seven months

Zane,

This month has been the month of changes for you. You are determined to become a moving, big boy as fast as you possibly can. You're done with this baby stuff and would much rather be moving around with the kids that you watch so intensely.

You're making progress towards your goal. You've been up on your hands and knees and rocking back and forth for about a week or two now. You get daring once and awhile and move a knee, which results with you tumbling onto your tummy. You'll get there...just take your time, really we're not in any rush here!
We are very proud to say that you have mastered the art of making fart noises. Really what better way is there to communicate? The noises are now followed by sloppy drool bubbles, which makes the sound all so more real! When you're not making farting noises you like to scream (a happy scream) really loud. Or grunt, sometimes followed by a diaper change. We have started placing our hand over your mouth and moving it back and forth as you make noises. You love this and I think would do this all day if we didn't get tired of it. You have started doing it with toys too and we constantly hear, "BA BA BA" as loud as can be. Sometimes you say "da da da" but you mostly say this in a whispering tone. Maybe you realize that I want you to say mama so bad that you're trying to hide your use of dada.

Now that you have mastered sqiurming around the crib, every night you make your way to the corner of the crib. You prefer the corner closest to the corner of the room. You're usually on your tummy by the time we check on you with your butt up in the air and head wedged right up against the crib rails. How is this comfortable? We started to move you because it looked so uncomfortable but you always made your way back to the same place. So we'll leave you to it...even though sometimes you wake up with red marks on your forehead from the crib rails.

Sitting up is no trouble at all for you now. You still occasionally kick yourself back full force so we have protected your little head with pillows. You love to sit up and wave your hands fiercely around. You also have started pulling Truman's hair. We're trying to teach you how to be more gentle with him but we know you just don't understand yet. He handles it very well, I think he knows all the food you'll be shoving under the table to him one day.
You also have a new way of communicating that you are up...and that we NEED to come get you. You make your way to the other side of the crib and throw your pacifier out of the crib. It makes a loud noise as it hits the wood floor and you've figured out this is your sign for "It's time to get me." Usually you play quietly for awhile before you reach this communication threshold.

You attended your first art gallery walk with Mommy and Daddy. It felt so good to get you out there and looking at art already. Mostly you just paid attention to the other people looking at the art, but in general you seemed to enjoy it. We hope you have an appreciation for art and hope to take you to more art related activities.

You have mastered baby food but have chosen the road less traveled for most babies...the love of veggies. You'd rather have peas over peaches or apricots. You've gagged and made lovely faces at those two choices. The only complete melt down you've had with food is with avocado. After two days of gagging and closed lips you melted into a puddle of tears and a red face. So we'll wait before trying that again.
There still are your snuggly moments and let me tell you that your Daddy and I eat these up. You fell asleep on Daddy the other morning before he went to work. When I asked him if he was ready to leave he said, "Nope" and just sat there with you for a few more moments. We are still amazed by you. Have you gotten sick of hearing that yet? If you were to tape record us sneaking into your room after you've fallen asleep you would hear us sigh, and then walk out of the room to tell each other what a beautiful baby we have. We are in awe of you...there's no better way to put it.

As we begin to prepare our home for your next transformation I'll relish in the last days of the non-mobile baby. Let's just make some deals now shall we? Such as: stay out of the dog food and water bowls, leave the phone wire alone because I can't find a way to hide it and stay in one place when I go to grab the laundry. I'm sure this all will go very smoothly if we can work that out.

Here's to seeing those changes and being saddened at the same time that our wee little one is growing so fast!

See more seven month photos here.

Love,
Daddy & Mommy