food, toys, adorable cloth diapers, and wipes.  We haven't had to buy a single toy, crib, high chair, diaper, burp cloth, can of formula, article of clothing, bottle, double stroller, etc.  They only purchase we've made is the quad stroller, and we used baby shower money for that.  It's truly amazing how generous family, friends, and friends of friends have been to our family!

Here's the mammoth pile of opened gifts:

I mentioned in the previous post that I switched the storage bins for the toy chest.  It was the same height and still fit perfectly under the lettering.

The chest works well to conceal the mess of toys.

My coworkers joked that our house looks like an in-home daycare with the high-chairs stacked in the corner and toys everywhere. 

In addition to the gifts from family members, we also received our second shipment from Enfamil.  We now have 34 unopened cans of formula stacked up to the ceiling of our laundry room.  If I supplement with 1 can per week, this will last well beyond their first year of life.  (Now let's just hope my supply keeps up and I don't have to supplement more.)

God is good!  Not just for providing financially, but blessing us with beautiful children, good heath, education, stability, and generous loved ones.  We are fulfilled in every sense of the word.

Growing Up Too Fast

Let's start with the biggest boy.  We got his preschool pictures back last Thursday.  The photographer is smart to print every pose.  There are no proofs.  You simply select the sheets you want, pay for them, and take them that day.  I assume they just throw away the printed pictures you don't select, which goes to show how cheap it is to print pictures and how much money they make off of you.  I hadn't planned on buying any, but once I saw them I had a hard time narrowing down my purchases.  I can't get over how grown he looks!  Here are the two poses I selected:

The next big boy is continuing to set the curve for the girls.  James' latest development is wanting to be in a standing position at all times.  He constantly puts weight on his legs and he laughs every time he's held and able to jump.  James is really interacting a lot more and reaching for toys.  He continues to have the best head control.

In the past two weeks, James has stubbornly held his bottle.

Ms. Diva has surpassed her brother in the amount of time spent on her tummy. After months of screaming on the floor, Amelia is finally content on the floor.  She still isn't rolling over, but she is beginning to grab her pacifier and other objects while on her tummy.

Amelia continues to exhibit the strongest personality of the family.  She is every bit the diva we call her.  She gets the worst congestion but when I use the nasal bulb to suction it out she has actually snatched it out of my hand.  She's such a mess! 

I'm afraid our sweet Maddie hasn't shown a whole lot of physical advancements.  She struggles to lift her head while on her stomach, but she has fine control while sitting in a bumbo.  Her reflux is slowly improving.  Most days she is able to wear the same outfit all day along, compared to multiple wardrobe changes each day.

She is so mild and meek.  Of the three babies, Maddie is the most gentle and the most talkative.

 
While she has finally grown into her looks, she still resembles an elf at times with this strange quirk:

And there you have it.  My babies are growing oh so quickly.