Seven Months Old

It's been a week since you TECHNICALLY turned seven months old.  For some reason, it's taken me this long to get up the nerve to write this post.  My heart kept telling my mind that I just might be able to freeze this moment if it didn't make my fingers do this typing.

Every day, every age, every stage of your life is perfect in its own way.  But with every passing month I swear to myself that THIS is my favorite age so far.

And just when I think you can't get any more fun, that personality comes BEAMING through.  Shown here as evidence.

You are so ALIVE right now.  It's hard for me to keep up.  Sometimes I just sit back on the couch and watch you 'get things done' around the house.  You're completely competent at entertaining yourself at this point.

You talk a ton.  Not actual words but baby talk.  Your voice goes up and down mimicking the language you hear around you all day.  You have facial expressions to go with all of that chatter.  Sometimes you look very serious and your voice will be really low.  And other times you'll let out the shrillest of shrills with a huge grin on your face.  I always talk back encouraging you.  And on occasion I'll try to match that shrill with one of my own.  You think this is hilarious.

I have started to hear you say your first consonant.  The letter B.  

You are really starting to recognize ALL kinds of words.  The list goes on and on.  You're also recognizing music.  There's a back-to-school JcPenney commercial that has a pretty hip tune.  When it comes on and you're in the room you instantly look up to catch a glimpse of all the cute kiddos on the television.  You laugh and smile and fling your arms.

Teta sent us a gift package in the mail before you were born that included a CD of all of Cousin Charlotte's favorite jams.  We put it on the iPod.  Whenever you've had ENOUGH of being in the car and start to get fidgety we immediately turn your play list on.  You quiet down every time.  Aunt Jen & Uncle Josh witnessed this on a ride back from Downtown Durham.  That CD can be such a lifesaver.

Rolling. Rolling. Rolling. (think Blues Brothers theme here)
You are rolling right along, going wherever you want.  You crawl into every room.  You pull yourself up on chairs, couches, beds, the coffee table, my legs, Dad's legs, television cabinet, dressers, walls, bookshelves, toilet seats, etc.  If it's vertical, you can scale it.  Click here to see for yourself.

With this increased mobility comes more bumps and bruises.  Especially on your forehead.

On the day of your 7-month birthday you started CLAPPING.  I followed it up with a, 'YAY!'  We haven't stopped since.

Your hand-clapping led into hitting my hands.  Now we can do a certified HIGH FIVE.

One day when Skype-ing with the Bless' Teta stuck her tongue out trying to make you laugh.  It worked.  But it also created your new obsession.  You now are always sticking your tongue out, getting up close and personal with our tongues, licking your lips, biting down on your tongue.  You tongue-crazy, girl.

You eat three times a day now.  You are eating every fruit, vegetable, and grain under the sun.  You like 'our' food better so I've started serving your food in 'our' bowls instead of your plastic multi-colored ones.  You haven't caught on to my trick yet and continue eating like a champion.

We haven't given you a meat yet.  But it's coming up.  Tata and I decided yesterday that salmon will be the first!

One of your favorite times of the day is YOGURT-TIME.  You adore yogurt.  We have it as your mid-afternoon snack.  Any flavor will do.  Blueberry, peach, banana, vanilla.  We cannot shovel it in fast enough.

You have started attempting to feed yourself.  You can pinch-grab small pieces of food and put them in your mouth.  We've also given you a full baby spoon of food and helped you put it in your mouth.  I'm very sure you understand that both of these things are making you more independent and you LOVE it.

You are still breast fed.  Most of the time it's just you & me.  But if someone else is in the room, you tend to have a bout with distraction.  You'll 'pop off' every few seconds to smile at our company.

You continue to be a tall gal; you're in the 90th percentile.

Your hair is coming in slowly but surely.  All of your hair is growing simultaneously EXCEPT right down the middle on the top.  This hair seems to be coming in twice as fast as the rest.  We finally figured out that you must be trying to copy Tata's fauxhawk.

You nap twice a day.  One in the morning and one in the afternoon.

With a tub full of toys you are really enjoying bath time.

You love watching babies and all little kids including yourself. One sure way to occupy your time is to show you a slideshow or video of yourself.

You like dogs and cats.  Every time we see a dog I say, 'WOOF. WOOF.'  And when there's a cat I say, 'MEOW,MEOW,MEOW.'  This makes going to Kuma's house a TON of fun.

You love PEEK-A-BOO.

We sing ALL day long.  We have lots of songs.  Most of them are originals.

We think you are perfect.

We think you are the most beautiful baby we have ever seen.

We love you like crazy.

(Click here for outtakes of the 7-month photo shoot.)