7 Months Old

Dear Laura,

This last month you’ve changed so much and are so much fun!

You’ve started eating some baby food. It took a few weeks for you to warm up to the idea but now you are totally sold.  You talk constantly while you are eating so your food sprays quite a bit. You haven’t shown any preference and consume green beans, sweet potatoes, and applesauce with equal uncertainty and enthusiasm. I think you are mostly thrilled to be eating with us at the table and joining the social experience.  At dinner a few nights ago you grabbed onto your bib and pulled it off (it was velcro) and held it up in your hand a bit startled.  Nathan said, “Laura you took your bib off!” and started laughing and Emily joined in and then you joined in with big belly laughs.  You were so excited to be in on the joke!

It seems like overnight you went from lying in one spot on your back on the floor to cruising all around the room.  You roll and twist to the  most unusual places.  You aren’t purposefully heading in certain directions unless something close by catches your attention.  There are usually plenty of things on our floor to occupy yourself with and you are very patience picking things up to look at them closer and put them in your mouth.  You push your whole stomach off the ground, not quite into a crawling position, and watch what is happening.  You can also sit by yourself for 30 seconds or so; long enough for us to move away from you and have you stay vertical.

You love music and singing.  When Dad was holding you at church a few weeks ago you were swinging your legs to the organ music.  When I fiddle you always bounce and kick your legs on the beat. When I sing you smile, laugh, and sing along.  If Nathan runs over and starts banging on the piano you perk up and get excited.

Unless you are tired or hungry you are usually content to play on the floor with Emily and Nathan.  You don’t like being held by them right now and start crying, however you do tolerate being moved around the room to get into their latest fort structure (boat, fort, castle, elevator).  As long as you can find something to chew on you are happy.  You don’t have any teeth yet but you are teething in earnest.

You take three naps a day still, usually one 1.5-2 hour nap and two 45 minute naps.  You tend to sleep the longest in the morning but sometimes you surprise us with a different schedule.  Night sleeping is still very fragmented.  You are up for the morning between 6:00-6:15am without fail and are ready to take your first nap between 8:00-8:30am.  Your second nap starts around noon.

Laura you’ve discovered your hair!  You love running your hand through it.  It is still too short for you to get a good grip on it.

When we went clothes shopping this week you had a blast.  Usually I carry you in the ergo when we are shopping but I put you in the shopping cart for the first time.  You could almost hold yourself up but there was plenty to hold onto with your arms to keep yourself stable.  Things became really exciting when the kids started trying on clothes.  You were overjoyed and laughing during the entire experience – it appears you like clothes.

When you are tired you stare at me as hard as you can and start emphatically talking.  When I pick you up you squeal and squeak out of desperate joy until you are eating and falling asleep.  If I lay you down to change your diaper or swaddle you in this window you burst into angry tears immediately and then give frustrated yells when I pick you back up.

You are so aware of what is going on in our home and do your best to keep the peace.  If Emily or Nathan is crying you start laughing like you are trying to cheer them up.  If that doesn’t work after a few minutes you break down and start crying too, but you give it a good try before succumbing.

We love you so much!