Eight months, baby!

It's been a very busy month!  Rotations wise, Aaron has been on a surgery and I've been on pediatrics.  I've been loving peds, but have had pretty long hours, especially this past week, which is why I've been terrible about posting lately.  I have lots to share about our rotations, Stephen's visit, how God is making Himself known to us, and more, but on my study day off, I wanted to at least put the finishing touches on the post I'd started a while ago about our daughter before she turns nine months in a couple weeks!  So, without further ado...
 
Julia Grace turned 8 months on the 12th!

Of note...

• Julia has gotten SO LOUD!  She's still making lots of fun sounds, but she's recently discovered the joy of VOLUME!  There have been times we've been around a lot of people, and Julia raises her voice above the crowd.  She's also been growling a lot lately - too funny!
• She's getting really fast at crawling, is a pro at standing up, and is getting better at cruising.  We have to keep a careful eye on her because she's on the move!
• Julia is now an omnivore with the addition of chicken to her diet!  She's also been eating a lot of pears, plums, and lima beans lately.  I didn't tell her yet that I don't like lima beans much ;)   
• Julia loves boxes!  She's been playing with an empty Kleenex box and an empty diaper box a lot lately, which is really funny to watch.  Oh, the simple joys!
• Julia is such a wiggleworm!  She will NOT lie still when we change her diaper or her clothes very often now.  As soon as we plop her down on the changing table, she flips over and tries to crawl off.  She also cries sometimes when we try to change her, since we have to hold her still.  As soon as we finish, the crying stops.  It's pretty funny that she gets that upset about having to be still for 30 whole seconds!
• Julia has been sleeping with a baby doll.  It's precious looking at her sleeping in her crib with her baby tucked under her arm or with her hand grasping the baby's hand.  
• Julia is a babyzilla!  We recently pulled out the blocks she was given as a gift and she LOVES destroying towers as quickly as we can build them.  She gets this crazed look of joy in her eye as she scurries toward the tower, often growling.  It's hilarious and so much fun!

• Julia started clapping last week!  Not only that, but she claps whenever we ask her to, so she definitely connects the word and action!   Julia was with my mom and dad when she first started doing this, so my dad emailed me this picture.  She looked rather forlorn at the moment my dad snapped the picture, so my mom replied and said, "That picture makes her look like she is under duress, like we are MAKING her clap, no questions asked. She has to clap for every meal, toy etc..."  I then noticed Julia's bib: "What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's."  Hahaha!
• More than 2/3rds of a year old... I can hardly believe it!  We love you, Julia Grace!