Gerritt is 8 months old today!

Wow, we've made it this far! Yesterday I was organizing my computer desktop & putting away unused icons & found document titled "Gerritt's feeding/diapering schedule." When we first brought him home from the hospital, we kept track of all the feeding times & amounts as well as diaper changes. He used to wake up every 1.5-3 hours! I don't know how we've made it. You sure forget those difficult times quickly. Here I am rested after a full night's sleep (Gerritt slept from 9 pm to 8:30 am) & it's hard to imagine going back. However, we are thinking of having another baby fairly soon. I loved being pregnant (except for the last 2 months)! And you feel like you are expecting a miracle.
I am also starting a new position in Planned Parenthood on June 4th. I will be in Marysville 3 days a week instead of splitting my work between Marysville (1 day/week) and University District (half-day on Saturdays). I am looking forward to working at one place & making it my home. I love the staff I work with so it should not be difficult.
The next 2 important skills in Gerritt's development are progressing from sitting to crawling & learning to pick up objects with thumb & forefinger. He lunges forward often when sitting & I was trying to straighten him out afraid he may fall on his face. However, now I know the next step will be crawling. Gerritt doesn't pick up objects with his thumb & forefinger yet, he grabs them in pawlike fashion (I tried putting out finger foods (sweet potato puffs)). Another important part of the reach-grasp learning is developing ability to release the grasped object. Gerritt has certainly been doing that - dropping things & watching them fall while sitting in his high chair. He also loves to play with body parts, especially sucking on his pudgy little toes. Grabbing Mommy's & Daddy's noses, hair & glasses are also a fair game. :-) Gerritt is also developing gestures. For example, when he wants to be picked up he extends his arms & raises his eyes toward me in a "Please pick me up" gesture. When he doesn't want me to put him back into his crib for a nap, he clings to me & holds on tight to my clothes.
Gerritt has also gone from 3 to 2 naps per day. Usually he sleeps between 10 am to 12 pm and 3 pm to 4:30-5 pm. Bedtime is 8 or 8:30 pm. Most of the time he falls asleep on his own, occasionally I rock him, sing lullibies, stroke his head or rub his back.