Avery is a big 8 months old today! I can't believe she is 2/3rds of the way to a year. She has been very active this past month, and grown both physically and mentally. We love watching her as he own little personality shines. It's simply amazing to think that this is our little girl, we are very blessed to be her parents.

Lil miss continues to roll around the room as her primary means of "transportation." Recently though, she has started to crawl. It's not your normal legs and hands crawling, but more of a pushing with her feet, pulling with one arm while doing a little chicken wing with the other. (I have a video of it on my myspace.) Anyway, it's pretty entertaining and also exciting that she is even more mobile. This means we really need to finish baby-proofing the house.

Along with being mobile she's also taking steps when I hold her hands. She doesn't quite have it figured out, but she's doing a good job. For some reason she loves to stand and is doing a great job standing while holding onto toys and the furniture. She got her first war wound/bruise, smaller than the size of a dime from pulling a toy on top of her. I can foresee many more of these ouchies happening.

Avery's not only getting longer and stronger but her mouth is even showing signs of growth! Most of you know that Avery has a tooth, this tooth is pretty much all the way in, it sticks out and looks very funny when she laughs. It's finally big enough to capture it on film. The tooth right next to it should be breaking the gum any day now.

Crazy, curly and cute all describe Avery's hair at the moment. It is getting very long in the spots she has hair and her bald spot is finally filling up with hair. We're pretty sure that as her hair grows longer it will be beautiful, brown, soft curls, watch out boys! I try to put headbands in to tame it for now and that seems to be going pretty well. There is one curl on the right side of her head that I absolutely love, it's small and springy and when she gets her hair cut that is definitely one lock that will go in her baby book. Yes, I am obsessed with my daughter!

Speaking of obsessed, while we were in New York Aves all of a sudden made a new face, she squinches up her face and eyes, it's hilarious. She knows it's funny and she does this face often, especially after every single bite while eating. Avery is ready to start Stage 3 baby food and has just begun with finger foods and is doing a great job. She is and always has been my eater. She is not a picky eater by any means and will let you know when she is hungry.

I've been trying to teach her baby sign language because it has been found that babies can and want to communicate but do not have words. The main words I've been working on since 6 months have been "more," "eat," and "daddy." While we were out on a mommy lunch date she used the sign for "more" food and since she has been using it when eating. I know it's crazy but we think that may be her first real word too. She says "Moe, moe," not that we really want that to be the very first word she uses and understands but it's still progress. She does and has also been saying, "Mama, Dada, and Ba," but none of these words are really associated with any thing specific.

As for other motor skills, she's also got clapping down, she's actually making sounds now when she claps. All of a sudden she's also got waving down. It's the baby style waving where she waves to people with her hand facing herself but it's the general idea, she loves waving to anyone, anywhere and even sometimes waves to things she really likes. Dancing is another motor skill she is getting down, she loves music and waves her arms through the whole song. Luckily she likes a lot of songs, this helps me in the car when she is getting fussy because she goes from cranky to smiling and waving her arms in her car seat.

So, our healthy baby is happy and making her way to one year and we get to enjoy the ride. Thanks for letting us share these speical moments with you.