So, I am way, way, WAAAAY behind on these! For time's sake, I'm gonna combine two months and try to do a more condensed version (yeah right!). Poor third child :-)
This lovely lady weighed around 21 pounds for her 7 1/2 month check (we were there for a recheck on her head size, more later). She is wearing size 3 or 4 diapers, size 9-12 months clothes, and size 3 shoe.
She is all over the place, rocking, reaching, etc. (so these month-by-month shots are getting tricky :-) Love!
She regressed in the nightly sleep department. I was lucky in that she was sleeping through the night around 2 months old (whoa...like a 6-7 hours stretch, not 12 hours), but with two colds and teething pain, she wanted to wake up more. We got in the habit of her feeding around 5 and then going back to sleep. It really wasn't a big deal (since we both usually went right back to sleep), and I got some solo time with the youngest :-) She is no longer in the sleep sack, as she turns all over the place. She can self-sooth easily and has nothing to do with a pacifier!
She is napping still 2-3 times a day, and she can nap anywhere, quiet or loud, which comes in handy! By far, her fave place to nap is in the Ergo with me carrying her (and I don't mind it either :-)
We have been feeding E rice and oatmeal cereal since 5 1/2 months. I usually added pureed veggies or fruit in there. But she has started using her pincer grasp to get chunks of fruits (usually banana, avocado, pears, and veggies (usually green beans or sweet potatoes) and the always-popular puffs. We started her on berries this last month, with the introduction of raspberries and blueberries, which she loves! This girl LOVES her some carrots, which is hands-down, her fave so far! We also started her on water in a sippy, which has not taken too well. I have not been consistent, and she just wants to gum it :-)
This girl is becoming more and more independent, and in feeding we see it as well! She reaches for the spoon, and likes to grab at the food on her tray. Also, she can feed herself her own bottle when she is not nursing!
Starting at 6&1/2 months or so, E became great at sitting on her bottom. And she started scooting a little on her tush at 7 months as well.
She loves her jumperoo and starting going to town jumping, instead of peaking at the toys on it, at 7 months. She is strong on her feet as well, and often stands on her tip toes while holding our hands/fingers. E also rubs her feet together and kicks like a karate kid. Her teachers once thought her feet were itching, but it's just one of her "exercises" I guess
She LOVES bath-time, and now that she is sitting up on her own, she really likes to play in there! And she loves to pull with all of her might on the towel rack in there when we are brushing her teeth :-)
This gal loves books, any soft book, as she grabs to chew on it. She also likes the board/finger puppet books, and "In My Flower" seem to be her current fave. She tries to turn the pages and chew on the corners of them...those top teeth have been trying to come in for forever it seems!
We celebrated Elise's first fall with lots of pumpkin patch pictures,
and trick or treating trips, with her dressed up as Wonder-baby :-)
This picture will go with the paragraph on E's head size. So, she crossed percentiles at both her 4 and 6-month check ups, so the doctor was concerned about her head circumference (cases such as hydrocephalus). However, after comparing the growth chart to her brother Blake's, it was determined it is just genetic :-) This picture was from one of those warm October days...
Elise, like her brothers, loves the outdoors. Thank goodness, because we live by a creek, two large fields and four playgrounds. We did discover this month that she loves to swing...love!
She started separation anxiety already, which is earlier than the boys did. I will chalk it up to me having to wear her (in the Ergo mainly) most of the time when we are on the go or around the house when I am getting stuff done. I don't mind it one bit :-)
Other things I want to remember about E at this age: She is babbling (intonated) much more and includes mama, dada, baba and yaya. She can also do a chat, like her big brothers' Native American impressions, and is quite loud (she joke she makes her own soundtrack)! She loves when I clap and is trying oh-so hard to clap herself. She has darker hair than her brothers and it is slowing getting fuller. Maybe a clip bow is in our future :-)
Not so fun things I need to document: she has inherited my dry and sensitive skin, can grab and scratch with the best of them, and had her first ear infection at 8 months. She has had three colds now :-( But she has the cutest nose-scrunch you have ever seen when she is congested!
I cannot get over how much I love watching the two youngest interact. Since big bro is at Spanish School on Wednesdays, I get some one-on-one time with them in and see how sweet of a big brother Blake is (not that he isn't when Jameston is home, but he is usually following J around and playing with him more). It melts my heart and is just so so sweet!
Sweet E,
We are so in love with you and thank God for you every day! You are the perfect puzzle piece to complete our little family (and your daddy and brothers just may be wrapped around your little finger already. You have definitely softened them up :-) We love you to the moon and back and moon and back again!
