Monthly Checkup

 My, my girlfriend,

where the heck has time gone?

I cannot believe you are already 7 months old!

While it feels like you have been a part of our family forever,

it also feels like just yesterday you were born.

Our newest adventure is with solid food.

You are pretty damn excited about solid food!

You squeal and kick and smile and laugh hysterically

while we warm up your bowl of pureed fruits or veggies.

Before we give you your first bite of the evening,

we remind you to calm down so you don't choke.

We have made that mistake before.

Turns out, pureed carrots look exactly the same going down

as they do coming right back up. It's gross and scary when you choke.

So, we try to keep things calm during meal time.

You know, play some Nora Jones,

talk with our inside voices kind of a thing.

If we are not quick enough in transporting the spoon from the bowl to your mouth,

you are not shy about grabbing the spoon straight out of our hands

and doing the deed yourself.

Though you are a quick learner and are quite comfortable eating,

you will only eat from either mommy or daddy.

We have noticed a little stranger anxiety popping up lately,

and it definitely comes out the most during meal time.

{The whole don't-take-candy-from-a-stranger convo is looking like 

it's going to be a breeze later in life.}

Mama has made all your food so far.

She has roasted big batches of veggies and steamed lots of fruit,

and then pureed them in the food processor.

We freeze the purees in silicone ice cube trays 

so we can pop out single servings as you need.

You are still getting hives every now and then after eating,

which makes us frustrated and a little sad,

because we can't quite figure out to what you are still allergic.

Due to the hives,

we have been slow to introduce too many new foods.

So far you have had

rice cereal,

avocado,

sweet potatoes,

squash,

carrots,

peaches,

pears, and

apples.

Along with the territory of solid food,

you are now having solid poos!

We have nicknamed you our little "turd pooper".

It's funny how when you become a parent 

you become genuinely so excited about bodily functions,

but it's true, sweet girl, we are very excited about this big girl transition.

Not because we enjoy your poo so much, 

although we thought it would be a lot worse than it is

{I think the worst is yet to come},

but because it means you are healthy and thriving.

We are so thankful for that.

Moving right along with other big girl things,

you now wave!

You have absolutely no idea what you are communicating

and have no sense of appropriate context for the gesture,

but if we wave to you,

more often than not,

you will wave back.

It is super adorable.

Also, we stopped swaddling you while you sleep.

We keep you in the sack just to keep you warm,

but we no longer pin your arms down like an insane person in a straight jacket.

The best part:

you totally grab your paci and pop it back in your mouth

if/when it falls out at night.

We love you, big girl!

Happy 7 months!