seven months old!

beatrix marie is seven months old today!

you know, sweetheart, even though seven months sounds really big, i think it's probably going to be a while before you fit into daddy's sneakers.

the biggest changes since last month are eating and sitting. bebe is loving all kinds of food now. so far she has tried: carrots, broccoli, apples, green beans, rice cakes, bananas, oatmeal, pears, tortilla chips, bagels, english muffins, pizza crust, mangoes, and, just this afternoon, whole wheat pasta. she seems to like everything -- she hasn't yet taken a taste of something and not gone back for more. she is getting better and better at the eating part, too. the gagging episodes are fewer and farther between.

and while a month ago bebe could sit unassisted for short periods of time, if not propped up by the boppy or some strategically placed pillows she would topple over after a few minutes. she can now sit on her own pretty much indefinitely.

yesterday she first started to show an interest in moving from a seated position to all fours, as demonstrated in the following sequence:

she hasn't yet been able to get onto her hands and knees from sitting, but she keeps trying. and just now, as i was uploading photos for this post, she was sitting on the floor next to me and she stretched out, got herself onto her belly, and then started trying to get up onto her knees from there.

it's the first time i've seen her try this and while she wasn't successful today it's clearly only a matter of time until we are dealing with a mobile baby. we made a babies r us run yesterday for childproofing supplies!

in addition to eating table food and working on her mobility, some of bebe's favorite activities at seven months include reading books, finding the tags on all her toys to suck on, listening to mommy sing, playing peekaboo and "don't drop the baby!" (when we pretend to let her fall out of our arms and then catch her), horsing around with daddy, and, of course, nursing. her least favorite activities are getting dressed, riding in the car in the dark, and getting her hands and face cleaned after a meal. she goes to sleep on her own for naps and bedtime and if she cries at all when we put her down now, it's only for 1-2 minutes. she understands the phrases "do you want more?," "where's the cat?," and "do you want to nurse?," and i'm pretty sure that she's in the process of cutting her first tooth.

she is my buddy, my little sidekick, and she gets more fun every day!