The 8th Month

This last month seems to have flown by, but then again, they always seem to fly by. I don't know what it is about becoming a mom that makes time enter hyper speed. I hate it, but at the same time, I love nothing more than watching her learn and grow and discover new things every single day! I feel like these last few weeks have just been chalk full of new developments for Izzy. She is getting SO smart and so strong. She is turning into a little person. She has such a fun personality and has the absolute best sense of humor. I love that she is easy going and really laid back, and thinks so many things are just so interesting or so silly. She is always smiling and laughing and exploring. I'm so grateful I get to be with her every day to experience everything first hand.

We had a bit of a rough patch at the beginning of the month. As lots of you already know, we had to start supplementing with formula so that Izzy would gain weight, and as a result my milk supply dipped pretty low, but we stuck with it, and I was able to consistently nurse in the mornings and at nights, and bottle feed throughout the day. It was the perfect happy medium, I was able to still get my one on one time with her, but she was able to get the calories she needed to grow. But for whatever reason, my supply just continued to drop, and Izzy started biting me because she would nurse, but get frustrated because there was hardly anything there for her, and so she would bite down and at times draw blood from me. I suffered through the biting for a few days, but I knew that things weren't going to get better, and my supply wasn't worth fighting for since it didn't do anything for her in the weight department. We were simply doing it because of the emotional benefits. So one sad night, I admitted to Alex that I think it was time to stop nursing. He agreed and listened to me as i cried about not making it to a year, and how much I felt like a failure. But he was able to talk some sense into me, and reminded me that by feeding Izzy formula, we were giving her what she needed most, and that definitely meant that I was NOT a failure. He's a smart guy. It was a hard few days after deciding to formula feed 100%, but after that, I was able to grasp my new found independence and I no longer feel self conscious for choosing this method of feeding. I am proud that I was able to nurse as long as I did, and I know that Izzy loves me no matter how many months we were able to breast feed, so we are good. I still sneak my morning snuggles in, and soak up any time that she will lay her head on my shoulder, because now those intimate moments are fewer are farther between, but that makes them all the more sweet. 

We bought Izzy a new high chair (it's this one... and i LOVE it.) and now she is obsessed with feeding herself. She had been getting the hang of picking up puffs and cut up fruits and veggies, but now that she has her high chair and tray she is a serious pro. She is obsessed with veggie straws, multi grain cheerios, shredded cheese, and pretty much anything else we put on her tray. I love that she is able to entertain herself in her highchair. It's amazing to be able to sit her up, throw some puffs on her tray and get things done while I know she is safe and happy. 

Izzy has always head a lot of hair, and i'm surprised that it took this long for her to actually need a hair cut. Well honestly, she has needed one for a while, but it took this long for me to convince her daddy that she needed one. So one day, while over at Nona Deb's house we asked for a little trim. She was so good and sat (relatively) still, and we were able to cut her bangs. I think it looks so cute!!

Overall this month was pretty laid back. We hung out at home a lot, and of course saw our family tons and tons. And like I said I feel like these last few weeks she has just blossomed into the little girl and isn't much of a baby anymore, but is much more a toddler. It's so crazy, but so fun.

• She is her mothers daughter and LOVES to get out of the house. And since the weather has been just gorgeous, we have been going to the park a lot. She loves to see the birds, and loves to touch the grass, but she doesn't like the sand on her feet. 
• She has started clapping her hands when we say "YAY IZZY!!" It's seriously the cutest thing. She will also sometimes start to clap if you sing "Patty Cake". Smart girl.

• She is also waving Bye Bye. She just kinda flaps her arm up and down. But she only does it when I say "Say bye bye!" and then she will look at my hand waving and then she will wave her arms around. I love it.
• She is playing with her toys more and more and not just staring at them. She likes to play on her little xylophone and bang her blocks together or hold onto balls and throw them or kick them. 

• She is the best eater and will not turn her nose up at anything. But we have found that she likes veggies more than fruit in most cases. She is obsessed with green beans. I would say those are her favorite at the moment and a close second would be carrots or peas. 
• I was able to get her first braid in this month. And I about died from cuteness. 

My little Isabel, my heart swells with pride when you learn something new. I love watching you discover the beautiful world around you. And I want you to know that you are one of the most beautiful things on this earth, and I know that the world is a better place because you are here. You bring so much happiness to mine and your dad's lives and I don't know anyone who knows you who doesn't love you so much. You are a special little girl and I can't wait to see what new things you learn and discover.

Love, Mama.