Haley at 7 months

It's finally here...just 12 days late.

7 Month Update

Height: 29 in. (by my expert guestimation)

Weight: 18.1 lb

Between her 6 and 7 month birthday Haley had several new experiences. She got her first doll in Atlanta. It's a cabbage patch baby and she loves it.

While we were in Atlanta Haley also went to her first movie. We went and saw Valentine's Day at a dine in movie theatre. It was great because there were big comfy chairs where I could feed Haley and a lot of space to walk her around. The movie wasn't loud enough to scare her, and we went in the middle of the day so there was only one other group in the theatre; a sweet older couple who thought Haley was adorable, even when she babbled through half of the movie. By the end she fell asleep hunched into a little ball in my arms. so sweet!

Haley also went to her first Oscars party- pajamas style. She had fun watching with all of the grown ups and snuggling with whoever took a turn holding her.

She sat in a restaurant high chair for the first time. Having her that close to the table can be dangerous though, especially for any adults who don't want slobbery baby fingers in their food.

Haley also got to go for her first walk in a backpack. Zach's mom got us a wonderful baby backpack that is perfect for going on hikes or just walking down to story time at the library. Her first time was when her daddy took her to the grocery store. This backpack is my new favorite way to carry Haley, and she seems to love it too. She grabs for branches as we pass trees and has fun exploring the sights of our quaint little town.

Haley has got some hunka chunka legs going. I love her little chub rolls. She also has chubby cheeks. Her hair is really starting to grow fast and become more and more fluffy. Also her eyes are almost always and fully brown.

Haley still has just one little tooth. I've started calling her "sharp tooth" because she loves to show it off. Haley spent the second half of her 7th month trying to push her second tooth through her delicate gums. She had several rough nights as a result, but apart from that has an incredibly sweet disposition.

Haley takes on Sunday mornings like a pro. Between directing children's ministries, teaching Sunday School to the older kids before church, preaching, and cleaning/ counting money after church Haley is often passed around, and left without food for longer than usual. But she takes it all in stride. She is usually one of the happiest babies in the nursery, and she loves being passed around to all of the adults, and playing with all of her little buddies.

On Valentine's Day we were able to pause after worship and take a cheesy family photo at the photo station that was left in the gym from the Valentine's dance the night before.

Haley is very chill, she does well with other babies, and doesn't usually mind getting "taken care of" by being covered with blankets, hugged to the ground or having her pacifier taken and then shoved back into her mouth. She's just goes with the flow of things, and takes it all in stride. Usually with a huge grin on her face. I love hearing other people tell me how good of a baby she is. Her smile is just beautiful, irresistable even.

But it can't be smiles all the time. Even the most cheerful babies have their moments. I am always amazed at Haley's ability to go from a smile, to screaming tears, and back to a smile in seconds. She will squeal in anger or in delight. And when she laughs or gets excited she shakes her arms and legs and pants like a dog. Unless you really get her going, and the full belly giggles come out.

She love to sit and watch TV with her Daddy. She also loves to listen to books either while sitting in my lap in our cozy glider, or while sitting at story time at the library. She's even been going to the preschool time since she loves the stories so much.

She is very tactile and loves to get her hands into things. Like bubbles, food, grass, and snow.

She loves to be touched and held almost all of the time. She plays favorites and will lunge out to get a hug and be held by mommy or daddy. Her little hugs are so sweet, and nothing beats the way she nuzzles her sleepy head into my shoulder. I have found that my sling is my new best friend. She hated laying in it as a new born, but loves to sit on my hip koala style, and with my sling she can sit there hands free.

Haley is starting to give great cues, she reaches up to you when she wants to be picked up or when she wants to get out of her high chair. Her adorable head shake has returned and she has mastered the sleepy eye rub. It's great because now I can tell without a doubt when it's time for a nap, or time to go to bed. She still loves her binky and cant go to sleep without it. She spent months as a tummy sleeper but now she seems to fight it sometimes, rolling back onto her back and then screaming. She seems to end up often sleeping on her side.

She also falls asleep easily in the car. She has taken several great naps sitting on the couch in her car seat. I love it because I can just watch her until she wakes up ready to start playing again.

She has the cutest hand movements. She likes to squeeze her hands as if she were doing the sign for milk, and she rolls her wrists in funny directions. Haley still works the pouty face and sticks her tongue out to the side. She make a really funny fish face a lot now too.

Haley is also making strides towards some other big milestones. She is starting to try to wave. She has gotten very close to standing herself up. When I was packing up some of the clothes she has outgrown she played in one of the bins, and tried to stand herself up in it several times. When we stand her up she is able to hold onto something and stay up for quite a while.

She is also getting closer to sitting herself up, but she still will do crunches some of the times instead of rolling over. She has no problem reaching her destination through a combination of rolling, scooting and crawling army style. She loves to get out her own toys.

She has outgrown several of her toys. I was a little sad when I disassembled her swing and her bouncy seat, and then packed them away with her bumbo, the boppy, her tummy time mat, and her play gym.

But Haley hasn't stopped playing. She still loves toys that make noise like her phone and her piano. But she's becoming more interested in non noisy toys, like her hedgehog and her bunnybee. She's also recently discovered the joy of balls!

Haley even got her own cell phone. She kept trying to eat mine while I talked to people so I gave her my old one to have for herself. It's amazing that with 20 toys on the ground she will still go for the one or two things she's not supposed (aka: cords, cell phones, cameras, or bibles and other books) to have every time. I might have to start calling this little technology loving bean by a new name... maybe gigabyte.

We have fun playing peek a boo while I sit with her on out bed and fold clothes. She's already becoming my little helper when it comes to doing chores around the house.

She has also learned that if there is a toy she doesn't want to put down while I'm changing her clothes, she can just pass it to the other hand until I get her sleeve situated. She can pick up even small toys with ease. She does not like having toys taken away, and if something falls or gets taken she will search for it with determination.

Much like her mama Haley is a picky eater. A picky eater who likes to make a mess, and hates wearing a bib. She has been trying several new foods, my mom got her several gerber 1st foods when we went to Atlanta and several of them seemed to go over well. I just try to remember that she may need to try something 10 times to really get a taste for it and decide if she likes it.

Oh course there are also foods she has already decided she does not like!

When it's time for a bottle Haley takes a no assistance required approach.

Slowly but surely she is learning to wash it all down with some water from her new sippy cups. She is taking to these pretty slowly, I think it's because some of their spill prof features make it very difficult to drink and because with her teeth coming in she doesn't want much near her mouth.

This month Haley discovered her inner rock star/ groupie. She also had fun getting all dressed up in cute outfits. Well... most of the time.