7 Months

Madelyn turned 7 months old on Tuesday.  It is amazing how much she grows and changes everyday.  We are so proud to be her parents!  Here is what she is up to now:

• wearing 6-9 month clothing
• wearing size 2 diapers
• She is sitting independently.  She only occassionally gets off balance and topples over when she is looking up (like if we are standing up right in front of her).
• She is crawling and getting into everything! 
• She is working on trying to pull herself up.  She can do it if she is holding onto our fingers, but she has yet to do it on her own with something else.  (Update since Tuesday:  She pulled herself up for the first time yesterday!)
• She knows how to go from crawling to sitting and back to crawling.
• Favorite toys:  picnic basket, tea pot, piano, Lulu in a Tutu, anything to chew on
• Madelyn has 1 tooth {her bottom left} that has already come in, and another tooth that is sure to make an appearance any day now {bottom right}  (Update since Tuesday:  Her bottom right tooth came in yesterday.)
• Maddie will nurse about every 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  She is eating two solid meals--breakfast and lunch--in addition to nursing.  So far, she has tried:  rice cereal, green beans, squash, carrots, peas, bananas and sweet potatoes.  She has also tried apple juice, which she wanted nothing to do with.  Her favorites are rice cereal, squash, and sweet potatoes.
• She loves water.  She has learned how to use a sippy cup, although she is not very efficient.  She prefers to drink out of a big cup with our help.  She definitely drinks more when using the cup, but more also ends up all over her. 
• She goes to sleep at night listening to waves on her Sleep Sheep and being "bopped." 
• Her sleep habits at nighttime have just recently started to get better again.  She is sleeping for much longer periods, only waking up once or twice a night, and nursing only once around 4 am - 5 am.  She usually goes to bed around 7:30 p.m. and gets up around 6:30 a.m.
• Madelyn naps about 3-4 times per day, usually lasting about 30 minutes - a little over an hour.  Her first nap is always in her swing, and lasts about 30 minutes on the dot.  The next two naps are in her crib and are usually longer.  She has done so well transitioning from the swing to her crib for her naps. 
• Her favorite songs are "Wheels on the Bus," "I'm Bringing Home a Babybee Bumblebee," and "I'm a Little Teapot." 
• When we talk to Daddy on the phone while he is at work, his picture comes up on my phone.  Maddie loves to look at his picture and usually smiles and coos.  It's so sweet!
• She is becoming much more talkative.  She loves to talk when we are in the grocery store going through the aisles or in the car.  Many people comment on how talkative she is.
• She loves being outside.  She enjoys rocking in the rocking chairs on the front porch, walking around the yard and looking at plants, going for a walk in the Moby wrap, swimming, or going for a jog in the stroller.
• Maddie loves Hershey.  He can make her giggle just by walking towards her.  She'll try to crawl after him, but he is much too fast for her.
• She doesn't go back to the doctor until she is 9 months old.

Sweet baby girl

Her fingers are always in her mouth

Proving that she can crawl...don't worry, Daddy was close by!