Miss Independent

Insists on brushing her own hair. Bless.

Please excuse the poor quality of my camera phone pictures.

Busted!

....Part 2....

Month by Month: 7 Months

I can not believe that I just typed the words, "7 Months." I have absolutely no idea where the time has gone. In the middle of packing up stacks of clothes that Lila has outgrown, I kept holding them up trying to imagine her being that small. I just can't believe she's grown so much in such a short time. Holding all of our friends newborn babies has this mama missing her itty bitty Lila just a little bit. Enough sniffling, on to the fun stuff.....

Since my 6 Month update, our girl has been on.the.move. She was casually rolling and army crawling her way around before, but this month she is crawling everywhere. And getting into everything. It's both frustrating and hilariously entertaining. 

At her 6 Month Doctor appointment, she weighed 15 pounds, 2 ounces and was 25.6 inches long.  I'm guessing she's put on a tiny bit of weight since then. She's still a petite little girl.

She's wearing size 2 diapers with no sign of moving up anytime soon. Most of her clothes are 6 months size, with a few 9 months mixed in because she's so long.

She's not loving baby food. She does like anything she can chew on (baby Mum-Mum rice crackers). We decided to take a week off, and then reintroduced it again. She has decided now that it's not so bad. Drinking water out of a sippy cup is a new favorite. She also loves when her grandparents let her drink water out of a regular cup.

It took about 2 weeks for her to settle back into a routine after we had gone on vacation, but she's finally sleeping through the night again. Those nights made me wonder how I used to have the energy to get up with her every 2 hours as a newborn. It's so amazing how God equips you for each stage. She usually goes to sleep between 9 and 10 and gets up at 8 each morning. I think most babies her age go to bed much earlier, but I'm not a morning person......so I love that she sleeps until 8.

For our out of town family, below is a video of Lila's wobbly beginning crawl. She's practically a pro at it now. She's also pulling up on anything (regardless of whether or not it flies out from under her.) As soon as she gets on her feet, she waves one hand wildly in the air. I see a lot of minor injuries in our future :)

If it's possible, she is talking more. It cracks us up because it sounds like she's having a conversation the way she goes on and on, and with such inflection. For about a week, she looked like a snapping turtle when she was talking.

My favorite thing is the way she makes a grunting sound similar to what I imagine a 90 year old man getting out of bed would sound like. When she thinks I'm not paying enough attention to her she starts repeating, "mamamamama." I like to tell myself that she's calling my name, but I know she's just babbling.

She's much more interested in how toys open and close, and still loves to read books. She especially likes the books that have different textures on each page. When we read normal board books, she hits every page trying to find the furry spot that her animal books have.

We like to watch her on our video monitor when she wakes up in the mornings. She usually rolls around and plays with the bunny she sleeps with. She talks a little bit, waves her hands through the crib rails, and sometimes accidentally falls back asleep for a couple minutes. However, this week she thought it would be a good idea to pull herself up on the crib rails........and so we promptly moved the mattress down.

She's found a new game to play when she's in her car seat. She will shake her head back and forth as fast as she can. She likes the sound it makes, and waits for you to shake your head. Then, she laughs and shakes her head again. It never gets old.

She's ticklish but rarely laughs out loud. Instead she holds her breath and squeals. We do all sorts of crazy things to make her laugh, but there's nothing funnier than when she laughs at herself.

She's such a mess, and such a source of joy for this mama. 

And I really.really. hope she doesn't try walking anytime soon!

It's A Little Early

But her Daddy can't wait for college football to start. 

Thanks, But No Thanks....

Recently, Lila has become increasingly more mobile and curious. This combination means I can no longer leave her playing quietly on her mat. Quiet=trouble nowadays. So, to avoid certain disaster, she usually ends up moving around the house with me as I clean, cook, etc. She's fascinated by my attempts at domestication. While I welcome the company, I don't always welcome the "help". And to that I say, "Thanks, but no thanks."

For example, 

When eating in her high chair, she puts her head down on the tray to avoid me trying to shove the last few bites of oatmeal into her mouth. However, if you hand her the spoon, she will promptly put it directly in her mouth. Such a helper. I should mention that any food remaining on the spoon immediately gets slung all over the kitchen as she proudly swings the utensil back and forth in the air. Thanks, but no thanks.

 Lila often "helps" during diaper changes, removing the diaper as soon as the tabs are undone, or better yet, undoing the tabs herself. Thanks, but no thanks.

On trips to the grocery store, I rarely make it home with a bag of chips that is not smashed to pieces. The crinkling bag is a joy she can't resist. Thanks, but no thanks.

One of her favorite tasks is clipping coupons. The mere sound of ripping paper gets her excited. She is eager to "help" by offering to grab the scissors and finding the tiniest bits of paper I leave behind. Known for her discerning palate, she finds the advertisements for porcelain reproductions of Princess Diana or the Genie Bra to be the tastiest.  Thanks, but no thanks.

On a recent trip to JoAnns for some fabric, I was scanning a wall of options when Lila "helped" me find a coordinating print by unrolling the fabric bolt behind me. Thanks, but no thanks.

It's a bit difficult to transfer the laundry from the washer to the dryer with a baby on your hip, so Lila helps by hanging out in the hamper. 

Sorting and folding.....well that's another story entirely. Lila gladly "helps" by tasting each piece to make sure it passes the cleanliness test. Thanks, but no thanks.

And when I just need 5 minutes to fold the laundry, unassisted, then I resort to Baby Einstein. (Apparently, Baby Einstein is more enriching if you watch in the following position.)

Doing chores and running errands with Lila does take a little more time and effort. But, in perspective, it makes life so much richer and the unbearable chores just a little more fun. 

.........And if you find yourself behind in your housework, I have a 6 month old who's always willing.