Jude's 7 month letter

Dear Sweet Jude,

I can't believe you are 7 months old. 7 months! I feel like 7 months means you're really not a baby anymore. I mean, you still ARE a baby...but you're 7 months old - plus you're bigger than most 7 month olds...so I feel like you're so grown up.

Too fast! Too fast, I say!

I watched you in the bathtub tonight and was just amazed at how time has flown by. I told time to slow down for a sec. You're growing up far too quickly.

You are now a pro sitter. You can sit for so long and all by yourself. It's amazing how fast that happened! And you actually PREFER to sit instead of lying down - although I don't blame you for that.

You have two bottom teeth just bulging right under the surface, anxiously trying to poke through. Your drool is all you have to show for all the teething you've been doing right now, but I'm thinking by the end of this month, you'll have at least 2 teeth.

You are pretty consistently sleeping through the night! You're down around 7pm and I do a dream feed before 11pm sometime and then you're out until 8 (sometimes later and sometimes - though very rarely - earlier). I would say you do this 4 nights out of 7. With all the change and events we've had over the past couple weeks your sleep has been a bit shaken up, but still really good. If you do wake up, you're up between 2 & 4 sometime for a quick feed and then back to sleep. It's a good place to be. I'm feeling the difference in getting more sleep. It's wonderful.

You are adorable. You haven't made strange yet and are generally happy with anyone who wants to hold you (a stark contrast to your brother!) but you are DEFINITELY becoming more and more attached to me and if you see me, you usually want ME to be the one holding you. You got cuddled and held by many strangers (to you, not me) at your Auntie's wedding this past weekend and you were such a trooper! They all remarked at how cute you are, how happy and sweet you are and how you don't make strange. I was super proud of you.

You still hate being on your belly and "tummy time" rarely lasts longer than 7 or 8 minutes.

You were rolling from your back to your belly during the night for a couple weeks and I'd often find you on your belly crying and wedged up against (or very close to) one of the sides of the crib. Poor fella. You know how you roll from belly to back, but I guess you would rather ME come and flip you over. Silly.

Solids! You have mastered the spoon and are really loving solid food. You have tried sweet potato, squash, banana, prunes, pears, rice cereal (white and brown), avacado and apples. You didn't like the avacado, but we'll keep at it. This week we're introducing peas and possibly carrots. All this solid food business has hindered your pooping so that's why the prunes have been introduced. I feel bad for you with all your grunting and pushing! You'll get the hang of it soon enough, buddy.

Naps are still 1 hr at the most. It's hard though, because you've started to reject your third nap and that makes for one VERY cranky baby come dinner hour.

You'll figure it out eventually I suppose.

You truly a very sweet baby. I see your stubborn side and that you do have a temper, but you are so good natured, it rarely comes out.

You love when I blow raspberries on your belly, cheek, or neck and often giggle when I go in for a toe munch or belly munch. You have an easy smile and blue eyes that are just like your Daddy's. I love you to bits.

I often look at you and wonder...will you be into sports and athletic like your Daddy? Will you be into music? Academics? Will you come to know and love Jesus? Will you have a good relationship with your brother? With me? With your Dad? I long for you to have all these things and while I can't wait to see the kind of man you grow into, I am loving every second along the way and wishing you'd stay this way forever.

I love you Jude....

Mama