ahh the serenity

We just spent the last week cruising the Murray river on a very luxurious housebaot. We went with Craigs parents and sister & her family, and his uncle, cousin & partner, and other cousin (isaacs god mother) & her family - who had a second boat.

It was a great trip. The kids were really good (well most of the time LOL) Caleb celebrated his 9th birthday, Isaac turned 8 months, and cut his second tooth, and it was fantastic to get away as a family. Being self employed means Craig doesnt get too much time off, so I loved watching him spend a whole week with the boys and I. The boys favourite thing was going on the canoe that we hired, and in the big hot tub on the boat. We had campfires on the bank at night and cooked damper and toasted marshmallows - yummo!

We ate heaps, and I think we probably drank just as much! Although no one on our boat ended up with a hang over! (If your reading this Ange, I didnt actually mention who did get the hang overs!!! lol) Its a fantastic way to spend a holiday! I didnt even miss my puter...it was quite noice to have a break from its constant distraction! It was nice to get back to it as well though ;0)

OK on to my little man...and my rambling letter about him reaching 8 months.

Well my little bubba you reached the 8th month mark of your little life while we were holidaying on a houseboat on the river murray. You were such a good boy, your usual contented happy self. You loved all the extra attention you got from your cousins, auntie Mandy & uncle John, Nanna & Pappa, as well as your godmother Angie along with her family Jamie, Zyla & Tyge, as well as todd, Nic, Rene & Brian.

I guess the major thing that happened during the last month was that you finally cut your first tooth at the age of seven months and three weeks, and the second one one day after turning eight months. They are the two bottom middle ones and are such tiny little cute teeth, and you have been really good and not bitten mummy yet. You did bite down on your own thumb one day last week, and boy did you scream! Sorry bubby, I know it hurt but Mummy thought it was very funny. You seemed to cope with it all really well. A few yuckier nappies than usual, lots of dribbling and chewing on everything and a bit of a red cheek the day they came through is about it.

The other big thing is that your slepping has improved out of sight in the last couple of weeks. I still have to get up to you some nights, but only a couple of times at the most, and there have been nights where you have slept right through for 12 hours - what bliss!!!!

I have changed around your routine a bit which seems to have helped. At about the same time that you cut your first tooth, I decided to try you with a bottle of milk (at about 2ish) before your afternoon sleep. This obviously fills you up more, you have a good sleep, and it gets you throught to tea time at about 5.30/6.00pm. The four o'clock whinging has dissapeared. Im a little worried what will happen with the big disruption of the boys going back to school next week though.

Im not ready to give up breastfeeding altogether though, we still have that early morning feed together, and you seem quite content with that. Its usually around 6ish, but sometimes you decide that you must have it at about 4.30am! No amount of sticking the dummy back in will convince you otherwise. Luckily you usually go back to sleep afterwards if its before 7am.

Your afternoon bottle is cows milk, and you love it. When our current tin of formula is finished Im going to give you cows milk at night as well. You eat well, and a huge variety, so Im sure you will get all the iron etc that you need from your food. You drink water during the day from your non spill sipper cup attachment that fits on your bottles. You worked out how to suck on this and love to chew on the rubber bit after your drink. Occasionally I give you a bit of diluted juice in it, and your face lights up as you greedily suck it all down. You definatley seem to have a liking for anything sweet.

You have an enourmous appetite at the moment. You have a big breastfeed when you wake, 1 1/2 - 2 weetbix with fruit for breaky, a big container of fruit & yoghurt/ fruit & custard/ vegies for lunch, 200ml bottle milk, another big container of mashed vegies with chicken/ meat/cottage cheese/grated cheese/rice/ pasta or a combo of these for tea, and 240ml bottle before bed. You love your food and are a good little eater. You have started enjoying chewing on a toast crust, or a soft biscuit too. Im not exactly sure where you put it all. Although the amount of nappies we get to change these days has increased dramatically. You used to only have one or two dirty nappies a week - now days thats more like three or four a day!

You are still moving backwards rather than forwards, although I did spend the two weeks before we went on the houseboat making you sit rather than practice trying to crawl!!! You sit steadily now, and when you are in the bath you grab the side and get on your knees. Once you are crawling I thing you will be into everything! You love grabbing at the paper when daddy is reading it. The distance you can manage to stretch those little arms to reach out for a glass we are drinking from, or a toy the boys are playing with, or your favourite thing, the TV remote, is just amazing. You love scrunching paper, nothing with in rolling, wriggling distance is safe - you can distroy the TV book in no time at all! Perhaps Daddy might learn to pout it away now! Everything goes in your mouth. You are beginning to reach over and grab at me as you try to climb up on to me when Im on the floor playing with you, and you have started to lift your arms to picked up when someone comes close. You pull out all the toys from the basket, and have worked out how each of them needs to be manipulated to make a sound, or spin or roll. You are mezmerised by the flames in the heater. You still do your cute little 'push ups'. You get to your hands and knees and rock there. You love playing with your two bright yellow rubber duckies in the bath. You love when we sing you songs, and you do a funny little head bobbing dance sometimes when you hear music playing. You giggle and laugh when i tickle your back or your feet, or your neck or your little bottom. You are just so ticklish! You still get the hiccups quite often and they are still so loud other people comment on them - Im so used to them I dont even notice you have most of the time. You love cuddling your teddy in bed. You love having no clothes on. You blow sloppy little rasberries, and are making lots of new sounds every week. Some even are starting to sound a lot like da da. You still do your gorgeous little 'mama' sounds when you get upset. Your 'talking' is still really loud.

You are getting quite a list of nicknames now including bubba, bubby (mummy & Nathan) ; zac/zaccy (auntie vic/grandma); bubba watson, watson, pud (daddy) ; i crack, little grub (Caleb); pud schmood (Sabine); squirrel cheeks (Toni) Im sure there are more - I will have to start writing them down.

I love you my little bubba!

Mummy xxx