Baby Love!: Alli is 7 months old!

Alli turned 7 months old a few days ago. My little, fragile newborn is gone and she has been replaced with this happy, cute peanut that is so full of joy! Alli is such a happy baby. You would think that after sleeping 11 hours, not eating for 12 hours, and waking up with a poopy diaper she might be a little cranky (I mean, I totally would be!) But no... she greets us with a smile and a coo and that is how almost every day begins.

Sitting pretty, 7 months old

I haven't weighed her since last month, but I'm pretty sure she hit a growth spurt in the last few weeks. She's eating more and just seems chunkier. I can't wait to see where she falls on the growth curve later this month at her check-up. Currently, she is fitting comfortably in 6 month clothes, with some brands fitting a little snug.

As for eating, we have taken it slow on the solids, due to her tummy issues about 6 weeks ago. We tried sweet potatoes and squash first, which she hated and would refuse to eat. I think all she needed was time, because now she is eating really well and doesn't seem too reluctant to try anything! So far she's eaten (and loved) carrots, peaches, and pears. I recently tried sweet potatoes again and she tolerated them. She has also fallen in love with her mesh feeder. I put frozen pineapple in it yesterday and she sucked happily away until it was just mush in the feeder. I'm sure the frozen fruit helps to soothe her achy gums. No teeth yet, but it looks like the bottom two could make an entrance sometime soon. I'm trying to enjoy the huge, gummy smile as long as possible because I know her whole look will change once she gets teeth.

Peaches are yummy!

Frozen pineapple in the mesh feeder

Alli has decided that she is a tummy sleeper, which has caused both hubs and I to stare endlessly at the monitor on many nights ("Can she breathe?", "Can she roll herself over?", "Do we need to go in there?") Our sound sleeper began crying out in the middle of the night, most likely due to the fact that she found herself in her new position and was either confused how she got there, or wasn't sure how to get herself into a new position. I was getting frustrated at having to get up multiple times during the night. I mean, we have just recently gotten ourselves into the comfort of the whole family sleeping through the night... I didn't want to go backward! I read an article about how when babies learn new skills, such as rolling from back to belly, they tend to want to "practice" it on their own. I started giving Alli more practice on her mat during the day and voila! She began sleeping much better through the night again, rolling herself from her tummy to her back to her side. Whew! I'll take a few more weeks of sound sleep, until she starts teething, and then I'm sure we'll be taking turns in the middle of the night on monitor duty again.

She loves her tummy!

How is Andrew handling all of this? Like a champ. That kid is amazing. He adores his little sister. When she cries, he says "Mommy. I need to make Alli happy!" and will promptly go to her and try to make her laugh. When she drops a toy, he picks it up. When her music stops on her swing, he presses the button to make it start again. He loves her, and just when I thought it wasn't possible to love him any more, my heart continues to grow.

"I need to make her happy!"

He looks so protective

It's not all perfect over here, though. There are 3-year-old meltdowns, lots of time-outs, and sweet little Alli is placed somewhere (swing, bouncer, jumperoo, etc.) so that we can deal with disciplining Andrew, because let's face it: he can be stubborn and obstinate, even though he is adorable. My house is a mess, my laundry is piled up, and I can't remember the last time I cooked a "real" meal.

I love that he's having a meltdown, and she's laughing at him

It's hard being a working mom, with a husband that works a strange schedule all so we can make ends meet for our little family. I can't wait for summer vacation, when I can maybe clean my floors, start Alli's baby book before she turns 1, teach Andrew how to write his name, and have some quality time with my husband. But, this too shall pass and I know one day, I will probably be looking back and longing for these days. I'm actually pretty sure these are the "easy days". I can't imagine what it will be like worrying about what my teenagers are doing, or who they are spending their time with. So for now, I will enjoy these sweet, innocent faces and my messy floors that they play on.