Oh my goodness, how does this happen so fast. I thought I was pretty caught up, but this was already two months ago!
My sweet little angel. I wanted to get some photos of her in a different outfit than just the month onesie. This is a white dress that I wore when I was a baby.
Oh how I love her.
Darcy had a big 7 month of life. I just felt like she did so many cute things that it is impossible to write them all down.
Perhaps my favorite development this month was that you went through a very brief phase of snuggling into my shoulder and neck. It was so sweet! I don't know that you were going on for a cuddle, more just sucking on my shoulder, but I'll take it!
You also had a couple of days where you would throw your head back to look upside down. Turns out you loved it. It felt a little dangerous though, so it is probably best that this phase passed.
Not sitting up just yet, which is fine by me! Take as much time as you can growing up please!
Also in the category of things you're not doing, pulling my hair. It's probably because I always have it in a ponytail, so it isn't available to you as readily.
Occasionally though you do something that you're not supposed to do... Like bite me when nursing. Let's just say thank heavens you don't have any teeth yet.
You are starting to figure out your hands. You bat at everything you can reach. One fun game we play is doing high fives after nursing. I hold up my hand and you love swatting it.
You have started exploring your voice more and more. Holland told me you're learning your letters. Your short vowel sounds a, e, o. Also we can hear the d, b, n.
You are starting to love toys. Especially Ellie's watch and just a crinkly sounding bunch of wipes.
You are rolling all over these days. Which is fun for you in some ways. You encounter new toys to play with--like scratching at the recliner or slapping/batting at the base of the lamp. But it also means that you sometimes roll off the soft rug and your head touches the hard floor, which you don't like one little bit. Not that you were hitting your head hard on the floor or anything like that. But if you rest it down and it encounters the hard floor, you start with whining and sharing your discontent with the situation.
Honestly, could you be any cuter? I love hearing you play with your voice and exploring the different sounds you can make. You also just play with your mouth. For instance twisting your tongue, or sucking on your lips. That mouth is a-going non-stop!
Okay, heart melted.
One way you play with your mouth a lot is by blowing bubbles with your lips. It's kind of a half raspberry, half spitting, half bubbles. Yes, I realize that equals one and a half, not one whole, but it's a whole mixture of things.
And of course there's just sucking on your fingers--those fingers are delicious! That is definitely a favorite way to play with you mouth. I especially think it's darling on the rare occasion you just get one thumb in your mouth and suck on it. So cute!
Clearly, from these photos playing with your feet it's a good option too. They are especially interesting when your legs and feet are bare. This is a common occurrence when the weather is hot, but since it's January, normally you have at least pants on sometimes socks as well. So when we uncover them it's like you discovered a whole new toy.
These days when you're on your tummy, you push yourself up to a nice plank position. Your sisters like to say that you are doing push-ups. Sometimes you almost get up on your knees and push your bum up. It's not quite crawling position yet but just about there.
That doesn't mean you're not getting around a lot though. I can't believe how fast you figured out being able to pivot on your tummy to switch the direction you're going. Not that your intentionally trying to move a direction but if something catches your eye or your interest you can angle yourself that direction. Sometimes, not often, I swear you have the slightest forward motion towards something that you are interested in. It certainly not crawling yet though.
You really go places when you combine your pivoting with rolling. And sometimes you even combine it with pushing yourself backwards. There's a good example of that in some pictures lower down. It's super cute.
Oh gosh, you are so stinking cute.
You sure loved Daddy playing with this bunny with you. Obviously.
I have to say even though you're pivoting, rolling, and pushing yourself backwards, it doesn't mean that you really have moving figured out yet. Sometimes when you're rolling around you get your arms stuck behind you and then kind of had to have to roll over them awkwardly. It's the funniest thing. You don't seem to mind it, but it looks so uncomfortable to roll backwards over the arm that stuck underneath and behind you.
One of my very favorite things these days is when you grab my face. You like to grab my face and pull it close so we're forehead to forehead. Then you kind of growl at me. You open your mouth big at me and kind of yell in a happy way. It's pretty sweet but also kind of funny because of how intense your growl is. It's maybe not as sweet as it could be though because your nails tend to dig into my cheeks while you do it. I still love it though because I'm the only person you do it too, and I feel like it's a special way you're telling me that you love me. I'm probably delusional but I'll take it that way.
Another special interaction I have with you is saying good night at bedtime. I nurse you down on the couch while Daddy reads to me at bedtime. After you're all done, daddy comes and gets you and carries you to the stairs to take you up to wrap you up for bed. Every night you look back over at me over his shoulder, and I tell you good night and that I love you. You are so tired and happy every single night. You always give me the sweetest smiles and happiest giggles. You coo and your sweet little dimple shows. It's my favorite part of the day. Honestly if we could bottle up and sell the pure delight your smiles and giggles bring each night, we'd be the richest people on earth.
Guess who's decided she like baths? That's right, you're still a little startled about the water. But you really love being startled by the water. The splashes are so interesting and fun to you. Clearly you draw a crowd with your antics in the bathtub. You also get a little over stimulated by it. So a little bit of bath time goes a long way.
We've been going a lot more places this month. Good thing you don't mind your car seat these days.
We've been going on a lot of hikes. Thankfully your content to write along in the ergo baby. It has a little shade cloth that keeps your sweet baby skin away from the sun. And depending on how chilly the day is sometimes we put this little crocheted hat on you. I made it when Miriam was a baby, and I love using it on you. It's pretty sweet when you fall asleep in the carrier, but wearing that hat definitely helps you fall asleep more. That's probably because it slides over your eyes and makes you stop looking around at things and just go to sleep.
Your sisters don't dote on you or anything. Haha, yeah right. " Here Darcy, let me give you everything I can think of."
But honestly, who can blame them? We all dote on you.
One thing that has been a fun development this month is that you have really taken to being read to. You love baby books. You love looking at the pictures, and you love hearing us read them to you. The first books you really enjoyed were "Moo, Baa, Lalala." And the "Going to bed book." Both by Sandra Boynton. Reading to you is loads of fun.
Still enjoying those rare cuddles.
One of the hazards of moving around so well is that sometimes you go places that you don't intend to, like under the bed in mommy and daddy's room.
Saying goodbye to your friend Brielle. This makes me sad, because I was expecting you to grow up with her and be best friends.
Still such cute babies though.
You guys should be an advertisement for Target diapers.
Still an occasional nap in the swing, but not too often. Mainly just in the evening if you didn't catch a normal nap. Phasing out that third nap has been kind of a process of months. Even when I'm writing this now when you're 9 months old it's still really hasn't phased out all the way.
Oh that Miri girl loves you like crazy. Sometimes your sisters fight about who gets to hold you. That doesn't surprise me at all.
You have the most gorgeous lashes. Sometimes it's hard to see them in pictures so I tried to take some to get the right angle, but it just doesn't do them justice.
This was the funniest morning when I was pumping. You started out playing on the blanket that grandma made for you. But between rolling and pushing yourself backwards you ended up more in the corner next to the bookshelf.
Somehow you squirmed yourself around the corner of the couch. Once you were on the hard floor there was no stopping you moving quickly. Jammies plus hard floor makes for quick scooting.
Momentarily trapped by the Bumbo. Mommy will move it to see how far you can go.
Oh no, all the way back to the computer desk. Okay I'll rescue you.
Back to the blanket again.
But wait, you want to roll over your own arm. That looks so uncomfortable.
At least you have your two favorite toys, Ellie's old watch and a wipes pack.
Actually, Daddy's strings on his hoodie has got to be one of your favorite toys as well. Sometimes he tucks them inside the sweater, and you reach your hands up to get them and just seem a little confused when they're not there. They're definitely a fixture in your mind and you remember them.
You're not that interested in stuffed animals yet.
You are very interested in getting attention from people though. If someone's playing with you and talking sweet to you, you just eat that up.
Yay, it's your new love. Reading stories!
Oh dear, lots of blowouts this month. We ended up changing brands of diapers from the Target brand that's always done us so well, to Luvs. Thankfully that meant a lot fewer blowouts.
Sweet nursing time with my girl.
It's pretty rare that you fall asleep nursing on me these days, but I love it when you do even if it kind of messes up your nap schedule. It's just so darn sweet.
This outfit reminds me of baby Holland. I have the cutest babies in the whole world. Fact.
Oh doing a little rest on the ground.
Such a sweet happy baby. You love sticking your tongue up to the roof of your mouth.
So happy in bath time.
You even love getting wrapped up in a towel after. And there is nothing cuter than a baby wrapped up in a towel.
You weren't even in the bath that long, baby skin gets wrinkly easily!
I love you sweet girl. I can't believe another month went by so quickly! I swear time seems to be accelerating.
