7.5 Months!

Dear Lord, I am getting worse and worse at these updates.

So here we are, at 7.5 months and my God, you are adorable. Your little laugh is more like a squeal, you absolutely adore James. He loves playing with you and giving you hugs. You are eating solids like a champ, but wow, are you like a little princess.

Your dad says that you are just like your mother. To which I usually harrumph and stomp off. But secretly, I think you are.

You have a schedule and by God, we need to stick to it. When you are off that schedule, watch out. You have an agenda, just like me. At this point in time, you would like to sit in the bumbo. At this point in time, which is seconds after the last point in time, you would like to roll around on the floor. At this point in time, you would like to roll around on the floor, but this time, with a toy. At this point in time, you are done with the toy and would like to be held, front-facing of course, so you can pump your legs up and down. You're going to be hell on wheels as a teenager. And I say that with all the love in my heart. :)

I am a black and white girl, so when people ask if you are rolling over, I say no. Because technically, you aren't. But at the same time, if you would just figure out how to move your arm out of the way, you would be rolling over. You roll to the point where you are laying on your arm. And then you quickly roll back because, obviously, it's uncomfortable. Every so often, James will help you roll over (forgetting that you are a mere 14 pounds) and you will have enough momentum where you will be able to move your arm out. But on your own, from back to front, it's not happening. Front to back will, but you hate being on your front so after a few seconds, you start to cry (at this point in time, you want to be picked up and put back in your bumbo).

When you are laying on your front, and NOT crying, you are digging your face into the carpet and pumping those little legs. Sometimes you will pump your legs with your head up, grasping at the carpet in front of you. I can see crawling is on it's way, but not for a little while yet. You're just so little, I think you need some more mass in order to really get moving.

You are still constipated, all the time. I feel so horrible for you, as you strain and grunt and scream and it's so taxing and grating and at the same time I feel so bad. So we just try to coax you through it. I've been trying some massage techniques to help, and they actually do seem to be working, so hopefully that's not just something that's in my head.

You are SO VOCAL about everything. James is absolutely like his father and you are absolutely my child, all the way.

Again, being slack and white, you haven't really "sat up," but you can sit by yourself for about 5-10 seconds at a time. I have a feeling you are also there. And that's good, since you hate any sort of confining seat, like the bouncer that hangs from our doorway and your activity chair. So completely different from James.

Otherwise, we have a consult this Thursday to see if you need a helmet for your big, flat head. As I was telling my principal one day, "I need to leave early to take Catherine to be sized for a helmet." He asked, "A helmet? What for?" I said, "Because we failed as parents."

That's not necessarily true, but at the same time, we probably could have done more. You slept in your carseat and rock-n-play sleeper up until last month. That's because you choke, thanks to what I believe to be a nasty case of acid reflux. And no, we haven't had it treated because I don't want to start you on pills this young. So we elevate you. Which means you sleep in the car seat at daycare, and you slept in your rock-n-play in your room. You still fit in it, so I didn't see the harm.

Until we went to our 6 month appointment. The pediatrician did mention that you really can't tell that much, but if you catch your profile just so, it's noticeably flat. And you're at the point where your skull is starting to close the soft spots, and it will STAY like that. So off for a helmet consult. The pediatrician has seen worse, but she has also seen children NOT have a helmet, and as their skulls grew, their ears became asymmetrical, which leads to hearing problems etc. And let's face it, if you are able to do anything for your child to make their life perfect, wouldn't you? The pediatrician didn't know if we would be recommended for a helmet or not, but she said just go for the consult and see what they say.

So off we go on Thursday. I will be anxious to see what they say.

Otherwise, you are my growing, silly little girl, who LOVES to "dance" to music, loves playing any game where I go out of sight completely and reappear somewhere (usually played while you are sitting on the counter in your bumbo and I am cooking dinner), and kisses from your brother. Really, anything from your brother.

I love you, baby girl. Flat head and all. ;)