Finn at 8 Months

I'm really enjoying this eight-month-old thing, but I gotta tell you, I'm exhausted! Finn wants to get into everything, which makes me long for the days when his play mat would keep him occupied for hours!Parenting: I have to say, I think I'm having a parenting regression this month. I think it's because I'm tired, overworked, drained creatively, and stuck in the winter blahs. I've lost my patience on more than one occasion and immediately feel awful for doing so. I have had to walk away from crying and screaming multiple times (damn teething!). Just keeping it real here! Of course there are wonderful moments, too. Like when Finn smiles - which is 95% of the time - he makes me melt.Some more real talk... I still don't feel old enough or mature enough to have a child. Can any other moms relate? David and I have this conversation all the time. Is this what we are supposed to feel like?Physical Growth: Finn has officially broken 20lbs. He is a hefty, solid boy - just like his dad, his grandpas, and his great-uncles. He is pulling up on things and standing quite frequently, in fact, that's what he prefers. It won't be long before we have a mover and a shaker! We bought him this entertainment center/walker this weekend and it's been a big hit so far. Even when he isn't using it to pull up and stand, he loves watching all the lights and making the music play.Brain Growth: Anyone else use the Wonder Weeks app? Apparently, babies go through these learning leaps, and when they are actively in the leap, it effects their mood. Right now, Finn is in the 'categories' leap, meaning he is learning about organizing things by category. I clearly didn't explain that in the most eloquent of ways, but check out the app! Sometimes, when Finn has just been restless for a few days, we check out the app and it tells us that right now he is in a stormy period, and we understand that it's just because he is learning new things! It makes sense! Think about when you start a new job, you are kind of restless, anxious, and exhausted. Same with babies when they learn something new!Anyways, Finn is being super curious lately. He stares at things long and hard before moving on with something new. He checks underneath and above all of his toys. It's actually quite fascinating to watch. He has also learned to clap! Which he now proudly does whenever he eats a puff :) It's definitely a fun age, but really active! We are exhausted by the time he goes to bed at night.Sleeping: Finn's always been a great sleeper, which makes the nights when he doesn't sleep that much worse. We've had some rough nights the past week due to those terrible teeth coming through! I'm talking max 3 hours of sleep, 2 nights in a row! Yikes! But over the weekend we were able to get him back sleeping through the night. He actually slept until 9 am on Sunday morning!The one challenge we haven't been able to overcome is napping at daycare. Finn goes to daycare three days a week and comes home sooo cranky because he will only nap two times for maybe 45 minutes. When he is home with us, or at his grandparents, he usually wakes up around 7am, and is back down for a mid-morning nap by 9-9:30 and will sleep for 2 hours or more. He then goes down for an afternoon nap somewhere around 3pm for another hour or so. Daycare is a different story, entirely. I think there is just too much going on and he is too curious to miss any of it.Eating: Finn loves trying new things. He is a huge fan of puffs - which gave me a heart attack at first, but they are now my favorite thing ever. He hates peas, but other than that, he has been a pretty good eater. He is still eating 6oz of milk/formula 5 times a day and getting solids 2 times a day.Things I don’t want to forget:

• When Finn stands up he makes this squeaky noise. It's like a staccato-ed, high-pitched squeal. It makes me laugh and we often do it back to him in return. It's like he is so proud of himself!
• Omg, the clapping is the best thing ever! He claps when he eats, when we say "yayyy!", when a song finishes. It's awesome. Thanks to Grammy Rath for teaching him that trick :)
• Since getting Finn to sleep in his crib, waking up to him crawling around the next morning with a huge grin on his face is the best thing in the world! He is the sweetest thing to wake up to!
• Can't forget the bottle grab! One-handed, two-handed. He is so grabby when he sees his bottle, he doesn't even need mom or dad to hold him anymore. He is Mr. Independent.