Seven Months

My special guy,

I think I say this every month, but this was a huge month for you. New skills, a new routine, time with family. There was much going on.

No sooner had your seventh month began than you decided it was time to roll back to front and sit independently. The first time you rolled from front to back, you seemed shocked that it had happened. Even now, four months later, you seem a little uncertain when you want to get off your tummy. Back to front was completely different. It was clearly deliberate, and definitely something you had been mentally puzzling for a while. Once you did it, you kept on doing it. Over and over. But just because you do it on purpose doesn't mean that you're happy about it. Which can be a problem when it's naptime and you are too tired to remember how to flip back over. Or when you roll yourself into the side of the crib.

Being able to sit on your own for long stretches has allowed you to learn how to play with your toys in a more meaningful way. You have figured out that a toy at a distance on a blanket can be brought closer by pulling on the blanket. You transfer your toys from hand to hand, shaking and throwing and banging them to see what they do. You push the animal sounds on the exersaucer. And you rock the ring stacker back and forth, fascinated by the movement. When you want a ring, you find a way to get it, sometimes taking the rings off one at a time and other times knocking them all off at once by pulling on the bottom and tipping the whole thing over.

But even though you know tons of new ways to play, your first choice is still to stick anything you encounter in your mouth.

Your love affair with solid food continues. We thought you ate a lot before, but you were just getting started. It turns out that you love fruit. Any fruit. Banana, avocado, peaches, apples, prunes, pears. Each one better than the last. You now eat two meals of solids daily, each one consisting of a quarter cup of cereal, plus milk or water to mix, followed by (or mixed with) a half cup of fruit or vegetable. It's a bit grotesque. We'll be adding in a third meal soon, even though you may eat us out of house and home.

Apparently all this food agrees with you, as you seem to have gained three pounds this month, if the bathroom scale is to be believed. And I think it is, as we discovered on Sunday that you outgrew your Easter outfit long before Easter -- whereas you wore the 0-3 month size until you were 4 months, at 7 months you seem to be done with much of the 6-9. Sigh. You used to be our stringbean, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. It's amazing to watch you transform from a baby into a big boy, right before our eyes.

Speaking of the Easter outfit, you survived Easter wearing a onesie and cords with your vest. The three of us went to church together, which was nice -- people hadn't seen you in a while, as your naptime is now at the same time as church. We then went to see your great-grandma and your grammies and your step-grandparents for lunch. Everyone was very happy to see you. Everyone wanted to play with you -- even your great-grandma, who decided she would like to be called GG. Your grammy JJ had you laughing up a storm, which got her laughing hysterically in turn. They were all amazed to see how interactive you've gotten. We then went to see Daddy's family -- Grandma and Grandpa and Auntie T. You seemed to have a fantastic time, and everyone enjoyed getting to spend time with you, even though it was exhausting for your daddy and me. I'm glad to see you developing a good relationship with your family.

Speaking of relationships, you have finally figured out that torment need not be a one way street between you and the dog. He may win when it comes to licking, but you have figured out how to kick him and how to pull his fur. We've been trying to teach you to be gentle, to pet him nicely, but it's tough when he's always in your face, trying to get his kisses in. He's going to be in for a rude awakening when you become mobile.

All that said, this month hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows. You have become a huge fan of hair pulling, which wasn't so bad when you were smaller but has started to hurt now that you're bigger. More painfully, you have realized that you can bite, which is fine when you're playing with a toy but less fine when you're nursing. You've been biting more and more and eating less and less lately, which makes me sad. I love our special time together and hope this passes soon.

And even more sadly for me, this month was the month when our full-time time together came to an end. After six months of getting to be your mommy all day long, it was time for me to return to work. This seems to have been a much bigger deal for me than it was for you. I cried a bunch the first few days whereas you were perfectly content to hang out with Miss M and the motley crew for the day. Someone is still giving you your milk and your solids and putting you down for your naps. So long as that happens, you don't seem to mind that that someone isn't me. I am very glad that you weren't traumatized by the change but will admit to being a little sad that you don't seem to miss me at all. Because even though it's gotten easier to go to work I do miss you terribly all day. I don't know how anyone wouldn't miss a guy as great as you, even if you do bite.

But then I get to come home at the end of the day and see your big smiles and get some sweet cuddles. I feed you your dinner. I watch you try so very desperately to crawl. After daddy gives you your bath and does your lotion and puts on your jammies, you nurse for the last time of the day, and I watch you relax into me, rubbing my hand with yours with your eyes closed as you get ready to drift off to sleep, opening them again to smile at me as I leave your room. And my heart is so full it could burst. And all is right with the world.

Love always,

Mommy