Tate Lately

 

Tate, you are 7 months old today.  Over the past month:

• You have learned to crawl!  You have a new-found freedom and you love it!  I have found you clear back in the laundry room playing with shoes and in the front room hollering for me because you were in a new place and couldn’t find me.  You started off slow but it sure didn’t take you long to figure it out and now you can get where you want to go.  I have had to baby proof the few breakables I had down low and I’ve put the closures on the TV cabinet and fireplace to keep you from pulling them open.  If the boys are on the floor and have something that looks exciting to you it’s all they can do to keep you down!
• Your favorite toys are the baby rattle that was mine and Auntie’s way back when, the set of colored disks that are on the string and the big bucket of pretend food that goes with the kid kitchen.  You love to chew and suck on the rattle and disks, they hold your attention for quite a long time.  A week ago I was gone for the evening, Daddy said you played with the play food for about 40 minutes! That sure kept you busy!
• You have pulled yourself up in your crib!!!  You about gave me a heart attack on this one! It was Saturday morning, I could hear you talking to yourself in your bed.  I walked in to get you and you were sitting up in bed, which is another new thing your are doing.  You gave me your big gummy grin, reached your sweet little chubby hands out to the top of the rail and just pulled yourself up to standing!  It was so sweet, we were both very surprised!  Needless to say we have since lowered your mattress!
• Like I mentioned, you can sit yourself up all by yourself now.  It is very rare to find you playing with toys while laying on your tummy anymore. 
• You have moved up to Stage 2 baby food.  You eat a veggie and half a fruit for supper, for breakfast it’s a bowl of baby oatmeal with a few spoonful's of fruit mixed in.  Now that you are taking a bottle (finally!) I see that you drink about 6oz. at a feeding.  You’ll even take a bottle from me now, too! 
• You are wearing size 3 diapers.  Clothing varies and on the brand and style – anywhere from 12mo to 24mo
• When I sit you down on the floor to play you immediately get on your hands and knees and crawl away to whatever it is you are wanting to play with.  You do it so quickly your butt barely hits the floor before you are off and crawling!
• You have become an even bigger fan of me, your mommy!  You don’t cry as often when I leave the room anymore, which is nice for both of us, but if someone is holding you while I’m out of the room and you hear my voice you instantly start crying until I come and hold you.  When I pick you up you immediately snuzzle in to my neck and wrap your chubby little arms around me to squeeze me tight.  And the kisses!  Big, open mouthed, slobbery kisses!  All over my cheeks!  They are my favorite!
• You love playing in your bath and had a great time splashing and crawling around in your little swimming pool.  You would have stayed in there all afternoon had I let you.
Even though you have been battling an ear infection for over a month now you have been the HAPPIEST baby ever!  You smile every time we talk to you.  You coo and babble and make all kinds of neat noises now.  You are quite the trickster with your pacifier, you do all kinds of cool tricks with it.  Still no teeth but you chew on your pacifier and fingers constantly.  As fun as it was having the boys home all summer entertaining you, we seem to get along just fine just the two of us.  You make friends where ever we go, women dote on you and can’t get over how adorable and ‘squishy’ you are! 

And that squish!  Oh Tater, I just LOVE that squish!  From your cheeks, to your hands, your chubby thighs and that bubble of squish on top of your knee! Just where did that come from?!?  You have rolls for days, I absolutely adore each and every one of them!

This month you seem to have gone into full blown ‘boy’ mode.  You are more rough and tumble, you growl, you like playing with your chunky fire truck.

One more thing – you found your shadow Monday morning!  You were playing in the dining room, the sun was streaming in and you noticed ‘something’ moving on the wall.  You sat up and saw that ‘something’ move as you did.  It was so sweet to watch.  Then Brennie got in on the action.  I love this pic of you two!

I am having so much fun watching you grow every day.  I feel so lucky getting to stay home with you!  I feel even luckier to get to be your mommy. You make me laugh every single day.  I love you so much, Tatie Tot! Happy 7 Month Birthday!

xxxoooxxxooo