7 Months Development & Milestones

Happy 7 Months, Baby Asher! - 9.9.2013

WOW. I can't believe how much change and progress occurs in the 6th month of age. These things happen so quickly. And the physical growth! I swear that after each nap, Asher is noticeably bigger and has more hair. He has so much hair now that I have to brush it and.. eh hem... gel it... in the mornings. :) His personality continues to build and we see more moods than ever. Sometimes he's calm and patient and others he is wild and active, kicking those legs 100 mph. He absolutely LOVES the pugs, Suki and Sumo. If he hears their little feet go tap-tap-tap outside of his nursery door while he's relaxing with a bottle, he stops eating immediately and pulls up toward the door trying to see which doggy has come to pay a visit. This is awfully cute, but it also can be quite a distraction when we are trying to wind down at bedtime. 

As with every other monthly update, the interactivity just builds and builds. Asher will give me a "kiss" if I ask for one, he snuggles, he laughs, he gives you a perplexed look if you do or say something strange. Every day I am just amazed at the constant leaps being made in what seems like the shortest amounts of time.

MILESTONES @ 7 Months Old

• Saying "Mama" & "Dada"
• Sounding out multiple new sounds and consonants
• I'm pretty sure he's trying to say "doggy", "baby", "baba", and "milk"
• Sitting with ease, catching self when loses balance for "graceful" falls
• Scooting/Rolling across floor
• Working on getting on all fours with tummy off ground
• "Walks" if I support him and hold his arms :)
• Responds to his name
• Imitates sounds and actions
• Self-entertains for short periods of time
• FIRST TOOTH - Can feel the sharp tip coming through.

BABY SIGNING UPDATE

Baby signing is starting to take shape. Before the past few weeks, Asher would sign intermittently and seemed to mix up his signs from time to time. The only real consistent one had been "dog". (LOL) Now, that's starting to clear up a bit. A few times he has signed "milk" when he wants milk - not only while he is drinking it. He signs "more" multiple times while eating to signal that he wants another bite. 

We haven't been focusing on teaching new signs yet. We are just trying to stay consistent with the ones we have already introduced and been exposing him to. 

Signs we've seen most often...

Dog

Milk

Up

More

Eat

Hurt

Banana

Mama?

TEETHING UPDATE

Oh, are we teething. Our saving grace, Hyland's Teething Tablets, unfortunately, I believe have caused a serious case of eczema. It's either the tablets or a different body wash we've been using. I've stopped both. I'm not good at slowly eliminating to figure out the real cause. I'm definitely leaning more toward the tablets, though. The eczema was accompanied by a severe case of diaper rash. It almost appears as though Asher's been exposed to dairy or soy again, but from my reading the lactose base in the tablets would not affect a dairy allergy... ugh this stuff gets more and more confusing every day. We will get through!

Anyway, that little tooth is making its way out and we've seen an increase in chewing, irritability, and difficulty going to bed and staying asleep. So far, the symptoms have been relatively mild, though, so fingers crossed that things don't get worse! The BabyGanics Teething Pods have been our new best friends.

SOLID FOODS / FEEDING SCHEDULE

Asher loves his solids. He won't even finish a bottle anymore in anticipation of a solid meal. This just makes every day all the more interesting around here in that he barely eats during the day and is up all hours of the night to fill his tummy with milk. We're back to two night wakings where he finishes off 6oz each. I can't complain too much since this is the only way he gets enough milk! 

I may have slipped up and given Asher some wheat a few weeks ago which I thought caused an eczema breakout, but with our current breakout and it's seeming connection to the teething tablets, I think I am in the clear. I'm pretty sure I had given him some tablets back then, too. Slap on the wrists rescinded. Phew.

PLAY, 7 MONTH BABY, PLAY!

I really want to be sure I encourage imaginative play as much as possible. I gave Asher a shoe box awhile back to put his blocks in, dump them out, put them back in...etc. to encourage his developing sense of spacial awareness and positioning. We flipped that box over a few days ago and with a few blocks and creativity made a makeshift car! :) I think he wondered why it didn't move. In all seriousness, I am looking around for a little ride-on toy for him but haven't found the perfect one just yet. It is amazing, though, how much more interested Asher is in water bottles, wooden spoons, and cardboard boxes then his is in most of the toys (some expensive!) that I have bought for him. Go figure.

We do a lot of peek-a-boo and "I'm gonna get you!" games. Asher loves to crawl around in the laundry when I am folding it. He loves to bang on his new drum but always within minutes is making it into a bucket for his toys. He also loves to dip his hands into a little bowl of water for some hand washing / sensory play.

All in all, 7 months is a fabulous baby age. Some things get harder, yes, but a lot of things get easier, too. I guess that goes for any stage. I love this little man more than anything. I don't know what we did so long without him here. :)

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Tooth Warning - Asher's First Tooth

Tooth Watch - An announcement that the eruption of a tooth and teething symptoms are possible.
Tooth Warning - A tooth or teething is imminent and expected, i.e. a tooth has been spotted

Our "tooth watch" has now officially been upgraded to a "tooth warning"! A little white spot could be seen just below the gum when these pictures were taken and now, just a few days later, that spot has erupted into a sharp little spike that is easily felt with your finger. { Getting that little bugger on camera is another story. }

It hasn't been easy around here for the past week or so with this tooth making its way out. We already haven't had a full night's sleep since that first day in his crib - and before that it had been since we started solids...so we technically haven't had a full stretch of sleep since Asher was 4 1/2 month old! *yawn*


On that note, Asher is now 7 months old! I'll be posting our usual monthly update soon. There is so much to share! I need to get his onesie pic before too much more time has gone by.


Even while teething, Asher is still such a happy baby. He gets sillier and sillier by the day! Check out his newest silly moment making scrunchy faces in his pack and play... This must be one of those things that every parent gets on camera at some point. It never gets old. If you haven't captured this yet, put it on your list of MUST TAKE BABY PHOTOS/VIDEOS.

 I think he must know how goofy he looks because he thinks it's so funny! BTW: Suki was just sniffing most of the time there... she only got one face lick in, I think... :P



We have been so busy with our shop that it's been difficult to get in a lot of quality time, all 3 of us. When we do get to have family time, though, Asher is in heaven. He loves his daddy so much! Sunday mornings are our favorites. It's the only day of the week for us when no one has to go to work, no one is in a rush, we get to sit down with our little man and just play, play, play. I used to make homemade waffles or pancakes every Sunday before this little ray of sunshine came about and this past Sunday I picked up the tradition. Only - eek! - I cheated and used Bisquick. But NEXT Sunday - it's on! I'll break out the eggs, milk, vinegar... and I'll be sure to share the awesome Belgium Waffle recipe that I'm convinced makes John love me just a little bit more. :)

 

Sorry it's just phone pics today. Sometimes, though, these in-the-moment phone shots can be even more special. :)

Remember how excited I was for our 6 month photo shoot and all the delightful little outfits I had planned for our cutie-patootie? Well, we haven't gotten out photos back yet (we had to keep pushing the shoot date back but finally got them taken on the 31st and a few more on the 2nd), but during our session I took a quick phone pic and oh my gosh - look at this cuteness!! I CAN'T WAIT to see what our photographer, Caroline Nicole Photography, has in store for us.

I hope everyone is having a great week and enjoying some change in weather as Fall starts to set in. Unfortunately for us, it is still a sweltering 90 degrees and with the humidity it feels like 100+. The only sign of Fall in these parts is the appearance of the annual yummy pumpkin treats and drinks at Starbucks. I just may turn down the thermostat tonight, hop into a warm, cozy sweater and make myself some delicious spiced pumpkin hot chocolate via a recipe I repinned on Pinterest. Fall in Florida. Gotta love it!

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Maternity Photo Shoot for My Sis

Today I took some photos for my sister who is "Ready to POP!" with baby boy #4! We used some of the photo props that we sell in our store, Z Create Design, and some of the new maternity photo props that I am going to be adding to our stock very soon!

We can all guess that little Kellyn is going to be as handsome as can be. I mean, look at his brothers! These boys are all going to be heart breakers. 

It was quite the challenge to wrangle 3 rambunctious boys for a photo shoot, but we made it happen and, if I do say so myself, we got some pretty awesome pics!

CONGRATULATIONS to my sister, Nikki, the mom-to-be. I can't wait to meet my newest nephew very, very soon! :)

We took a quick pause to photograph Asher with his Grandma and Grandpa!

FIND THE PHOTO PROPS HERE

(If you don't see the one you want listed, send me a message via Etsy.)

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Halo Sleepsack - Product Review & Giveaway!

We like to keep it nice and cool in our house at night. We have a thick, fluffy comforter and we're always practically buried in that thing. It's concerning to think about Asher sleeping in just one layer without his swaddle when we are across the house covered in three! A few of his sleeper outfits don't even have footies, either. Luckily, there is a safe blanket option that doesn't carry the risk of putting a blanket in the crib (a big time no-no).

Hello, HALO SleepSack!

We tried out one of the new designs of the HALO SleepSack Wearable Blanket and I am so happy to have come across this amazing product! First of all, it is 100% cotton, which is perfect here in Florida. Breathable fabric is a must. It's an excellent way to ensure that Asher is warm during the night (especially those little toes!) and I honestly think he sleeps better when he has it on. Another perk of the SleepSack is that little feet can't escape through the crib slats anymore. Hurray! 

The zipper is inverted, zipping from bottom to top, which makes diaper changes quick and easy. The only thing is that you will need the sleepers that snap rather than zip. I'm a fan of the PJs with snaps, anyways, because they just seem more comfortable. The new SleepSack designs are super cute, too. I'm a sucker for anything cute.

Asher loves his SleepSack and I am definitely going to have to invest in a few more, especially with cool weather just around the corner! I'm excited that they also have designs with foot openings for ages 12mo - 5T so that little walkers can stay warm safely and without kicking their blanket off during the night. Pretty neat!

The new 100% cotton SleepSack Wearable Blanket designs are available at Target stores, Target.com, or amazon.com. Connect with HALO on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Or... You can WIN ONE! Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a HALO SleepSack. Winner announced in 1 week!

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Stale Cereal, Mama, Dada, & Doggy

Our Labor Day weekend was productive and eventful! We cleaned out our kitchen pantry which was much, much needed - even more so than I realized. I won't miss the cans of soup from 2008 or the box of stale cereal that had been taking up precious shelf space for months. We now actually have a place to store our baby formula and rice cereal! It's the small things in life, it really is.

This weekend also marked a very exciting milestone for baby Asher. He said "Mama" and "Dada"! Check it out...




We also think we may have heard "Doggy" but the jury's still out on that one. How exciting! These are definitely some of the greatest moments in parenting. And the 6 month cuddles... I die!

This month also marked another record breaker at our shop. Holy moly - we are busier than ever! I have to apologize for my lack of blog posts but this momma has been busy, busy, busy. Thank goodness that 6 1/2 months also brought some self-entertainment skills and Asher is able to play happily on his own for a little while. Our Pack and Plays have finally become our go-to lifesaving baby gear during the day. We keep one at our shop and have one in our living room now, too. He actually took a nap in it while we were getting our clean on in the pantry. Woop-woop!

This week is going to be another hectic one while we continue to fulfill the orders that have been pouring in throughout the past month. Asher's rearin' and ready to go with Signing Time and his Pack and Play. :)

Enjoy our latest iPhone favs and have a wonderful short week!

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