7+8 Months

I didn't do a 7 month update since we were out of town, and I hardly got on the computer the entire trip. So this will be a combo of the two.

The last two months have been so fun with this girl. We went home to Georgia/Alabama/Florida and introduced her to both of our families. The plane was exhausting - not because she was crying, but because she hardly slept, and wouldn't stop moving. There were just too many faces to see!

When we got in town, it was Friday at 6am, and she had only had 4 hours total sleep from the night(thanks to the time change). Spencer's family was excited to meet her, but I knew that she was going to be so tired. But this girl came through. She was happy as could be seeing all these new people and getting so much attention. That pretty much sums up what kind of baby she is. Doesn't matter if she is hungry or tired, or both - if she is around other people or in a new environment, she is happy. I have to make sure I keep track of when her last nap or meal was so I make sure she gets enough sleep and food!


We spent a lot of time in the car on our trip. Driving from Georgia to Alabama, then Alabama to Florida, then Florida to Georgia. And with cousin Troy in the car as well. So that was interesting. But fun. They hardly got on the same sleeping schedule, but overall, they both did pretty well.

She showed so much love to everyone she met. She'd grab their face and "kiss" them. Especially all of her cousins. Melted my heart.

She has mastered crawling and climbing. She's all over the place. And thankfully she has learned how to get down from standing.

She has also started cruising. She doesn't do it all the time, but she does know how, and it doesn't seem to be too difficult for her.

Sometimes she'll crawl around with her eyes shut really tight. I don't know why - maybe she's just discovering how to use them.

She learned how to self feed. She can pick up food really well and feed herself. She definitely prefers it over being spoon fed. Miss Independent.

Her favorite thing to (try to) eat - paper. I have got to keep my eye on her, because if she spots it, she's grabbing it and putting it in her mouth. I think she has actually swallowed a few pieces before.

She growled for 2 days straight once. Any noise that came out of her was a growl - she didn't laugh or babble or anything, just growl. And sometimes she crawls around with teething rings hanging out of her mouth. Maybe she thinks she's a dog.

Speaking of dogs, she is terrified of them. She screamed bloody murder the first time she saw Lisa's dog, Zeus. And same thing happened when she saw my parent's dog, Jack. She didn't ever cry. Just scream. Such a girl. She did eventually warm up to both of them, but it took a little while.

She loves kids. There are some kids that she can watch run around, and it will get her laughing hysterically.

She's also very afraid of the vacuum. I have to hold her if I want to use it, because if she hears it and is not being held, she will cry in fear.

She loves the beach. Good thing, because I'm not sure she has a choice in whether we go or not. She will play in the sand for hours. And often times eat it. And sometimes, if you aren't watching her every move, she'll find a cigarette butt and put it in her mouth (that was on Spencer's watch while I was surfing. so so gross.). She gets really excited in the water and kicks away and splashes with her hands. And this lucky girl got her dad's skin and tans so easily - even when smothered in sunscreen.

She is baby bam bam now. She will get something in her hand and slam it against the ground over and over. Or often times she'll grab the spoon out of my hand when I'm feeding her, and slam it against he tray like 5 times in a row. And when she lets go, it goes flying. Just ask Troy. He got hit right in the chest once.

Recently she really started to show a lot of interest in books. I'll be rocking her in her room to get her ready for bed, but she will just climb over to the side of the chair and stare at her books until I get one out to read to her. And then she'll sit in my lap while we read it. During the day she will play with them on her own as well.

She will go the majority of the day playing/exploring by herself. I will join her a lot of times just because I love playing with her, but she doesn't need me there.

If someone is playing the piano, she will always come over to join. She'll either want to be held so she can bang on the keys, or she'll just play with the pedals and "sing" along.

Ever since we got home from our trip, she has shown more and more love towards Spencer. If he gets home from work and walks down the hall to change out of his uniform with out coming to her first, she will cry. She wants him to say hi to her and pay her some attention. She is always so excited to see him.

Her favorite snacks are the Gerber's puffs and yogurt bites. She recognizes the packages and kicks in excitement for them.

Her love for ceiling fans has not changed a bit. Sometimes I think it's the first thing she notices or looks for when we walk in a room.

She rides in her stroller the normal way(not in the car seat) and loves it. She grabs onto the cup holder part, pulls herself forward, and enjoys every second of the ride. It is not a calming/put her to sleep experience for her - rather, the opposite.

At her 7 month appointment, she weighed 15lbs 12oz. She is still a petite little lady.

She learned how to put her pacifier in by herself. It is so cute, because she'll grab the fabric of the pacifier clip, find the paci, then move it around in her hands really really fast until it's turned the right way so she can put it in. It's probably time to wean her off because I really don't think she even needs it anymore. She just likes it.

I think back to when she was a teeny tiny, very unhappy newborn, and can't believe this is the same girl. She's not really a giggly type of baby, but she does seem to always be happy and content.