8 Months!

Two thirds of our way to one year, and I am beginning to wonder where my baby is going!Thanks to mum, we have a picture of Baby JoJo and Baby Luke, albeit 5 days early. Is it my imagination or is Baby Luke shrinking?This boy is now on the move and very little can stop him. His crawling is a lot more assured now, less of the rocking back and forth on his hands and knees trying to remember what to do.He is particularly happy that he can now crawl after me and cling on to my legs, hoping to be picked up and transported somewhere exciting, See the ventilator is the background? He is pulling these over now, sigh! I knew we should put up fans on the ceiling!And now he is at liberty to investigate every tiny item he finds lying on the ground, before trying it for flavour of course. Yesterday it was a snail shell. After all that hard work a boy just needs his rest. He is still enjoying a siesta in the morning and after lunch, and gets up far too early and goes to bed far too late (6am - 8pm or so). A strict routine doesn't really fit into life here so I am just putting up with it.

Oh this boy loves his food! Aside from the four basic milk feeds a day, he is stuffing his face with anything he is offered, good boy! Weetabix for breakfast, thanks Mum! Plenty of banana and he will try any other fruit going - carambole, cythere, orange, goyave, maracudja... He is now able to eat less pureed things like pasta and diced veg. Next step is self feeding, which I have to admit I am avoiding somewhat as I can't face even more mess! (You would too if your child ate half his meals in your bedroom!)

Still an ever so cheerful, sociable baby, Baby JoJo's favourite person outside the immediate family is undoubtedly his Papy, who spends long periods singing to him, bouncing him, chatting to him in creole (he is determined that Baby JoJo will be speaking it before leaving!) and starting him walking. Papy has been responsible for most the kids here learning to walk apparently. I can see why, he well understands the principle of effort and reward, giving JoJo some treat or other that his mother would undoubtedly not approve of (cake?!!) for all his work!This look just says it all!

The first tooth is on its way out and the biting has begun, grr!

The girls can be a bit rough with the poor wee thing, so we await the day he takes his revenge. I think they have totally forgotten the fact that he is still relatively fragile! He loves watching them though, and will turn half way round in his chair to see whatever they are up to.

Oh, and his eyes are still blue! Will it last...?