Super Seven!! (well...belated!)

LM is seven months old now!! Well...he was last Wednesday. But, I'm a bad blogger who is buried in baby stuff, report cards and upcoming parent/teacher conferences. So, a week late will have to do :-)

LM is a ball of energy! He laughs and laughs---full on belly laughs (especially if the dog is doing something "funny"), tickle giggles and this weird little old man "heh heh" squeak thing. People and actions make him laugh, as well as being super ticklish but more than anything, his orange dinosaur and yellow duck crack him up the most. He loves to lay on the ground and laugh and chew on them!

He still loves all of his toys---especially his jumparoo. He has figured out how to stretch and grab at the animals on his swing mobile and is fixated on trying to pull the little toucan off of the top of his bouncy chair. He still loves laying on his playmat and playing with toys--especially since his hand/eye coordination is so much better and he can grab at whatever he wants.

He ADORES books and gets SO excited to see them--kicking and wiggling. Books have been slipping out of our bedtime routine a little bit as he's taken to falling asleep during his last bottle (which usually he "requests" loudly in a 0 to 60 manner that has been leaving little time for pre-bottle reading). But--my goal is to get it back in.

He takes 4 six ounce bottles a day and one 8 ounce bottle of formula before bed. We're working on weaning him down from his night feedings so right now he only gets a 4 ounce bottle if he wakes up. The amount difference doesn't seem to be impacting him falling back asleep (and staying asleep) so I think we're on the right track! He eats 2oz of baby food in the morning and another 2oz in the afternoon. Sometimes he'll eat more around dinner time--but usually only if he dropped a bottle feed that day because of a long nap etc. He loves fruits and veggies equally but is really getting excited about eating things in his mesh feeder--bananas, peaches etc.

He (usually) goes down for bed by 8(ish) and wakes up one time between 1-4am. On weekdays I get him up around six but on the weekends he usually stays down until between 7-8. He takes two naps a day for around 1.5 hours each--sometimes mercifully longer, sometimes they are excruciatingly short. he is on a good schedule with daycare and we usually mess it up on the weekends :-) Occasionally, he sleeps through the night.....occasionally. Here's hoping that improves!

He rolls belly to back easily. He can sit up with assistance, though the last few days he can maintain his balance for a few minutes if a) he thinks someone is behind him "holding him up" and b) he isn't reaching to the side for anything. He loves to sit up and watch the dog play fetch. He's tried to pull his knees up to a crawling position a couple times but really has no interest in it yet. He has yet to roll back to belly---though, he's so close!!! He's just got to haul that chunky leg over!

He's so content and happy! He only fusses or cries when he's hungry, tired or (only sometimes) bored. He is still my big snuggler and loves to steal a weekend nap laying on me. He can play by himself for 15+ minutes if he's interested in what is going on. LM is big big big on routines and gets really excited when he knows what is coming up....this may become something that bites us in the you know what later on!

LM is becoming a Daddy's boy :-/ He lights up at the side of TH and gets so excited to play with him. They have a great time together and I feel full of joy when I realize what a great Dad he is. I'm very lucky...but I do have to chant this to myself over and over sometimes when TH is on my last nerve!

We're enjoying life right now. I can't believe how much he's changed since he turned six months. I feel like every new day brings a new discovery, development or sometimes...a challenge. I love watching him think...seeing his eyes narrow as he works hard at something and watching his eyes light up when he figures something out. I love that he studies his hands moving like he's on some weird acid trip :-) His newest trick is using his hand against his mouth to make the Indian sound (you know the one!) and I love that he's discovered he can do it with toys and other objects.

I can't imagine what I'll be saying by next month!