December 2011 - DAY 245 to 275
We started off this month determined to sleep train Maya. November was kind of a miserable month for this little family. My sister-in-law lent me Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child and it really helped bring some perspective on why it's so important to teach your child good sleeping habits. Maya was so easily frustrated in November (although by most standards she was still a happy baby) and Frankie and I were at each other throats from sleep deprivation. If it wasn't for him I would have had a hard time letting Maya cry it out. All it took was 2 nights of sleep training and by the third night she was sleeping for 12 straight hours. My brains were blissed out from all the good sleep and Maya was back to her happy curious self.
8 month old Maya is the absolute best so far! You have grown leaps and bounds this month. You are so eager to learn how to talk. It's amazing to hear you babbling away having entire conversations with your reflection in the mirror or with one of your toys. You know how to call out to get peoples attention and your desire to talk also has you talking in your sleep. I woke up many times to find you chatting away with your eyes closed. Somewhere around mid-December you finally started to show an interest in crawling. Since sitting-up you've been perfectly content sitting on your butt playing. I was starting to wonder if you would ever crawl or roll-over. You still haven't rolled over but you've mastered dragging your bum across the floor and pushing yourself backwards on your belly. Sometimes you get so frustrated because despite your best efforts to crawl forward you've only managed to push yourself back further. I've found you stuck under the couch screaming for help many times and I burst out laughing every time. You've had us all in stitches time and time again! Your Papa and I spend every second of every day oozing pride. As soon as you go to sleep we spend a good hour talking about how great you are. Thank you for making us laugh so hard, for filling our hearts with so much joy and for teaching us how easy it is to be happy.
Maya, you are the best baby EVER! We pinch ourselves everyday from disbelief that you are in fact OUR daughter.
