Ryan Alexander: Seven Months

 Ryan by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 //

This age just might be my favorite age ever!! You are so curious and interactive and you just love to laugh! And you are just so sweet and so fun and so easily entertained. And you are just darling. I'm sure I'm biased because I'm your mom, but whatever. I could just smile at you and kiss your soft cheeks all day long.

Growing // You are definitely growing! It's crazy to have such a sturdy baby with little rolls on your legs. I think you weigh around 17 lbs, but I really have no idea. Your head is still big and people think you are a whole lot bigger than you actually are simply because of your head size!

Eating + sleeping // You are such a good eater! You are still breastfeeding around 7 times a day, maybe 8, which is about how much a newborn eats! I keep waiting for you to drop feeds, especially at night, but you haven't. Whatever. I've been able to pump three times during my work day, which means you have just enough milk for the next office day. We haven't had to buy formula yet, and I don't know if we will seeing as I've been WAY more diligent about pumping while I'm at the office this time around.

I've made a ton of food for you this month, and now we are just reaping the benefits of it all as it's just sitting in the freezer waiting to be consumed. I normally make a bunch and then freeze it in ice cube trays and then take them out of the trays and put them into little baggies. And I just pull out cubes the night before - sometimes I combine the cubes and sometimes I don't. And I've also given you frozen bananas and other cold items in your little nuby mesh feeder thing. You love that thing, not only for the yummy food inside, but I think you also love the way it feels on your teeth and gums, and I love it because then you can feed yourself.

You normally wake up after 7 and go to bed after 7. You are doing 3-4 naps a day. You are starting to drop a nap and your afternoon napping is now about 2 hours long, and your morning nap is normally longer than an hour. You are such a good sleeper. Your dad and I were just saying how easy it is to put you to bed. We just put you in your sleep sack, turn on your sound machine, and place you in your bed awake, and you just fall asleep. So easy - I really don't understand! And you've started to sleep with your head to the side- it's the cutest thing ever.

Wearing // You are wearing mostly 6-9 month items, but I did pull out a bunch of 9 month clothes that you have also been wearing. You are still wearing size 3 diapers. And I adjusted your cloth diapers to the size in between. 

Loving // You love to eat and you love that nuby mesh feeder thing. I should probably buy some more of those! As you just love sucking and knawing on all the items that are inside of it - what a brilliant idea! I don't know why I didn't use it much with Jack. You love ALL of your teething toys! And we've been putting you in your bouncer a lot lately and you love bouncing whether in your bouncer or on the bed or in our arms. You just love to kick your legs - you rarely stay still. And you absolutely love to laugh!! And I've been calling you my joy baby as you just radiate joy! Your brother loves you so much, and I think you love him too. He's always asking to carry you.

Loathing // The only time you ever cry is when you're tired and hungry, and I don't blame you! I'd cry too.

Milestones // You are teething like a maniac and everything goes in your mouth! Every single thing. you celebrated your first 4th of July and slept right through the fireworks. You went for another boat ride, and this was your first time wearing your infant life jacket! I wasn't too sure how you'd do with that giant thing on, but you actually fell asleep. What else? We started putting you in your big boy seat in the stroller, and have stopped using the car seat adapter.  We've taken you on quite a few hikes, and I just started wearing you on my back rather than on my front, and you love that. You are sitting up like a champ now! At the beginning of the month, you were pretty top heavy and you would sit there and your head would go forward and now you may just lose your balance a bit and sometimes you correct yourself and sometimes you topple to the side. I can't even believe how much you've grown and changed in 7 months already. It's going so fast!!