Karys Alexandra: 7 months

Karys Alexandra,
How can you be 7 months old already?  I honestly can't believe it.  I love watching you grow and I am thoroughly enjoying every stage, sometimes I just wish it wouldn't happen so quickly!!  What have you been up to this past month?

• You are in size 12 month clothes.  I just went through the 18 month box the other day to get a couple more outfits out for you.  The one piece 12 month clothes are getting a little small on you!  You are still in size 3 diapers.
• You have three teeth (the top right tooth just poked through) and are very close to having four. Teething has been rough for you lately - getting those top two teeth to cut through the gums has not been fun!
• You are rolling from your back to your tummy now.
• Just today, you tried to pull yourself up next to a chair.  You got up to your knees!  When you are sitting up you can go forward into the crawling position - sometimes you do a face plant but you're getting pretty good.  Next will be crawling!  You scoot around a little bit on your bottom - enough to start knocking down your brother's towers (much to his dismay!) and getting into things that you're not supposed to!
• You are doing a much better job eating baby food lately.  When we first started, you hated it and made horrible faces and would only eat a couple of bites.  Now you will eat a whole jar of baby food in the evening.  You also love "table" food - mac and cheese, bites of vegetables, little bits of muffin, cheerios, noodles, bananas, and sucking on oranges and apples and peppers.
• You are persistent.  You dive and lunge and grab for everything.  And you won't stop until you get it or until we move you far enough away that you can't see it anymore.
• You are also noisy!  Squealing, shrieking, "talking" - you are loud! 
• You love your siblings.  You and Samuel can make each other laugh - it is so fun to watch the two of you interact!
• Your favorite toys are the xylophone that you got for Christmas (from great-grandpa and grandma bishop and aunt sandy), the container your toys are in, the little people fences from the barn, chocolate chip bags, waterproof "Uno" cards, and your indestructible books.  You usually dump all of your toys out and flip over your toy container and bang on it with your hands.  You bang on everything with your hands!  Or you grab Mommy's hands and make me bang on things!
• You take two naps a day - about an hour in the morning and about 2 hours in the afternoon.  You still sleep in Mommy and Daddy's room (in the crib) and at night you sleep from 9:00p-7:00a.  You love your crocheted blanket from Aunt Sandy.  You always have your hands poked through the holes and holding the blanket up by your face.
• You nurse 4 times a day - you are a quick eater!  
• You still have your pacifiers but you aren't super attached to them.  You can fall asleep without them.
• We have not seen you sucking your thumb in a long time.  I'm a little sad about that because I think it's cute . . . but it's probably a good thing!!
• You still aren't too scared of strangers but you will cry for Mommy if I'm in the room and someone else is holding you.  Especially if you are tired.
• You are too noisy for Church so Mommy will take you into the bathroom to rock you (you usually fall asleep) and listen to the sermon from there.
• You were sick with Roseola this past month.  You had a fever for a couple of days and then the rash appeared.  You were miserable, so sad and whiny.  It made me realize what a good baby you are - you never cry, you always have a smile, and you are so content!  When you had roseola you weren't happy at all unless you were being held, and even then you did your share of crying!!  You went right from roseola to teething so it was a miserable week or two!
• You went Christmas tree hunting with us and you went downtown to Bronson Park to see the Christmas lights being turned on.  You did great being outside!  We bundled you up and you fell asleep during both outings!
• You give awesome hugs!!

Mommy loves you, Karys!!  You are so special!!  God has blessed us with a beautiful little girl and we are so thankful for you!