8 Months

I'd say this was my favorite month yet. Jonas is happy most of the time and interacts with us a lot more. He went through a clingy phase for a little while where he didn't want to let me cook or work on anything while he was in the room. Now, though, he's able to play pretty independently with his toys, with some occasional squawks for me to come over and mess with him. He's such a good-natured baby and will still go to anyone happily. I know people always exclaim over all babies' cuteness and sweetness, but I can't help but feel that the comments are a little more sincere when they're about Jonas. :) I'm proud to be his mom.

"Firsts"

• First time to really roll. It was as if one day a switch was flipped and he realized he could actually get something he wanted by rolling to it. Now he rolls all the time and is sort of starting to creep. He's still not huge on lifting his head off the ground (unless he's sitting) or being on his tummy, so no crawling yet.
• First big road trip with just mom and dad/first time to meet Grandpa and Alma, Todd and Rachel, Aunt Susan, Uncle Glenn, and Julia. We drove up to Wynne, AR, to spend a few days with Darby's extended family. It was wonderful. We were able to get the three baby second cousins together and introduce Jonas to his great-grandparents. From there, we drove over to Knoxville to visit Darby's cousins and then to a little cabin in the Smokies. I really enjoyed the time to relax together as a family. And Jonas was a dream baby while traveling. We are seriously so spoiled. 

  

  Great-Grandpa Jack

  

  Great-Grandma Alma

  

  Getting three babies to look at the camera proved quite challenging. Carter's older brother Cam tried to help as much as he could. Jonas is dwarfed by his cousins Carter (born in November) and Noah (born in January). He's the petite one in the family.

  

  Cousins Todd and Rachel in their cool apartment in downtown Knoxville. They took us out on the main square downtown for a fantastic dinner.

  

  Jonas really enjoyed riding the free trolley.

  

  Outside our cabin in the Smokies. It was raining that day so you can't see the mountains very well, but the view was really pretty.

  
  
• First time to say "dada." He doesn't understand what he's saying and says it anytime to anyone. But still, it's fun to hear. No "mama" yet.  
• First move. We bought a house! It was a crazy whirlwind. My parents and sister came up to help us paint, pack, and clean. Then, Darby's mom came and helped us unpack. I was so grateful because we left for our vacation a week after closing. Jonas transitioned without any trouble. He now has a whole room to himself instead of having to share it with the office. I actually haven't taken any pictures of the new house yet. I'm waiting til everything's in order. So, maybe in three years?

  

  Jonas helping Mamaw and Daddy hang pictures.

Things I Want to Remember

• He has started growling as his preferred method of communication. He seriously sounds like a little demon. Everyone loves it. 
• He has learned that he can get himself from sitting to laying down without just toppling over if he leans back very slowly. So, he does a reverse sit-up basically. It's pretty funny. And obviously a great core workout. 
• He has tons of toys, but his favorite thing is an empty water bottle Darby's mom gave him. Give him one of his bright, textured, squishy, rattly, toys, and he'll be entertained for maybe 2 minutes. Give him that water bottle and he's good for 15 minutes or more.