Developments

In re-reading my last post, I realize that I forgot to include a very good picture of what Jude is like at this age.  Developmentally, he has made a lot of progress this past month.  He'll now sit up unsupported for minutes at a time if we put him in the right position and he feels like sitting (mostly depends on whether he has something interesting to do while sitting).  Once he's done with sitting, he'll lean forward and either fall on his belly or spend sometime in the "crawl" position before flopping forward.  From his belly, he'll push up into the crawl sometimes, but more commonly into an "upward dog" yoga pose, then scoot backwards a little bit.  He can rotate all the way around from his belly or scoot backwards (although I don't know if that is on purpose).  He still loves to stand up, and letting him do that is a sure way to get some smiles.

Jude also loves crawling all over me and attacking my face.  Our latest game is where he opens his mouth up as wide as he can and tries to eat my chin, nose, cheeks, or ears.  At the same time I'm trying to eat his neck.  He loves it and it's a game he only plays with me.  E Ben is not so lucky.  He also giggles uncontrollably when we play the tickle game.  I make a certain noise and start moving my fingers towards him very slowly and he laughs in anticipation.  Then when I actually reach his neck or tummy he squeals and we start all over again.

Jude has also started "talking" more clearly.  His favorite word right now is "Da" and "Dada".  He says it when he sees E Ben or me.  I think he thinks it means "parent" or maybe he is just making sounds.  It will be interesting to see what he says next!

Jude is really close to being able to sleep through the night.  We've had a few nights where he slept for 10 or 11 hours before waking to eat (I know for most people that would count as "sleeping through the night", but Jude sleeps for 12 hours a night so we're waiting for the day that he doesn't need to eat at all during that time).  Unfortunately on the 10-11 hour days, his whole schedule is in flux for the day (he is hungry and does not take good naps), so we have gone back to making sure to feed him by 4am so that he can sleep until 7 and have a normal day.  My sleep book says that he'll be developmentally ready to sleep for 12 hours without eating when he's about nine months old, so I think we'll wait until then to try to push for a full night.

Ok, here are a few more photos:

My grandmother Ninette is camera-shy, so this is the only good photo we have of her with Jude.

Cute and asleep on the airplane.

Bottle or Foot?

Guitar player


Upward Dog.  Or is it Cobra?