Vanessa is just over eight months. I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone. She is getting so big! She is eating like a champ (and a big girl). She has decided she isn't such a fan of baby food after all and prefers to have whatever we're having. She loves noodles and tomato soup. She seems to like everything better if it has some good flavor (ie salt). She will like one food one day and then not the next, just keeping us on our toes. She definitely has an opinion. She has learned to shake her head 'NO' and does quite often. She shakes her head no and shakes her hands in front of her whenever she is done eating or done with that particular food.
She has learned to wave hi and bye. We try to practice with her all the time and always tell her to 'wave'. For the first time today, she waved without us also waving and did it just with the word. It was a proud parent moment.
She is cruising EVERYWHERE. It's a lot of fun and quite hilarious. She will literally chase down whoever she wants to pick her up. Aunt Steph probably gets this the most often. Oh, but she still hasn't figured out how to crawl, just scoot. She can get up on her hands and knees but then drops to her belly when she wants to move. She figured out how to get from her belly back to sitting which has been great. She doesn't get ticked when she's stuck anymore. She's also pulling herself to stand on the furniture. A lot of times she is like a foot away and on her toes so it's pretty funny looking.
It is so fun watching her little personality come out. She is quite the fireball! She has such an opinion about things. If you take a toy away from her that she really wanted, she will either scream at you and shake her head or just start crying. If she is being held and you try to sit her down, but she doesn't want to be set down, she'll straighten her legs and arch her back.
She jabbers at everything. Da da da na na na ma ma ma. And screams! Man can this girl scream. She screams when she's excited, happy, and mad. I don't know where our quiet baby went. She also just figured out how to click her tongue. She started doing it on her own but will do it on command now. It's pretty funny.
She loves to play peek a boo. She likes when you hide or if you give her a hat or blanket she'll hide. It's pretty fun. She doesn't always get her eyes covered but you know you're supposed to say peek a boo because her eye brows go up and she just looks like she's waiting for your response. Then she squeals in delight.
She is still a funny sleeper. She naps for about 2-3 hours in 2 or 3 naps. We try to put her down between 8 and 9 and she'll usually wake up around 8. But she gets up probably every 3-4 hours to eat. I don't really think she's hungry, but she just can't seem to get herself back to sleep. I hope that's something she will start to figure out and I don't have to teach her, I'm really bad at tough love.
We went to the Garden Restaurant for dinner and Vanessa tried a little lemon.
Jenny and Steven tied the knot on October 1st. They were married in the Salt Lake temple. We had lots of fun that day and are so glad Jenny is officially part of the family. I have no idea how I went the whole day without getting any pictures of Steven and Jenny but their photographer covered that pretty well.
This is where Vanessa sits while I am in the bathroom getting ready. I can see her and she can see me. We smile at each other every once in a while. Or I get this look, the 'are you done yet?'
The beach was only across the street but the heat was more than she could take. It really must be exhausting being a baby! 
The swimming pool was quite a hit. She probably would have been content splashing in there all day :)
