8 Months

You started crawling this month and there is no stopping you now.  We're in the process of moving back to Portland, so we haven't put up baby gates yet which keeps me very busy chasing you around.  You have started pulling yourself up on furniture but often can't remember how to sit back down when you get tired.   We had a few rough days and nights when your second tooth popped through but overall this month has been smooth sailing.  Our last few weeks in Taichung have been full of goodbyes to friends at playgroup, a few last trips to the play area of the art museum, and missing Oolong who is settled and safe back in Oregon.  We have so much to look forward to but it is really hard to bid farewell to our wonderful life and friends in Taiwan.  

• Size: As expected your growth has slowed down quite a bit, perfect timing since you have the best wardrobe in the family by far.  You weigh 22 pounds.

• Eating: Once you started crawling your big appetite got even bigger and you now eat 3 meals per day and nurse 6 or 7 times.  You're starting to get the hang of the mesh feeder and love it filled with sweet potatoes as an appetizer before dinner.

• Sleep: You are back to your great sleep habits and almost always sleep through the night.  You do seem to be waking up earlier lately so we're hoping that moving you into your own room once we're settled in Portland will help you to sleep in a bit more.  

• Play: You love crawling around, exploring everyday objects, finding things to pull yourself up on, and testing out our baby proofing.  Your favorite toy right now is a battery operated baby computer that makes all kinds of noises and plays songs.  

• Bath:  You really want to stand up in your bathtub so I sit next to you and try to keep you distracted from crawling out.  We've decided to give your baby tub to a close friend who is expecting in a few months so big boy tub here we come.  

Dad is so good at capturing our happy Hux

One of your first crawls

Cuter by the day

You can't beat baby plumber crack

How long will these last?

Showing off your new shoes

Bath time is always a favorite part of your morning routine

Saying bye to all Dad's work friends

Final picnic at our favorite park in Taichung

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Alishan

We recently received the bittersweet news that we'll be moving home soon.   We've always known this day would come, but our initial reaction was that it felt just a bit too soon for us.  For the past 5 years we've lived the life of expats where we've travelled the world, experienced countless wonderful cultures, met lifelong friends, learned and forgotten 2 languages, enjoyed a multitude of new tastes and flavors, and most importantly grown from a couple to a family of 4.  Throughout the numerous trials and tribulations of settling into our new homes away from Oregon, we've become a stronger family since we needed to rely on each other for our support system.  After taking a step back we're both happy to admit that we've had a extraordinary go of it and can move home with only a single regret - that we didn't forgo our cheap ways and spring for a few nights in a 5 star ritzy resort in Bali while we lived in Indonesia.

I was so glad we booked a trip to Alishan a few weeks back because this was one sight I really wanted to see before we left.  We weren't enthusiastic enough to wake up at 4am to take the train up the mountain for the famous Alishan sunrise, so we settled for a more baby friendly after breakfast departure time.  After a near sleepless night with Hux likely keeping our entire floor awake, we made it out the door before 9am while trying to pretend we didn't notice the looks from other families at the breakfast buffet.  Despite the holiday weekend crowds, we managed to secure parking and find our way to the train station with very few hiccups.   The scenery was pretty fogged in so we missed the famous views but were able to enjoy a walk through the ancient red cypress forest.   We ended up heading home a night early as we all needed a good night sleep, but regardless had a wonderful time getting out of the city for a few days.

Alishan Forest Train in the background

Unclear if this was the Elephant Trunk tree or if we needed to keep hiking further

Hux is clearly catching up on all the missed sleep

Hux is very happy to be snug in the carrier

Alishan Temple

Really going to miss Taiwanese hot pot

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