EIGHT MONTHS

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Hey there baby boy!

You're 8 months old and even though we wouldn't have thought it possible, we love you more every single day. We better just warn you now, you're destined for a life of "awww" and "you're so cute" and two very emotionally invested Mommas. We have absolutely loved this month. You are really starting to connect with us in the most precious of ways. Nothing seems to make you as happy as seeing a Momma after they've been away for a while a work. It sure melts our hearts. You light up and start jumping and clapping your tiny little hands together. It makes the days at work go by just a little faster and it makes shaking off the stress of work a whole lot easier.

You finally did it, little man, you inch-worm crawled your way all the across the room!

We couldn't believe it! You've really been working at it and apparently all we needed to do was tempt you with a little piece or two of watermelon! Now that you've got it down, your baby soft knees are feeling it. You're in the process of building up some calluses on your knees and they get all red when you've been crawling around a bit. 

We wouldn't be too surprised to see you take your first few steps on your own in the next month or two. We even thought you might just skip crawling all together. You are always pulling yourself up on things and standing solo for 5-10 seconds all by yourself. (We're sure when you read this, you won't think that's a big deal. Just wait til you have a baby of your own, Son.) Can't wait to see what you learn this month!

Speaking of being tempted by food, you are loving everything you eat! We are doing our best to find something that you don't like but we have had no luck. Your favorites are avocado, banana, melon, and oranges. You are always happy to share a piece or two of licorice or a few licks of a mommas' ice cream! You've sampled a few handfuls of sand and twigs which have all been well received. Nothing seems to sooth you as much as curling up with a fresh bottle.

You finally cut through your second tooth. Although we loved your single little "Popeye" tooth, your two bottom teeth fill up your precious little smile and help you chew up some of your favorite treats.

We went to the zoo for the first time with your Mommas and your uncle Jaiden. It was hot and a lot of the animals weren't out where we could see them. We spent a lot of time running your stroller through the misters stationed around the zoo while your uncle ran through them next to you. You did have an awesome interaction with a chimpanzee who picked his nose but other than being the cutest tiger in the zoo, you didn't seem to care about the big animals yet. It was no disappointment as you were in the best mood all afternoon and kept everyone's spirits up.

We met your Grandma, Mike, and Cameron at the Portland Soap Box Car Derby at Mt. Tabor Park. It was a riot. Some of the cars were really fast and others barely made it to the finish line. We saw a hungry, hungry hippo, pirate ship, slug, and R2-D2 cars. Maybe we will see our own derby car in the race next year...

You saw your great grandma and grandpa. If you can't tell by the photos, you were as fond of them as they are of you. Such a sweet thing to see.

Your fashion sense is on point. Its worth mentioning. You are one well-dressed gentleman.

You've also been keeping in touch with your two close friends, Landon and Wyatt. It will be really cool to see you all grow up together. We even met Stella, Wyatt's new baby sister. You aren't the youngest one in the group anymore, buddy!

We went on what we are sure will be the last camping trip of the summer. You and your cousin Sydney got some serious bonding time. It is really awesome to see the two of you creating memories together even before you'll remember them. We all got a kick out of watching you and Sydney play together, share your toys, and teach each other new things.

Also on the camping trip, we rented a pontoon boat and spent the entire day on the lake. You loved it. You didn't love the time spent in the life jacket but it didn't take you long to shake that off and take a little nap in the life jacket. You even took a few turns driving the boat! 

Watching you in nature definitely feels like watching you in your natural environment. You love being outdoors and seem to derive a sense of inner peace from it. In fact, you were so at ease, you were taking 3 naps a day! You love getting in the water and watching everything as it flew by you on the pontoon. We are so proud of how well you sleep in the tent, stay calm and relaxed by yourself (or with your cousin Sydney) in your pack and play while the Mommas tidied up around camp or cooked dinner.

You're the best, dude. You have changed our lives in so many ways and nothing seems to stay the same anymore. You are constantly changing and learning. You inspire us to be kinder, more patient, and genuinely show our love to one another. 

SEVEN MONTHS

Finn-

Holy wow! I know we’ve said it before but the months are just cruising on by! This month in particular has been a huge developmental month for you and we are loving our front row view. You're almost crawling but seem to want to skip right to walking. Your Johnny Jump up at your Nanny's and your walker at home are definitely getting some use. You even "drove" a fire truck! Don't grow up too fast, buddy. 

You've started imitating sounds and words that you hear and regularly send yourself into giggling spells that light up the whole house. You're picking up your yogurt melts and other snacks and making about 80% of them all the way to your mouth. 

As always, your smile is permanently glued to your face making it impossible to stay frustrated with you for any length of time. You have spoiled us by sleeping through the night pretty much from the time we brought you home. You are giving it your best efforts but some nights you just need to snuggle your mommas while your second tooth makes its debut. Between Mommas and Nanny Cheryl, you've been on many grocery store runs this month for your absolute favorite teething pain reliever: celery! (its also worth noting that you had your first successful unassisted shopping cart ride in your Tigger outfit below...)

In addition to your celery, you are quite the adventurous eater. You've eaten momma's homemade avocado & banana purees, cantaloupe, snow peas, and you especially love oranges and yogurt. So far, we haven't seen much that you haven't enjoyed. 

We celebrated your first 4th of July at your Aunt & Uncle Lal's house and your Papa and cousin Sydney! You and Sydney were both excited about the fireworks as long as you possibly could stand it. It made for a late night and each of you were snuggled up sleeping on your mommas by the time they fizzled out... 

We welcomed a new member to our family this month, Ursula the African Leopard Tortoise. We drove out to Oregon City to pick her up and met her mom, Tank. She weighed more than 30 pounds! Ursula is almost a year old, fits in the palm of your mom's hand and will hopefully grow up to be as big and beautiful as her mommy.

This month has brought a lot of snuggling and a lot of laughing. You love to play with toys, dogs, books, food, and of course, your Moms!

Your first summer is one of record breaking PDX temperatures and trying to beat the heat has been tough. Between your rubber ducky pool, a roasting pan, or your first trip to the family river spot, Wagon Wheel, you have taken to the water like a true Webster. We are so proud of you! On your first trip to the river, you waded right in without hesitation! You were the cutest babe on the beach!

Searching for more fun in the sun, we headed to the 2015 Sandy Mountain Festival. Sandy is where your mom, Julia, grew up. It was really special to take you there and watch you soak up the sights around you. You are so curious and anxious to learn, see and try new things. Your Nana and Aunt Connie are absolutely smitten with you and the entire morning turned out to be an excellent event for all of us.

You also helped your Mommy, Julia, and Nanny Cheryl "babysit" Ethan and Gwen while their mom, Brooke, was working with your other mommy, Carley. We all had too much fun at OMSI and Bullwinkles playing with shark teeth, learning how to unload a crane, and laughing at Gwen and Ethan while they completed an electric current. Of course, you napped when you needed to and almost made it the full three days before losing your cool. We actually slept like a rock that night. Such a trooper.

Little dude, your social calendar keeps your mommas busier than ever. We are doing our best to keep up with you and loving (almost) every minute of it. Can't wait to see where you'll take us next!

-The Mommas

SIX MONTHS

Finn-

You're six months old! The months just keep flying by. This month has been an awesome one for all of us. Just today, we visited your pediatrician who once again passed you with flying colors! You are just lighting up the world with that smile!

You are almost sitting up all by yourself, eating yogurt and stage 2 baby food, holding your bottle all by yourself. You are always learning and watching everything that your mommmas are doing. It doesn't take you long at all to get the hang of your new skills once you try it for the first time. You are always trying to get better until you master it! 

We had some pretty special events this month as well! You celebrated Father's Day with both of your grandpas! It was very special to see you with all of your cousins and aunts and uncles over the weekend. You sure fit right in with the rest of the family!

We also went camping to celebrate your momma, Julia's, 27th birthday! YOU. LOVED. IT!!! We were both so surprised how much you loved being outside, listening to the leaves rustle in the trees, and dipping your toes in the water. There were too many adorable photos over those two days. We booked a few more trips for you this summer and we are definitely looking forward to getting you back out there!

You went to the Children's Museum with your Momma, Julia, Grandma Cherie, and your cousin, Gabe. You were content the entire time in the stroller but didn't spend much time playing around quite yet. You were even in a great mood when we got kicked out due to a fire drill! You cousin Gabe even played you a little song on the piano!

Since this has definitely been a month of adventures, we decided to have just one more! You drove to Olympia with momma and Great Grandma Willie to meet some of your great cousins, Andrea and Zach! It was a long drive and a wreck along the way added an extra hour and a half to the journey but you were an absolute trooper. On the way up, we stopped off the side of the road to cool you down on the air conditioner and you fell asleep the rest of the way. Momma and you spend your first ever night in a hotel room in the same bed together and you almost slept through the whole night! So proud of you, Mister!

We love you, Baby Boy. We are constantly amazed by your desire to learn and see and touch new things. You are beautiful and your smile and baby talk brings joy and laughter into our home. You do the silliest gestures and facial expressions and they melt your mommas' hearts.

FIVE MONTHS

Mr. Finn-

The months are just flying by, little guy. You are making the world fall in love with you. Watching you grow and learn is an absolute joy. Its been a very social month for you but you've been a trooper all the way.

One of the most enjoyable moments for your mommies this month was probably our very first Mother's Day as a family. We packed up and headed to Seaside to enjoy the beach together for the day. We set up our sunshade on the beach and watched you play in the sand (and eat a little bit of sand) and tell stories to us at the top of your lungs. Your smile and little voice are infectious.

 We spent the next few days with the rest of the family which made for a perfect weekend.

 

You have been growing up so fast, we can barely keep up with you! At your last pediatrician appointment, you weighed 16 lbs. and 12 oz. (+9lbs 14oz since birth) and 25.75 inches long (+6.25in since birth). You have started to recognize both of your momma's, finally realized that we have dogs, eating Stage 1 baby foods (bananas and carrots are your favorite), laughing, playing with toys and putting everything in your mouth. The last few weeks, you've even given a few solid attempts at holding your own bottle and putting your pacifier in your mouth.

 

The weather has been excellent so we've been spending a lot of time together on walks and in the sun.

A lot of celebrations this month as well!! You celebrated Red Nose Day, your aunt Katie's birthday, your aunt Sam's doctorate dissertation, and your momma Carley's birthday. Momma's birthday this year was pretty special because your great grandma and grandpa, and your great aunt and uncle came to town to celebrate. We all spent the day together enjoying our city and you got to know a whole other side of your family. You sat through Aunt Sam's dissertation and you were so quiet that no one even knew there was a baby in the room! The heat ended up getting the better of you that day but you were a total champ the whole time!

You are growing and changing everyday, Mr. Finn. You are so bright-eyed and tender that you instantly melt the hearts of everyone you meet, you sweet little boy. Get ready for a life full of smooches from your mommas. We sure love ya.

FOUR MONTHS

Mr. Finn-

We can hardly believe that you are already four months old! This month has got us feeling pretty confident in our skills but that makes us equally as nervous. You must be the sweetest boy to ever exist and we don't know what we did to get so lucky! Its been pretty cool this month to see you start recognizing both of your mommas. You LOVE talking at the top of your little lungs in a language only you can understand. AS always, you're always improving on your crib sleeping but you really love to snuggle the mommas and you make it really hard to say "no" when your so happy to see us in the middle of the night at your cribside.

We celebrated your cousin Sydney's 1st birthday party! 

Your aunt Leslie was in need of some major party prep and you sat on the couch perfectly and watched TV while we got everything ready. We aren't joking when we say we couldn't have done it without you!

We also celebrated your uncle Silas' birthday which meant an evening at Grandma & Grandpa's house for Sydney and Finn. You two seemed to adjust just fine. We came to pick you up to find you both crashed out sleeping on Grandma's couch.

Let's see...what else did we do this month? We went to the Saturday Market again. You're learning quickly that as an Oregonian, when the sun is out, so are we. Temperature doesn't have much to do with it. This time, we went with your uncle Jacob and cousin, Gabe as well as your grandma Cherie. It was an unexpectedly long afternoon but you slept when you needed to and opened your eyes when you wanted to take in the Portlandia sight-seeing from the vantage point of your stroller throne.

You continue to set the bar high for your fashion standards. Easter was no exception. You showed up to your Great Grandma's house in a handsome 3 piece suit, complete with pocket square.

We are finally getting things figured out at home. You're a bit of a night-time routinist of eating, bathing, and snuggling yourself to sleep which is one of the only times a day you might get a little grumpy. 

However, the biggest event this month isn't necessarily one of your developmental milestones (even though you did roll over for the first time, yay!). Your mommies have decided that the best move for our family now is to have one of your mommas stay home with you full-time. Starting this week, your mommy, Julia, will be available 24/7 at your every beck and call. It is very exciting for all of us and the rewards are already beyond measure.

We love you, little guy. Every single day you're learning and growing right before our eyes and it is incredible to watch. Its weird to feel like you are guiding us at this parenting adventure but you are teaching us so much. Your constant smile and sweet voice are touching the hearts of everyone you meet. We are lucky to be a part of your life.

THREE MONTHS

Finn-

You're 3 Months Old. Wow how the time has just flown right on by. We have really been getting to know each other. We can't believe how fast you're growing! You're already wearing 6-9 month size clothing, growing out of clothing every week, and moved up to 3-12 month sock size! Its hard to believe that just 12 weeks ago, we were holding a tiny 6-pound baby in our arms!

We took our first trip to the famous Portland Saturday Market with Grandma and bought you a precious little hat. 

You are quite the social guy these days, the phone is always ringing off the hook with people asking to see you. Your cousin Sydney thinks that you make your pacifier look so cool, she keeps trying it out for herself. She still isn't 100% sold on it but it doesn't stop her from trying. You also met your friend, Wyatt, this month and he sure loves you! He gave you your first rattle and learned how to hold you to practice for his new little sister on the way! Watching the two of you together was almost enough to make your mommies consider giving you a brother or sister...

This month has brought us all A LOT of wardrobe changes. Your spitting-up has really piqued and you set a record for 8 outfits in a single day. To top it off, you've also given both mommas their first poopy diaper blowout experiences!! Just joyful, stinky, handfuls of love. 

One thing is for sure different this month...your smile. You are always smiling. You've had your moments of untamable crying fits and grumpy, sleepy, fussiness, but you are generally found with a smile on your face. Its impossible not to smile right back at you. For the last week or so, you've even been able to lift your head up just long enough to give a few laughs!

You are growing up so fast, you had your first sleepover at grandma's house! You were perfect, of course, and gave the mommies a much needed night of sleep. 

We are working on tummy time to strengthen those neck muscles so you can finally sit up all the way, you're almost there, little guy! You have a lot of family and friends who love you, and care for you and two moms who don't know what they would do without you. You are bringing joy into the lives of many with your beautiful smile and piercing blue eyes. We are surprised and amazed by you every day and can't wait to watch you keep growing.

Love, 

The Mommas