7 Months

My how time flies when you're having fun!  It was a great month.  Just as your 6th month had some changes, so did your 7th month.  You began to get yourself to sleep a little easier.  Those first few days were painful for us all, but in the end, it's better for both you and us.  It took you a few days to realize that we had not fallen off the face of the Earth, but now (for the most part) you drift off to sleep in a few minutes.  Praise the Lord, what an answer to prayer!  You normally start getting sleepy between 7:15-7:45 so we begin your bedtime routine around then.  You get a bath (every other night with soap), I feed you, then hum you a few songs before lying you down.  Most nights you sleep until 6:45-7:30 the next day.  Every now and then you will wake up at some point in the middle of the night and cry just a couple of minutes before going back to sleep.

You ate only rice cereal for about 2 weeks and then we decided to give you the good stuff.  We bought 3 choices, carrots, sweet potatoes, and green peas.  We couldn't decide which one to give you first so we let Lily choose.  We put them in a line on the floor and whichever one she sniffed first was what we were going to give you.  She chose carrots so they were your first food other than cereal.  We would give you each food for a couple of meals to be sure you didn't have an allergic reaction before we would try the next.  You enjoyed the carrots as well as sweet potatoes and peaches.  The peas, however, not so much in the beginning.  The first 2 times you tried them you were gagging and making the funniest of faces.  We took a break and then you tried them again a few days later with a little water added to make them thinner.  I guess you could say you accepted them this way, but you still didn't give them the same satisfying lip smack as, say, carrots.  It has been fun for us to see you react to these new tastes.  I can't wait for you to try more and more, I'm excited for you!  I still nurse you 5 times a day (7ish, 11ish, 2ish, 5ish and 8ish).  I really enjoy that time and wouldn't trade it for anything.

You are still a peanut.  Still in some 3-6 month clothes, but you are wearing more and more 6 month ones.  You are wearing size 2 diapers and have been for a while now.

You are "saying" all kinds of things to us.  We hear lots of babababa, dadadada, and thankfully mamamama.  Hearing you get so excited about something and then just babble on is wonderful!
You aren't crawling but instead loving to stand up against anything.  Can't wait to see how you begin to explore what's around you.  (I'm sure I will then miss you staying in the spot I last put you!)   Here's more of your 7th month in pictures:

Waking up from a nap... so sweet.  This is your favorite way to sleep.  You roll to your right and get snug against the side of your crib. 

Play time with your buddy Graham.

Buckled in and ready to chow down.

Ha, I guess you could call this our actual Easter family picture.  We had some taken the day before by a professional photographer.  Maybe I will do another post on that.

Beautiful girl, dress, grass, and day. 

Enjoying playing with Haydyn.  I love that you 2 have each other as you grow up.

On Haydyn's spring break we visited Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro.  I did a college internship there the summer before my senior year so we decided to go back and visit.  We had a great time and enjoyed seeing the tigers and lions, among others.  This is Jellybean, a rare white tiger.

Meet Nitro.  He's blind, even though he is looking right at the camera.

When I was an intern we would joke that the tigers would stalk the babies that toured.  Don't worry, you were safe!

Adorably cute.

Little Miss Giggles

Blue jean baby!  This was your first time wearing jeans.

Miss Adelaide and Miss Sock Monkey for another month.

Whew, we can't get enough of you happy girl.  We love you more and more!