Grow Baby Grow {Paige} - 7 Months

I'm already thinking about Paige's first birthday - HOW is that possible? For as hard as the first 3-4 months are for me and drag for me, time is flying now. I noticed when looking back at my posts from her 5 and 6 month updates, I called her a 'ball of sunshine' in both, and that is definitely true. She is a happy and content baby, and she's continued to just be total JOY for us.

Stats:
Weight: ~16 pounds
Diapers: size 3 in disposables, all snapped down in cloth, 1 snap open
Clothing: 3-6 months but really needs to go up, I have everything out but am being lazy about switching them out - plan to do that this weekend!
Nicknames: Paigey, Smoochie {but not a ton}, Girlfriend, Love Bug

*Our biggest news for the month - Paige is crawling! She can't go very far yet, but she's gone from rocking back-and-forth, to putting her hands out but flopping down, to figuring out how to get back up to hands and knees, to making 1 or 2 'steps' to being able to slowly move a few feet. Trent crawled at 8.5 months, and Drew started a few days past 7 months, so Paige has done this the quickest of the 3. I'm sure within a few days she'll be zooming around! I'm already thinking about how many Legos she'll eat! {grin}

*We've been eating for a month, too! So far, Paige LOVES everything and LOVES eating. She has gotten so much better at actually getting food in her mouth and is super fast at grabbing it and shoveling it in. I've also noticed her 'raking' has gotten more refined, and she's getting close on a pincher grasp.

*She's eaten: banana, strawberries, blueberries, pears, apples, eggs, green beans, avocados, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, okra {might have caused a reaction so waiting on giving this one again}. I think her favorite is egg, ha.

*We nurse on demand, but it basically is before and after naps. She's not nearly as into the boob as Drew was, and I actually have a hard time getting her to eat if anyone is around, so we typically nurse in her glider with the door closed. She has taken the bottle easily too which is great. She likes to drink water from a glass too.

*On our trip last month, this was our first time having her sleep for several nights in her pack 'n play, and she did great. Makes me not dread a trip we have planned in August!

*She definitely has learned to express her displeasure - she will cry if I take something away from her that she was enjoying. She also cries a lot with Drew, unfortunately, but it's because Drew is constantly bugging her. Wants to hold her, hug her, pick her up, shake her. I love that Drew is still obsessed with her sister, but she's just a bit overwhelming to Paige. She still growls a lot, love it!

*Paige still has only 2 teeth. I'm not worried about her biting at this point since she uses her tongue wrong - just like Trent! His speech therapist is always cooing at Paige and saying 'I'll be seeing you in a few years.' Ha!

*She fooled me for a hot minute, and I thought I'd get a blue-eyed kid, but no dice. I think she's going to have the same olive-y (blue/green/brown) that the big 2 have. Drew's are a little more blue, and I think Paige is following there. She is our blondest kid although none of the 3 have truly been 'blonde'. So I didn't get one just like their daddy. My brown/brown genes ruined that I guess!

*Holy cow - for how much this kid hated the water, she is a WATER BUG now. If she hears a faucet turn on, her head swivels to find it. She still gets a little nervous in the laundry room sink {for her solo baths} but not like she used to, and I think it's just because the bottom is a bit slippery. She loves the pool, big bath {with me/the kids}, the shower {with me or Brent}, and I will even make a little puddle in the bottom of our shower and sit her in it so she can splash around.

*She can transition from sitting to all 4s to her tummy back to sitting and roll around. Lots of body control this month!

*We don't read as much as we should, but Paige does like books - reading and eating them, ha. She loves to be sung to - she especially loves Itsy, Bitsy Spider and Ram-Sam-Sam and songs with hand movement and also You are My Sunshine.

*Paige usually takes 2 naps/day. If her second one is short or ends early, we're kind of screwed because she won't take 3 naps. If she sleeps late {we're still having occasional middle-of-the-night parties...like last night from 1:30-3:30}, she might only take 1 nap.

*Speaking of nighttime, she's still not sleeping through the night, and is really all over the place. We'll have a night where she wakes up once {one night she went from 8:30-6:00 and then went back down until 9:40!} and then other nights we're together 2-3 times. I would say a typical night is 1-2 wake-ups with bedtime starting at 7:30 and sleeping until 8:00. 95% of the time she sleeps on her stomach.

*She still loves her thumb, and I love seeing her suck it. She's starting to suck it more and using it for more than just sleep, she's using it to soothe herself some!

*She is way more into playing with household items vs. toys. She loves things that rattle {I put some coffee beans in an old prescription bottle - she loves to shake it AND chew on the lid.} Everything still goes in her mouth. She likes to sit and play with 'stuff' but gets upset if her people leave the room. We go on lots of walks, and she likes both the wagon and the stroller. She likes to swing at the park.

*Paige loves to be standing. She will pull up on our hands. She isn't as crazy about the Jumperoo as Trent was, but I think she likes it because it lets her stand.

*She loves our nanny which is a huge blessing - sidebar: Morgan is really fantastic with all 3, and I feel like we hit the lottery this summer. She still gets wary of people she doesn't know, and is even still shy with her grandparents. She recognizes Babs' necklace that she loves to chew, so she's always willing to go to Babs, ha. {Drew and Mayer also loved to chew on this necklace.}

This month is our last with her at home. She starts at CMS on August 23. People ask me how it has been going back to work, and really it hasn't been a big deal because the kiddos are all home. August 23 is going to be a sad day for me, even though I've done it twice before and think the infant room {called Nido which is Italian for 'nest', Montessori is Italian} at CMS is AMAZING, so I know she'll have an amazing time once she settles. Point of all this is I really want to savor this next month extra hard.

Paige has really been just the biggest joy for our family. She lights us all up. The big kids love her and love getting smiles from her. Trent is SO proud to do things for her and to help me. Drew just loves having a live baby doll. Brent was home for a lot of my maternity leave and has an extra closeness with Paige. People who spend time with her are always commenting on how sweet she is, and they are right.

Paige Noelle, I am so glad I fought to have you {grin}. You are such a blessing to us all and such an amazing addition to our family. I will love you forever and like you for always, my baby!