7 Months!

Dear Linny,

Happy 7 Month Birthday!  You are growing up so fast and you've starting sitting up like a big girl!

You could sit up propped with your hands for a few seconds last month, but this month you've really started sitting up very well.  You sit there and play with your toys for a long time before you inevitably topple over. 

You've also become a rolling machine.  You haven't attempted to crawl, but you get to where you want to go by rolling there, so you have become semi-mobile!  You can roll from one end of the room to the other, no problem.

You've continued to be our little scientist, examining everything with such intensity.  And that brings out Wild-Eyed Marie.

You love the texture of your glider.  After I feed you I put you up on my shoulder to burp and you get fixated on running your little hands across the material.  You get surprised and excited by it every time.

Your favorite toy of the month is the red "Accelerate the Cure" bracelet that Mommy and Daddy have.  It's rubbery and you love to gnaw on it. 

You are saying more and more "words" as the weeks fly by, and this month "Da-da" has been your main one.  You started that a few weeks ago, and just yesterday I heard "Ma-ma" come out of your mouth!  However, you don't associate those syllables with Daddy and Mommy just yet.  You say them arbitrarily to whomever you happen to be with at the moment.  Still fun to hear!  Soon enough you'll know what they mean.

We are still going strong with breastfeeding, but we were finally able to cut down a little bit to 4 times a day because....we've started solids!  So far you have had rice cereal, sweet potato, avocado, and banana.  We've done each food for a week, and despite being skeptical of each one at first, you've done great with all of them by the end of the week. 

We've started to give you two naps a day instead of three and we put you down around the same times every day (10 and 2).  We then leave you in your crib for at least an hour.  If you don't sleep, so be it, but at least you've had some down time.  And although it sometimes takes you awhile, you usually eventually fall asleep.  So nap time isn't as stressful as it once was, but it's still a work in progress.

At night you are continuing to do very well with going to sleep, and I think the bedtime routine helps a lot.  It's funny because you love love love your bath, but you hate hate hate getting your jammies on.  We dry you off and bring you back to your room and you're fine until we start getting you dressed.  Then it's a scream fest until you eat.  It's like you are getting out your last bit of energy for the day.

But then....you sleep all night!  Yay!!!!!  We started slowing extending the hour to which I would go in and feed you in the morning, and we are now where we want to be.  You go to bed between 7 and 8PM, and we get up every morning at 7AM.  Even if you wake up before then, which you often do, we don't go in your room until 7, and you either fall back to sleep or you play quietly to yourself until then.  The morning is still your happiest time of the day.

Here are some more of your 7 month pics:

Hanging out with Daddy, waiting for Hurricane Irene to pass.  I put you in your fishy skirt just for the occasion.  We were supposed to leave for our beach vacation this morning, but Irene is messing up our plans.  So instead, we are hanging out having a Hurricane party at the Hetrick house!  Hopefully we'll be able to get to the beach tomorrow!

"Oooh Daddy, this I-Phone could keep me occupied for awhile."

"Wow, am I that many already?!!!"

It's gotten so hard to get pictures of you lying down now that you are a rolling machine.  You roll away before I get the chance to snap a photo!  I can keep you in one spot if I sit you up, but soon enough you'll be crawling away and then it'll be really hard to take your picture!

Family photo :)

And of course, a video of you on your 7 Month birthday.  Quite a coincidence what happens towards the end of the video.  What a smart girl we have!

Addy, I am loving this stage of your life so so much!  You are so happy, fun, and playful, but you are still just my perfect, innocent baby.  It's the greatest age so far, and Daddy and I have so much fun with you every day.  We love to watch you learn and play and interact.  You are my sunshine, even in the eye of a hurricane!   I love you baby girl!

Love,

Mommy