8 Months

This photoshoot was very different than the others to-date - the babies would NOT sit still.  About 5sec after I took this photo, I had to catch both of them as they went flying off the chair!  Phew! 

Not much has changed in the last month for Lukas.  He's still mostly stuck on all fours and still isn't moving forward.  He's {THIS} close to crawling, and I've seen him move forward a bit, but he's not quite there yet.   Adam reports that he successfully pulled himself up in the tub yesterday - that's a little scary!  Hopping up & down is still his most favorite pasttime.  Lukas continues to be an uncooperative eater, which has me a bit worried since he's only in the 5-10th percentile (I know, I know "food before one, just for fun").  Lukas has also been the rascal getting us up constantly between 4-5am.  Lukas shares Oliver's disposition and is upset by loud noises, like a crying older brother, for example. 

It's as if a light-switch has gone off in Alex's brain this past week.  On Sunday he started clapping and he's now doing it all the time.  This weekend, he also really got down walking when you hold his hands (Lukas can do this a little as well, but not with quite the same gusto).  He can crawl if he wants something (we used my work keys, which he loves, to demonstrate his crawling ability to Pauline on skype).  Alex continues to be the more willing eater and will happily gnaw on a biscotti or willingly try new foods (though he still can't really swallow anything remotely chunky).  Also in the last few days, Alex has started saying Deh-deh-deh. Amazing how little brains develop! 

Frustratingly, one thing Alex has not yet mastered is how to get from a position laying on his stomach back to a sitted position.  Lukas toggles back and forth between the two all the time, but because Alex doesn't often get up on all fours, he hasn't figured out how to get off his belly (we call his position a "parachuter").  Why he doesn't just roll over, I don't know.  It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the wimper/whine we hear when he's stuck. Remember when I said it was cute that Alex motions that he wants to be held?  That became un-cute quickly, as it has turned into constantly wanting to be held.  Good thing that kid is so darn cute!  That whine/wimper is like nails on a chalkboard and a constant fixture in our house these days, especially after 4pm.... 

This is just a phase.  This is just a phase...   

parachuter - arms & legs off the floor as if he's in the air

This photo of Alex reminds me SO MUCH of a similar photo I have of Oliver that I can't find to source right now.  Here are Oliver's milestones and 8mo photo op (hopefully, I can get the photos to be visible again).