Dylan at almost eight months

Things are getting really fun! I love this age. Here's an update on Il Dylan (pronounced "Eeel D-Lawn" in Italian):

1) He just got his second tooth. He got his first tooth while we were on the road in the U.S. so I didn't make a big deal of it on the blog. Teething has been a bit frustrating, and it's hard to watch our little guy suffer. I've been making baby popsicles for him in an ice cube tray with diluted baby apple juice and letting him suck on those in his Baby Safe Feeder. That seems to help a bit.

2) We've gotten in the bad habit of putting him in our bed when he cries in the night. No, the Baby Whisperer would not approve. Between teething, traveling and jet lag, Dylan has gotten a taste for sleeping in between mom and dad. Coming into our bed quiets him right away, we all go back to sleep and everyone's happy. There's nothing better than waking up in the morning with a tiny little hand resting on my back. And here's the thing. He doesn't even have morning breath either! Cristiano made the point that it's because he has no teeth (well aside from the two little snaggly ones that don't serve much purpose). Now I know why they talk about baby's breath. It's sweet even in the morning! Are we going to pay for doing the whole co-sleeping/family bed thing later? We shall see...

3) There is no crawling going on and we have a feeling he is not going to crawl. He sits and stands (assisted, of course) really well. But he doesn't crawl. He tries really hard to crawl and then gets worn out and puts his head down. But he doesn't give up and never gets frustrated. Now that's tenacity!

4) He babbles constantly and truly believes he's having a conversation with you. We respond back in kind. He says "ma ma" and "da da" but how can we be sure he's really talking to us? So far I'm skeptical as he also says "ta ta" and "na na" a lot. Luana is convinced that he calls her "ta ta" (which means nanny/babysitter in Italian). If you ask him, "Where is ma ma?" he looks for me. Or will smile bashfully when you say "ma ma." But does he really call out to me yet? I'm not so sure. It's more than gibberish but it's not quite spoken language - in either language just yet.

5) This kid eats EVERYTHING and cries when the food is all gone. I feel like I spend all day either feeding him or preparing the next snack or meal. But his weight has remained pretty stable at around 20 pounds. He's not really gaining anything. I want to ask his pediatrician at the next appointment if that's normal. I'm sure she will blow me off with "It's fine. It's fine" as that is what she says about everything. With a nice eye roll as if to say "These annoying parents with all of their stupid questions...". Maybe she should have pursued another profession. Like working in the Italian post office where she'd really have a chance to share her misanthropy with the masses. All this is provided I get the next appointment. I tried calling for two hours this morning (the two hours during the week days during which she keeps her phone on for asking questions or making appointments - she doesn't do emergencies or weekends) and it was always busy. And she has no voice mail! Have I mentioned I am not a fan of Dylan's pediatrician?

6) Separation anxiety comes and goes. Some days it is really bad and he flips out when either I or Cristiano leave his line of vision. Other days we leave and he couldn't care less.

7) He loves to play. When he isn't eating, he's playing. He'll play with anything and everything from the remote control to the computer mouse. He especially loves electronics.

All in all, he's a joy and we are one big happy famiglia!