seven months

Dear Joshua,

Happy seven months, kiddo! It's been a good month. At this pace we'll be having your first birthday party before we know it. I look forward to it, but I am also relishing these last few months of "baby Joshy" because you are growing SO FAST!

This past month you got your first real taste of the water when you came with Nanna, Aunt Whitney and I to the beach for Mother's Day.  We took you in the pool and you loved it.  This summer is going to be so much fun but also: EXHAUSTING.  Not that that's a complaint though.  I love it.

You're eating like a champ now. You can pick up cereal puffs and put them in your mouth all by yourself. You still like all kinds of baby food that you've tasted (with the exception of peas) and you've finally gotten the hang of the sippy cup. In general you just already do a much better job of feeding yourself than Julianna did and I don't know if that's because you have better hand-eye coordination or if it's because you're the second kid and I'm constantly taking too long alternating between cutting up Julianna's food, sticking a bite in my mouth, and then spooning some in yours.  At any rate, you're impressing me with your eating skills so far.  I am also thankful that you are nursing less often now (about every 3 - 3.5 hours) and you prefer water to juice, drinking it willingly.

You're still such a happy baby.  The only time you cry is at night and right after bath when we're getting you dressed.  It is so easy to coax a smile or a laugh out of you.  Fortunately, we haven't had too much trouble with your ears this month although sure as I type this you'll come down with a double ear infection within minutes.  Let's hope not.

We've been working on some signs with you and don't seem to be making too much progress.  We sign milk, more, eat, and hurt with you regularly and you just look at us like we're crazy.  I do think you know your name though. You'll sometimes look when we call you and when we ask where Da Da, Mama, Nanna, Pap, or sister are you will usually look around for them.  You'll even call, "Da da da da da" and smile when he answers you.  Don't know if you know what you're saying but it's cute nonetheless and he loves to play this game with you.

You are thisclose to crawling.  It amazes me because your sister went about it in a completely different way and she didn't manage to crawl until she was 9 months and 1 week old. You however, have a MUCH GREATER desire to be on the move. You will sit and rock back and forth and back and forth and then you will lunge forward to grab a toy and you will do the tripod. You'll put both hands down on the floor and get up on one knee with your other leg folded under you.  Occasionally, you'll get up on all fours and walk forward with your hands only to collapse shortly thereafter onto your belly.  You have taken one "step" with your knee once or twice but you still need to get some muscle strength in your core to be able to lift that belly up off the ground more.

Speaking of your belly, you're still a chubby little thing.  Your legs have more rolls than I dare to count and  size 18-24 months clothes still fit you the best. Your wide and chubby little feet get scraped sometimes when you're in your walker outside and I've got to do better about putting shoes on you.  Your hair is growing fast and it's darker than Julianna's was. 

You will also walk all over the house if someone will hold your hands.  You can go anywhere you like in your walker, but you prefer to be "walked" by one of us. And hooo boy Joshua, you fuss like no other time when we come back and sit you back down in the floor after a walk. You cannot stand not being able to go, go, go.

Right now you are taking your morning nap and napping has been going really well over the last month.  You'll take at least a couple of 1.5 hour naps each day and usually a third 30-40 minute nap. You've decided you prefer to be a tummy sleeper now and I don't know if it's because you want to be mobile and can get around better on your tummy or what.  Anyway, t6he nighttime sleep has not been so great.  You are still waking up routinely several times a night.  We went through one week this month where you slept until 6am or so with only a few brief wakings in the night that didn't require us to go in your room but now you're back to waking up crying multiple times each night. It's about to drive me insane. You're very lucky you're so cute or I'd be tempted to give you away to that man we saw in the grocery store the other day who asked how much I'd take for you.

I love you boy.  I am excited about all we'll get to experience together in month eight!