Seven Months Old!

PICTURE GOES HERE

Okay.  So I haven't exactly gotten around to taking Natalie's seven month photo with the dog and a sign just quite yet.  We had a relaxing four day weekend and I probably had tons of time to get it done....but snuggling my baby was way more fun.  Maybe this weekend.

Friday, October 8th, 2011

Height: 29 inches or so?!
Weight: 19 lbs. 10 oz.
Clothing Size: Mostly 9-12 month clothes
Diaper: 3

- General Schedule: We are still working on the sleeping through the night thing with her.  It's definitely gotten better - she will have several good nights in a row and then one terrible night where she is up a lot.  She usually wakes up sometime between 6:30 and 7:30 and spends time with me in the bathroom playing and scooting around while I get ready for work.  She plays in the pack n play in our bedroom while Craig gets ready for work and then he takes her to Ms. Rebecca's house around 8:00.  During the day she drinks lots of bottles, eats oatmeal and one fruit or vegetable, takes naps and always goes up to the big kids school to pick up Ms. Rebecca's eldest son.  She plays at home with Daddy until I come home around 5:30 and we eat dinner.  After dinner I feed her a second helping of fruit or veggie and then we play until bedtime which is around 7:45 or 8:00. 

- Natalie is scooting on her belly all over the house and she is definitely enjoying her newfound freedom which means that Mommy and Daddy are going to be asking for lots of baby-proofing materials for Christmas! She loves crawling towards any type of tennis shoe which makes me really proud - turns out she's more like her Momma than I originally thought! 

- She is so incredibly vocal.  She screeches when I get home until I pick her up and give lots of hugs and kisses and when you ask her a question she definitely responds.  She is picking up on the talk and response part of language and when she is just about to fall asleep in the rocking chair before bed she'll sleepily look up at me and say "ba...ba...ba...ba" and then smile and close her eyes - almost like she's saying "I love you Momma, good night."  Love it.  I love that I've finally reached the point in motherhood where I can look at her and say "I love being your mother" because for the longest time those words felt so forced.

- In the mornings I bring Natalie into the bathroom with me and we have a full length mirror on my closet doors.  She loves to crawl over to the mirror (sometimes bumping her little head) and play with the baby in the mirror.  She'll put her hands up to the mirror and then eventually open mouth with tongue...kiss the mirror.  It's pretty hilarious.

- There is a lot more "no" being said in our house and I absolutely hate it.  I really don't want that to be all that she hears AND when we say "no" it frightens the dog as well because she thinks that she's in trouble.  I really only want to use NO when it is immediate danger - like the other morning when she crawled over to the cabinet in the bathroom and was about to grab the cord on the hair straightener THAT WAS TURNED ON.  That was a "NO! Natalie!" and I swooped in and picked her up and put the cord on the counter.  Lesson learned.  We haven't baby proofed the house yet just because she isn't getting away from us too quickly and she is always under our supervision but I have a feeling that by Christmas we will definitely be putting things away that are breakable and dangerous. 

Here are some pictures of what she's been up to this month. 

Okay.  Some of these I might have already posted in her six month post.  Whoops.  My picture uploading ahs gotten away from me this month from being so busy.  Good news is....she hasn't really changed THAT much in the last month and a half.

Being a happy girl and playing with all the toys and boys at Ms. Rebecca's house.

Riding on her new four wheeler that Grandaddy and Nonna found for her.

Playing Duplo blocks with Uncle Michael.

Hanging out on the living room floor while Mommy and Daddy watch football.

We have enough hair for a bow without a headband - but it just doesn't stay in long.  Here she is supporting the RIGHT team.

Crawling and reaching for Daddy's shoe.

Success!!!

Just hanging out with sister dog getting her toes licked.