Duke Anthony Felecos: 8 months old!

8...8...8 months?!  When, how, what, really?!  Just like that my sweet little nugget is 8 months old!  Let's take a look at what might be my favorite month so far in Duke's life!

Duke's major milestone this month is the ARMY CRAWL.  Little man is on the move, but apparently he doesn't need to use his knees to get around.  He does the funniest pull, tippy-toe push, forearm crawl I've ever seen and I love it.  He is super-determined, especially when he's trying to get his mouth hands on some electronic devices...or steal my undergarments apparently.

He's also working on 3 upper teeth right now...2 have broken the surface and the 3rd is not far behind!  He'll be ready for some steak any day now...

He has handled my transition back to work like a champ.  We both enjoy some lunchtime snuggles whenever possible and he is in my arms and usually nursing {sometimes for hunger, mostly for comfort} within minutes of me walking in the door.  I've also loved seeing his relationship with his daddy bloom!  Dennis can get Duke to giggle better than anyone and their bond is the sweetest thing for me to witness.  Selfishly, I want him to be a mama's boy, but it's not lost on me how lucky we are to have a husband/daddy that WANTS to be so involved and hands on. 

Sleep has been a constant game of Roulette for us...we never know what we're going to get!  Some nights are amazing and Duke only gets up once, usually going 6 to 9 hours between nursing sessions.  Other nights he wakes up every 3 hours and is inconsolable unless he can eat.  I've honestly chalked up the first year to being a year of wacky sleep patterns because they are growing//learning//changing SO MUCH!  I love that I can comfort him quickly with some snuggles and nursing and Dennis is such a great partner in that he doesn't hesitate to get up and get Duke for me or try to calm him down with a paci/back rub before we resort to nursing.  We take this day by day which works for us- Duke's daytime schedule is pretty consistent but we are also incredibly lucky because he will really go with the flow and adapt as needed.  Last weekend was full of travel which has thrown is for a big loop! More on that later this week.

The personality this boy has is wonderful. He loves to smile and laugh and soaks up any attention he can get. He lights up most these days when his cousins talk to him and get down on the floor to play. He loves to talk nonstop and I'm truly looking forward to the day when I understand what he's trying to say.  But for now, if he would just say "mama", I would be set. :)  Also worth noting that he thinks it's hilarious to scream as loud as he can when he feels like he's not garnering sufficient attention. Ha!

Happy 8 months little man! You continue to bring us a ridiculous amount of joy and you make our lives so much better than we ever imagined.  We love you the most!

-Mama-

Other Monthly Updates: one // four // five // six