8 Months and Counting

This month has been full of excitement and new experiences.  Maks was 8 months old on March 5th.  He is doing a great job sitting up unassisted, and is like an octopus with 8 arms! He can grab anything close to him and of course it goes directly into his mouth.  Still no teeth in there, but i know we are getting close.  He absolutely loves being outside.  It seems that is where he prefers to be.  He has also learned to play and splash in the bath tub, so bath time is a much wetter experience these days! A new and wonderful chore we have is washing his belly! We have been able to get it wet for a while now, but getting to lather it up and truly wash it is a new, exciting adventure.  He still seems to not enjoy being on his belly for any extended amount of time.  I do not believe it hurts him in the least.  I think since he wasn't in that position very often early on that he just doesn't enjoy it.  I take total blame for that because I didn't put him on his belly as often as i should have.  It seemed so uncomfortable to him in the beginning, and I didn't want him to be uncomfortable at all.
His smile is so bright and full of life! He is one HAPPY boy! His comfort zone is at home.  He does travel well, but it is very obvious that he is a homebody.  We went to the zoo today, and he loved it.  He got to ride a carousel and was mesmerized by it.  He loves coming to my softball practices and watching the girls.  Yes, he is a ladies man!
Last week we learned that a coach friend of mine and his wife are expecting a baby girl with an omphalocele.  It floored us for many reasons.  Mostly because we had never heard the word omphalocele before Maks.  Now not only did we have to go through this trial, but so did a couple we know.  I am so thankful that we can share our experiences and victories with them.  Baby girl, Charlotte, will arrive this summer.  I ask all of you to say a special prayer for her and her parents.  My prayer is that she will fly through her healing even faster than Maks.  We are very excited to meet with Charlotte's parents, John and Danna, this Wednesday.  I know meeting Maks River and seeing his contagious smile will make them even more excited to meet Charlotte! She is a warrior just like Maks!!