Attention Blog Reader...(s?)

Apple is discontinuing their MobileMe services. The photo host site I will now be using is ZingZang. Please update your bookmark to the following: http://www.zangzing.com/hannahrae

It's still in an early development phase so there are a few flaws (ie: at the moment the photos imported from MobileMe are sorted by date, which means the captions sometimes don't make sense; there is a random album called "ZingZang Favorites" that is a default album I'm not allowed to delete; etc.), but it will do.

I will link to individual albums within blog posts, so you won't miss anything! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to leave your comments. It's nice to know you're still following us.

XOXO
H

7 Months

Dear MJ/Lovey/Sweet Pea,

What a gift of a baby you are, my dear. You remain good-natured through thick and thin. You have smiles for everyone, even when you get short-changed on naps, or when you have to wait for a bottle, or when your brother squeezes you a little too tightly. You've turned into to a sitting-up baby, instead of a lying-down baby this month. In the past few days, you've gone from sitting up for only a few seconds, to long stretches of sitting and playing with toys. When you fall over, you try so hard to right yourself again. That'll take some time, my love. (In fact, I distinctly remember when your brother learned to sit up, I used to wonder in amazement how babies ever figure out how to get themselves to a sitting position on their own. I guess it happens eventually!) What this sitting endeavor means is that we've brought out a new batch of toys, and your play mats have become a little hazardous, as you like to pull them on top of yourself. You're fully "over" the bouncy seats because you can't sit up in them properly. You continue to adore the Jumperoo and we're getting ready to raise it up a notch. Funny that only a month ago your toes barely touched the floor, and now you stand in it flat-footed. I also think it's funny that even though you can roll over, you have absolutely no interest in doing so. Learning to sit up has eliminated the need for rolling, evidently. We still find you in your crib in the same position as when you went to sleep.

We still haven't seen any teeth pop through, even though the drooling has increased. The absence of teeth seems to be irrelevant for eating, since you're currently trying to consume everything in sight. Having enjoyed purees for a few very short weeks, you're now officially eating 98% table food, with the occasional cereal/vegetable puree thrown in. You happily nosh on bagels, noodles, any kind of soft fruit, peas, and an assortment of cereals and puffs. You make a funny sound when you eat, like an undulating hum. You're still taking four bottles per day (~24-28 oz.), but you sometimes don't finish them anymore.

You are FINALLY sleeping allllllll the way through the night. And, let me tell you, those 12-13 hour stretches are a welcome change for your tired mom. (Now if mommy could only sleep through the night...) You're taking two solid naps per day, though the morning nap is usually short-changed two days per week. And remember that pacifier you stoically gave up last month? Yeah, it's back. You have a much easier time getting to sleep for naps when you have it. And you're still able to get to sleep (and STAY asleep) at night without it! What a champ!

I think I can officially declare that your worst spit-up days are behind us. Occasionally you have a day where nothing will stay down (often when other people are taking care of you--stinker), but I've definitely washed fewer burp cloths in the last few weeks. What a relief.

Things you love:

- "Trot, Old Joe," from the Music Together collection. It's the song Big Brother uses to get you to smile. And it works like a charm every time.

- The Most Annoying Toy Ever Created. (A ball that rolls by itself when you turn it on. Which would be fine except it also TALKS and SINGS in the worst V-Tech voice you can imagine. Kill me. Then again, I only have myself to blame. I bought it.)

- Any toy of SIR's you can get your hands on. Much to his dismay.

- Tags on burp cloths.

- When your brother or your dad visits you, cribside. Your little face lights up like a beacon and you kick your legs like mad.

- Miss Mary's music class.

- Patting whomever is carrying you. I think it's just a knee-jerk reaction to having a drum like surface at your disposal, but I like to think you're patting me on purpose, snuggle bunny that you are. :)

Things you dislike:

- Avocado. (Sigh...I tried.)

- Grass. You've gotten your first few tastes--er, figuratively (for now)--of grass on your bare tootsies and hands and you were not at all amused. You actually cried. And you rarely cry about anything. Unless...

- Other distasteful foods. I can tell you really don't like something when you cry about it.

(That's a mighty short list of dislikes for such a small person.)

I love you so much, Peanut.

Mom

http://gallery.me.com/hannahrae#100874

SIR: Version 3.5

Dear SIR,

I see huge changes in you, even since your third birthday. You sparkle and shine as a basketball player, and in Miss Mary's music class. You're sweet and engaging with your sister, and you have plenty of affection for your school friends. You've lost almost all traces of "baby talk," fully pronouncing your Rs and Ls and double checking your pronunciation of words. You're OBSESSED with telling the time (and the date) and know the big hand from the little hand, and what they represent. Your other fascination is with pre-reading. You point out letters everywhere we go and are showing signs of recognizing words ("S-T-O-P...that spells 'stop!'"). Here are some funny SIR-isms from the last six months...

Sept-Dec:
- Saying, "Zerio"(zero), like it rhymes with Cheerio.

- Calling the stuffed dog Beethoven, "Bay-TOH-ven"

- "Pian-ee-o" = piano

- Looking at autumn berries squished all over the ground outside: "Mommy, that's a miracle! There's stuff all over the ground!"

- After a gust of wind, "That made my heart shiver!"

- At a friend's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese, you called him "Chunky Cheese," and wondered where you could get more "cokens" (tokens). Eventually you started calling them "cokes."

- At Mimi's you were pretending to nurse your baby. You pulled up your shirt and said, "Ouch!" At home you use AhAh the Monkey as your chosen baby. You rock him to sleep and feed and burp him.

- Discussion about Thanksgiving:
Me: I'm thankful we have a house to live in. You know some people don't have nice, warm houses.
You: Yeah, they have DRY houses.
[rim shot?]

Me: Who are you thankful for, in your life.
You: Mila and Jolie.

- Star of the Muppets: "Krimet" the Frog. And when we say "mahnah mahnah" you respond with the doo doos. It's like a new game of Marco Polo.

- After we saw a Christmas light display we told you we were going to the Olive Garden for dinner.
A few minutes later...
You: Where are we going now?
Us: To dinner.
A few minutes later...
You: Where are we going NOW?
Us: Uh, to DINNER.
You: .....But when are we going to pick olives?
[rim shot]

- The look of amazement in your eyes when you saw your new drum set from Santa. Playing with such glee.

Jan-Mar:
- You corrected your pronunciation of "comPLOOter." "It's comPUter, mommy, isn't it." And then you used Avery's toy to pretend you have an iPad.

- At the beginning of your obsession with the calendar, you confused your teachers by telling them you were going to school again on "six day." You meant on the 6th.

- You're fascinated by maps. You wanted to keep good track of Dad when he traveled to Australia.

- You say, "certainly" and "actually" within a context that isn't quite accurate.

- You cried at the end of your first live Bulls' game, when they lost.

- You call your sister's play mat a "place mat."

- "Mom, do you hear that clickey clack from my slippers?"

[Side entry:
Brad: I'm so tired all the time. I wonder if I have mono.
Me: You don't have mono, you have children.]


I read about an idea where parents interview their children on their birthdays. We'll start this tradition now and hope we remember to keep up with it.

SIR INTERVIEW 3.5
Favorite Color: blue
Favorite Toy: basketball hoop
Favorite Fruit: blueberries (because they're blue)
TV Show/Movie: Jake and the Neverland Pirates/Willy Wonka
Lunch: Hummus sandwich
Outfit: Dragon shirt
Game: iPhone basketball game [it's a new generation, kids!]
Snack: peanuts/raisins/M&Ms
Animal: elephant
Song: "ALL the songs."
Book: Curious George
Best Friend: "Theo, Gus, Matilda, and Daddy...................and you. And Avery." (Thanks, bud.)
Cereal: Special K (lie)
Favorite Thing to do Outside: run to the park
Drink: orange juice and apple juice
Holiday: "Trick or Treating" and Christmas
Breakfast: Honey Nut Cheerios
What do you take you bed at night: "the guys" (Pooh bear, blue blanket, doggie, AhAh, Benny the Bull, etc...)
What do you want for dinner on your birthday: Mac n cheese
What do you want to be when you grow up: a fireman


(SIR and "Krimet")