7 months

Happy seven months little man!

I think we have finally gotten into a really good routine - meaning you are happy and mommy is happy. Yay! You are taking two naps a day and (knock on wood) sleeping though the night! Wohoo!

Although you are sleeping through the night you have been waking up quite early. You like to wake up at 5:30am. Yeah. Not a huge fan of that wake up time.  Dr N said to let you cry because if I allow you to get up then, then that is what you will always want to do. So I am trying to get you to sleep longer...you are consistent. You will cry for 45 minutes straight...some days you go back to sleep and some days you don't. The earliest I will feed you is 6:30 which I think might be confusing you. Basically because you cry for 45 minutes and then it's time to eat so I think you think if you cry long enough I will come and feed you. Goodness. I am not sure what to do here but I am hoping you start to sleep a little later....5:30 is too early for this momma! Other than this wake up time the rest of the day is pretty wonderful!

About two hours after you wake up you are ready to go down for your morning nap...which means you are ready for your first nap at about 8:30am. This is a wee bit challenging because on Monday's and Wednesday we have to take Ryan to school at 9:15. Gigi is always super helpful and on days when I can't keep you up she will stop by so that I can run Ryan to school without waking you. You really love your morning naps..sometimes you will sleep for three hours!

When you wake, you nurse and then we have about two hours of playtime/free time. We started going to music class on Wednesday and you LOVE it! I really would like to start you in Little Gym or something else but I honestly don't know when we could fit that in. Your afternoon nap is shorter - typically like 45 minutes and also interrupted on Monday's and Wednesdays but that's life as a second child. You love going to pick Ryan up so you are generally ok with a short nap.

Evenings have calmed down quite a bit but are still a little hectic. I nurse you one last time at 5:30, you eat dinner at 6:30 (real food), bath time at 7pm, take a bottle of 8oz breast milk at 7:30, and in bed at 8pm.  Basically you fill up mommy and daddy's evening...there is no downtime with you!

Developmental:
You can sit up by yourself and I have even seen you get on to your tummy from the sitting position (without falling) a few times.

You started pushing up to your knees and you will rock back and forth. You will be so thrilled when you figure out crawling but I think we probably have another month or so...I think.

You got TWO teeth over the past month! Wowzers! And I think it is possible that you are working on some more...the joy of teething! This teething has come with a runny nose and you HATE it when I try to clean it up.

You can pick food up and shovel it in your mouth.

Like:
- You LOVE playing in your jumper...bounce bounce bounce with the biggest grin on your face. I feel like you have really started to develop a little personality. Basically one happy dude. You smile for everyone and can be such a flirt.
- Bath time with daddy (lots of kicking and splashing)
- Being held - you are such a cuddle-er - we call you our little koala bear
Dislike:
- Cleaning your nose
- Getting your PJs on
- Laying on your back

What's been going on:
-Mommy's first trip away - I went to Napa for a Bachelorette party and you stayed home with daddy! He did such a wonderful job playing 'single' dad but also had lots of help from his mother and sister. Yay! You did not miss out on any breast milk - I had more than enough stashed away to get you through the long weekend!
- Easter
- Play dates at the Arboretum
- Eating all sorts of new things. You love cheerios and puffs...anything that you can feed yourself.
- You started your own music class (without Ryan) and absolutely love it. Everyone always comments on how happy you are. You are pretty darn cute!

What else?

You want to play with Ryan so badly but it just hasn't quite happened yet. One day. When you get close to him you grab him with all your might which results in him screaming because it hurts...and it really does. I know because you claw and grab me all day long. You have quite a grip.

xoxo - Mommy