My sweetheart Malia Janelle,

You\’re only four months away from becoming a year. This is way too fast my dear. You better slow down! Just kidding. Because we\’ve been having so much fun with you, mommy and daddy are so excited to try to have another one like you. We wish we could have 9 more, just like you.

At 8 months you can:

- sit up all by yourself.

- crawl forward (which you first did at the Hotelling\’s household), backward, sideways and almost up the wall too! Hehe.

- you can climb up and make yourself stand all by yourself. You first did it the moment we got back home to Portland. Within 24 hours you thought you already were gathering the courage to let go. Which I\’m not sure you\’ll do again because it\’s a long way to the floor.

- you can fit 9 – 18 month clothing. It depends on the brand of clothing really.

- you can clap your hands when we show you with our own two hands how to. And you smile all the time you do it.

- you say \”dada\” more than anything else. You also say \”bwah\”, \” mama\”, \”baba\”, \”nana.\”

- you\’re eating less solid foods right now. Not sure why. Maybe because when we were in Guam, we were always so busy so the chu-chu was all that you wanted.

- yes, you still have the chu-chu. You bite more often now, which mommy is hoping is just a small phase you\’re going through. Because now mommy is getting irritated enough to give you a bit of a panking on the fat thigh when you chomp down.

- you cry so hard and loud when you see mommy leave. And when you\’re around someone long enough, and they leave, you cry then too. It\’s so sad.

- when we came back from Guam, the ONLY person you wanted was mommy. Which was so sweet and beautiful on the one hand but so very difficult on the other. Mommy has waited for years for this moment. I guess the laundry will have to wait another day.

- you don\’t like your toys right now. You only like to play with cell phones, wires and cords and anything shiny and metallic. I guess this means you like jewelry. Yay!

- you still love to make chewing motions with your mouth. Even when there\’s nothing in it.

- you have a nice subtle tan from Guam. It\’s so adorable. You tan just like your daddy.

- you crawl right up to the chu-chu when you sense it\’s around.

- you\’re getting better when it comes to not scratching yourself. We always pull your hands away from your face when you start to get your fingernails near it.

- you LOVED the water in the pool. Mommy and daddy were sure you\’d love it since you love to take baths. You were a bit apprehensive of the ocean water though. I put a bit of seaweed in your hand and you had that disgusted look on your face. Too funny.

- you transfer things from one hand to the other. You flip the item over in your hand like you were going to read the label.

- you can open and close both hands at the same time when we say \”close open, close open\” or sing \”Twinkle twinkle little star.\”

- you still love to stare at people all the time. You don\’t even blink for a long time. People always ask if you do blink.

- you like to smile at everyone, even strangers. We guess you\’re a people-person already.

- you make a fabulous flower girl. You rode in the wagon while Adam pulled you and you were SO good. It was so cute!

- you like to flirt and pretend you\’re shy. Just like mommy did when she first met daddy.