7 Month Update :)

John Parker was 7 months old last Thursday (9/22), and unfortunately, this was one of the saddest days we've been through - his Grandfather (John's Dad) passed away very unexpectedly and went to be with Jesus.  It has been a rough few days and it will continue to be difficult, but I truly believe John Parker has made the last week bearable for John and his mother.  John Parker's innocence and sweet disposition can bring a room full of smiles even in the gloomiest of situations - I'm thankful for a baby with such a wonderful personality.

So much has happened this month!  I think JP weighs between 17 1/2 and 18 pounds, he's wearing 9 month clothes (a few 12 month things fit too!) and size 3 diapers.

He is eating 5 times a day - still nursing and pumped breast milk and lots of baby food (fruits and veggies, stage 2).  He nurses in the morning for about 10 minutes right when he wakes up (usually around 8am), eats two containers of baby fruit (one of them mixed with 3 tbsp oatmeal cereal) at 11:30, drinks a 7 1/2 ounce bottle of breast milk at 3-3:30 (or nurses when I'm home), nurses at 6:30 and gets a baby veggie mixed with rice cereal during our dinner, and drinks a 7 ounce bottle of breast milk mixed with 2 tbsp rice cereal at 8:30pm.  We are SOOOO fortunate that my supply has been great, even with cutting a pumping session at work (down to one time per day), and he is thriving and growing wonderfully!  I'm just taking it day by day now with the breastfeeding - I never thought I would make it to 7 months, but I enjoy it and I guess I will take cues from him!

John Parker's sleeping patterns have gotten much better.  He mostly sleeps all night - from 830pm to 8am - but still sometimes wakes once or twice for a few seconds for "comfort" (which basically consists of one of us walking in his room and putting his paci back in his mouth).  He's had several painful happenings this month (two teeth and an ear infection), so we really think most of his sleep issues were derived from those.  He got his first tooth about a week after turning 6 months and his second last weekend, right after turning 7 months.

He crawled backwards for a couple of weeks, but yesterday he actually started CRAWLING!  He is going wherever he wants to go, and it's crazy how fast it's all happening.  He can pull up to standing on a low object and he can sit up from any position - lying down, crawling, etc.  He has said da-da consistently since the day his turned 6 months, and has said ma-ma once or twice starting this past weekend.  He also says "haaaay" (Hey), "bah" (Bye), and na-na (we think John's mom will be Nana) and he has started trying to wave goodbye and hello.

Life is so much fun right now, and I love love love this age!  I can't wait to watch him learn and grow over the next few months.

Bath time :)

Pulling up!