7 Months!

Sweet, Sweet Leah-
At 7 months old, you...

- Weigh in at about 15 pounds. You are still a peanut. You are in mostly 6 month clothes, although today you wore a 3 month shirt, and two days ago, a 9 month one. Who knows!

- Still have 2 darling little front teeth. They are already crooked. Better start saving for those braces now!

- Have been in daycare for over a month, and you are doing so well! You have proven to be even more adaptable than we thought, and most days, Joan tells me you were happy, social, and on a predictable schedule. Some days, I have a really hard time leaving you, but I know you are in good hands and that I have being on "Mom duty" to look forward to at 3:15 everyday!!

-Have survived your first cold. Poor baby... you have had a runny nose all week. I am thinking that might be one of the drawbacks of you being in daycare.

- Still sleep like a pro, although you have had a few night when you have stirred, especially since you have been stuffy this week. I have been up with you a couple times this week in the middle of the night, which is rare. I'm not ALL sad, though, cause I get to snuggle you a little more.

- Are now on half formula, half breastmilk, I am sad to say. I have tried everything, and will keep trying, but it is getting really challenging. The thought of stopping nursing breaks my heart, but I am so happy you are growing and thriving, no matter what happens.

- Love your baths more and more every day. You adore chasing the little toys around in the water and splashing around, and we adore splashing with you.

- Are so "grabby" now. You have to touch everything all the time- especially faces. We are baby proofing this week cause the second you are crawling, we are in for it.

- Eat 5 "liquid" meals a day, and 2 solid. So far, you have had barley, oatmeal, 3 kinds of squash, apples, pears, avocado (still your fav), blueberries, peaches, peas, bananas, sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots, mango and a few others. You had yogurt the other day, and you loved it! We are having fun trying new recipes and seeing you react to eating. You have yet to reject a thing, and gobble it all up til it is gone. I think we have a true foodie on our hands.

- Have a few favorite toys- your "ugly baby", light up piano, your jumperoo, Sophie the giraffe, this goofy looking ball, your Snoopy, a bug that plays music about shapes, and any book you can chew on.  :)

- Love playing horsey and peek-a-boo. We do it every day, and it still makes your Daddy and I giggle.

- Have had many more sleepovers at Nonnie and Papo's and Glamma and Grandpas, and you have done great!

- Have to be coerced into cuddling. You get so, so tired by dinnertime that you get fussy. We try to cuddle with you, but all you do is lay your head down, put your thumb in your mouth and rest for about 5 seconds. Then, you are up and looking around. you always have to know what is happening around you! When we DO get you to snuggle, though, it is the sweetest thing ever.

-Want to crawl like nobody's business, but you just can't figure it out. You get so frustrated trying to get your toys, and you really know what you want now. We are putting things out of your reach to make you work for it, but you are just getting more frustrated. You're getting there, though.

- Have lost most of your pretty red hair. When I look at old videos of you, I hardly recognized that once bronze coiffed head. Haha! you are a little baldie now with a comb-over!

-  Still squeal a lot when you are happy or just want to be heard. You sound like a hyena, and it is hilarious.You are really starting to babble, though, and say "ba ba ba ba". It is so fun talking to you! We "chat" in the car- a lot. You have lots to say on the way home. It really is too cute.

- Are so happy and excited to see us every morning. We go get you from your crib and are greeted with smiles just about every time. YOU are the best part about waking up, that's for sure!

- Make me wonder what kinds of fun times we have ahead. Honestly, being a parents really IS the hardest job there is, but you make it all so worth it and so much fun. Watching you grow and learn is magical, and I can't wait to see who you become.You have made our lives so much more full with your dimply smiles, giggles, hyena squealing and cuddles. Leah, you are the best, and you are so loved!!!