Last you heard from me, it was June.  Boy have I grown since then!  I was doing pretty good at my tummy times and could kinda sit up on my own.  Well now I am pro at both tummy time and sitting up.  When I'm on my tummy I can either pivot at my belly around and around in circles to reach various toys I've tossed around, or I can scoot backwards by pushing back on my hands.  I really want to be able to move forward, but I haven't quite figured that out yet.  Daddy says I look like Superman flying on the ground when I try to move forward - I guess that's something!  As for sitting up, I'm a bit like a Weeble.  I'm really good at keeping my balance when I lean from side to side.  But many times when I am reaching for a toy in front of me, I tend to end up on my tummy.  Tutu says it is good practice for when I finally figure out this crawling thing.  I hope so, because I don't really like to fall forward when I am sitting.

 

Over the summer I learned about all sorts of different kinds of food too.  I hated peas at first, but they don't totally gross me out any more.  Although I'd prefer to eat squash or green beans.  My favorite fruits are pears and blueberries!  Can't get enough of those.  But just last week I got my first tooth (on the bottom gum) so Mommie and Daddy are letting me try more than pureed veggies.  Zweebak biscuts pretty much rock.  I think my favorite is getting to eat things off my family's plates at big-person meal time though.  Makes me feel like a big boy.  I don't think Mommie wants me to be growing up as quickly as I am though.  Just the other night she gave me a string bean from her plate that I guess she thought I'd just gum to death.  No way man!  I put that sucker in my mouth, bit down and yanked it out of my mouth!  Got myself a nice chunk of green bean.  Daddy swept my mouth when Mommie didn't like a face I made, but he couldn't find much.  Know why?  I swallowed it no problem - bring on the cheese burgers!

 

My newest trick is rolling over.  When my family was visiting family and friends in Oregon and Washington I wanted to show off, so I rolled over for the first time in front of all of them!  My parents were so proud and everyone clapped for me.  So that was pretty sweet.  But now that I know I can roll over, I do it a lot.  I didn't think it was a problem until I did it in bed once and realized I didn't know how to roll back over and was stuck on my tummy in bed.  I think it stressed Daddy and Mommie out b/c I didn't like to sleep on my tummy at first.  But I am getting used to it.

 

So I'm 8 months old, and wearing 9-12 month clothing because I am so tall.  I hope to be taller than Daddy someday... it won't be hard to be taller than Mommie. ;)  If I'm really tall someday, I might be able to steel my Uncle Cody's girlfriend away.  She is so pretty.  I love to look at her!  I'm still working on my signing.  My sign for milk I like to use more when people are leaving though instead of when I am hungry.  But I know when I am going to be fed, so it just makes sense to use the sign to wave bye-bye instead.  Speaking of bye-bye, I should go before Daddy realizes I am typing this letter and not playing with my toys.  It was so great talking to all of you.

Elliot Thomas

 

              

Leaning on Mommie   With Great-grandma      Jessica did my hair!    

         

Goats!  How cool!           My dedication         Days of deviousness