7 Months!!!

Miss Emma is now 7 months old, and is such a baby! She is learning so many new skills- we are having so much fun!!

She is SO close to crawling! She loves playtime on her matt and can get to pretty much any toy she wants by rolling, scooching, and turning. Keith is encouraging the crawling, I, however am quite fine with her still being somewhat stationary. She is quite the wild child and I know the moment she figures out how to move she is going to be non stop!

Emma has been sitting on her own for a few weeks now, but just since her 7 month birthday has she been steady enough for me to feel comfortable letting her sit and play all.by.herself! She is loving this new independence, however, I often see her give a quick peek over her shoulder to make sure I'm still there. So sweet!

A few weeks ago, Emma was acting "off" and I just couldn't figure out what was wrong. She wasn't crying or anything, just super fussy and nothing would satisfy her. Finally, I decided to feel around her gums and sure enough, not one, but TWO baby teeth were poking through! I could just feel them at that point, then a few days later we could actually see them! Now when she smiles you can see her two itty bitty baby teeth, it is sooo baby and so cute! She has done amazing with this teething thing. You can tell she is uncomfortable , but she keeps plating and trudging on like a big girl! (However, so Sometimes she needs LOTS of distractions to keep her mind off of it, poor peanut!)

Since we introduced solids last month, she has tried a variety of foods. Some she has loved, while others notsomuch. So far, she has tried and liked: butternut squash, prunes, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, and apples. She has also tried avocado and bananas, but was not a fan of either. I don't think she liked the sticky-ness of the bananas and the avocados just made her gag (even when mixed with her favorite sweet potatoes!) Apparently my New Mexican child would prefer the avocados turned into guacamole and served with a few chips. Can you blame her!? I am having a lot of fun making all of her food, plus, it's nice to know exactly what she's getting and to be able to offer organic when available. The Pediatrician suggested starting meats to help increase her iron intake. I'm still unsure how I feel about that.

Her sleeping has gotten SO much better! She sleeps from about 7pm- 630 ish am, occasionally waking up around 3 or 4 for a quick snack. She is also a much better napper and takes all of her naps in her crib, phew! The length of each nap is still unpredictable- anywhere from 30 minutes to over 2 hours. As long as she wakes up happy and content, I'm a happy momma!

Our baby girl has the most fun loving personality! She cracks us up all the time with her silly faces, noises, and squeals. She is also the sweetest baby I've ever known (not biased or anything!) She just looks at you with those big blue eyes and your heart instantly melts.

Sweet Emma,

Your mom and I love watching all of your little milestones, from sitting to crawling, to eating and "talking." We know that all of this excitement for us, in recognizing your health and gifts, pales in comparison to our shared blessings of each breath you take in our company and in the accomplishments that you will work towards throughout your life. This month, your personality really became evident. You carry yourself as both very sweet and curious. You offer a beautiful smile, coo, and giggle when you feel loved and you have yet to encounter a pet, person, environment, or object that wasn't worth your undivided attention for exploration. A tender heart and an inquisitive mind will take you far and give you the tools to make a positive impact in the lives of many other people who you cross paths with. Never let anything tarnish or discourage these gifts!

Love,
Your Daddy