Happy 7 months to my beautiful, cheeky baby! I feel like things have started to really settle down and get easier *knock on wood*. Now that she can sit independently she can entertain herself with toys well I get stuff done. She in general seems a bit less high maintenance, but that comes and goes. Some days of course are harder than others but overall she is a very easy, wonderful baby. Sleep is still inconsistent and she's still waking roughly every 2 hours. It's not always to eat, she is sometimes just in need of cuddles/rocking. She still isn't super keen on solids. She likes peaches and pears but does not enjoy bananas or anything else, though I haven't pushed too much since she doesn't like much. She finally has started making her first babbling sounds. I think she mostly does it when she is in pain from teething. She opens her mouth and makes a "rah rah" sound but sounds kind of sad when she does it. She has been perpetually sick for months with on and off colds. She woke up todqay with the snottiest nose, poor girl. Natalie rarely ever got sick as a baby but she was also a lot more sheltered and keep away from germs more. Vanessa is super close to crawling and can scoot around. A few days ago she was so funny and was sliding around backwards on her belly on the floor. She was bumping into things like chairs and the tables and just giving the biggest smile. She even got stuck underneath her ExerSaucer but gave me the biggest smile when she did. I just find everything she does so funny and adorable. She is so sweet and loving , just like her big sis. Overall I feel like my family is doing so well and really getting the hang of things. Having two really great children is the main reason I would say. I just don't feel very stressed right now and that's because my babies have been taking it easy on me *again, knock on wood.* Natalie can be challenging with her attitude and inability to follow directions/listen but that's really not a big deal compared to some (a LOT of) kids. On top of that her sweet nature redeems her. I like to believe that the way she is treated by Matt and I is a big reason for the kind of behavior she emulates. The other day she got up at 6:30 and surprise me in bed with breakfast. She made me toast and jam, peanut butter crackers and Greek yogurt. She even wrote a note saying "thank you for being the best mom ever" and taped a mini Snickers to it. She told me "I know you don't usually eat candy in the morning (LOL usually) but I thought since today was a special occasion you could." I asked what the special occasion was and she said it was mommy day and that she would give me a massage later. Come to think of it, I am still waiting on that massage, haha. Then she proceeded to tell Matt that tomorrow was Daddy Day and Mommy Day and she would make us breakfast in bed. The only challenge we seem to face with the two girls together does that Natalie this sometimes guilty of trying too hard to take care of her sister. She adores her too much sometimes too and it can be a little overbearing. But that is a good problem to have, that my big girl loves her little sister too much. I'll take it any day.
Update: 2/2/20: I forgot to mention a couple weeks ago she pulled herself up in her crib before losing her balance and hitting her mouth as I tried to catch her. She enjoys standing and has started taking small, wobbly steps forward when you hold her hands. She also attempts to crawl using her hind legs and feet. Her cognitive abilities are definitely growing as well! We live behind train tracks and every time a train passes we look out the window and ask her if she sees the train. Yesterday we were sitting with our backs to the window that the trains pass by and I was reading her a book that had a toy train. When I said the word, "train" she turned completely around and looked out the window! It made me so excited and proud! Her babbling is taking off too and she started making mmm and buh sounds this weekend!
Update 2/6/20: man her development seems to be taking off! Another week has gone by and she learned to pull herself up on the couch today. Anything she can grab on to she wants to use to stand. Tables, trash cans, couches, toy box... a physical feature that is a bit new is her hair is getting some curl/wave to it. I noticed it after her baths when she was little because the back of her hair would be a bit wavy but now the front is too. She's also learned to clap her hands a bit. It's not on cue but it is new. She gets into everything she can and will grant anything within reach. She also slaps my face and chest sometimes, which I'm not a fan of and stop her from doing. Now she won't lay still/back when we change her diaper. It's super challenging, especially the messy ones. And she gets into everything she's not supposed to. She loves pulling wipes out of their packaging. I think she is going to be a mischievous little girl!
Update again 2/11/20: Man this girl is on a roll! Friday (2/7) at my mother in laws house she started putting her hand in the air towards the ceiling to point at the fans. We would get excited and say, "the fans go round and round and round," and motion our hand in circles. She's super fascinated with the fans and loves looking at them. Today she began waving her hand around when pointing them out, just like we've been showing her every time she watches a fan spin! It's something Natalie used to do too, though I have no clue what age she started doing it. It's so amazing watching this girl grow and really absorbing everything around her. It feels like I get another chance to really relish each and every moment and put my finger on the exact moment she learns something new. Oh she is not a patient baby, not that many are. As I was drawing her a bath today she was squirming to get in it. She began eating little baby cereal puff things today too a d if I didn't give them fast enough she showed frustration by yelling out. It wasn't a super angry yell but you could tell she was upset with waiting. A very memorable story from when Natalie was a baby is a day I was feeding her in my lap and taking to my sister across the table. I got side tracked with talking and had a fork full of food to give Natalie inches from her face that I was too distracted to bring to her mouth. Instead of getting my attention by making noise she so patiently sat there with her mouth open waiting. I only noticed because my sister pointed it out. And I remember days at the playground when she was tiny and kids would cut on front of her on the slide or take an extra long time on equipment she wanted. She always just waited without causing a fuss or it even bothering her.
