seven months

^^ The coloring in these pictures is off and they're all a little different, but there's a 2 1/2 year old asking me to play play-doh so they're just going to stay not the best quality. Also, it's getting harder to take her picture! The only thing that will keep her laying in place is making Uriah stand behind me - she will twist and turn in his direction and take off after him! ^^

Size: Ezra is in size 4 diapers and wearing 6-12 month clothes (plus a few 12-18 month pieces - she's just as long and chubby as ever!)

Eat: For the most part, she's still exclusively breastfed, nursing about every three hours during the day. She's had sweet potato, avocado, peach and whole wheat cereal, but nothing consistent. So far, she hates the cereal and loves the sweet potato! I've started a small supply in the freezer of food - eventually I'll get her eating solids on a regular basis. Eventually... ;)

Teeth: Miss Ezra has two teeth! Her bottom front two popped through on October 10th! She continues to teeth pretty hard - still drooling quite a bit, is pulling on her ears and chomping (everything!) more than normal. She's also been having a hard time sleeping through the night and has become more fussy than normal during the day. All that combined and we're assuming it's teething pain. So hopefully whatever teeth are bothering her make their way to the surface soon! I said to Stephen the other day that I didn't know our sweet, content, happy baby girl could actually cry until recently! Poor thing...

Sleep: Ezra is still a champ sleeper. Typically, she'll sleep through the night, but with traveling and teething, she's been waking up once or twice. But even then, Uriah didn't sleep through the night until he was over 8 months so I'm counting my blessings ;) When Stephen started two weeks of nights I decided to "sleep train" my babies and get them sleeping in the same room. It was come and go - there were a few nights Ezra ended back up in the pack 'n play in the living room and a few where one or both of them would wake up but still make the rest of the night in their own bed and there were a few nights we all slept a solid ten hours. I folded up the pack 'n play, though, so now we don't have a choice! And I don't think I'll need one because they've been doing great! Now Ezra is more used to her crib and Uriah has learned to tune out the crying (I will wake up two closed doors away from a dead sleep, but he'll still be snoring five feet from her...?!) As for naps, she's taking two long consistent ones - her morning nap about an hour after she wakes up for close to two hours and an afternoon nap around one that lasts for close to two hours as well. Plus she almost always snoozes on the go for a half hour (+) during our morning errands/adventures in her carseat/carrier/stroller. She gets pretty desperate for a nap around five, but typically doesn't give in, so she does best with a 7pm bedtime (waking for the morning around 6:30). 

Movement: Ezra is on the go! I don't say babies are crawling until they are on their hands and knees intentionally moving forward, but apparently some people consider crawling just mobility in general...? Either way, she's doing a little bit of everything! She's taken a few crawl "steps", probably four at one time, but still isn't doing it consistently (which wouldn't surprise me one bit, not crawling at 7 months (Uriah didn't crawl until he was almost 9 months), but she's been trying so hard and has been so close for so long that everyday for the last two months I keep thinking, any day!) She doesn't have much of a need to, though, because she can get wherever she wants to go (and fast!) by rolling and scooting forward and back. She can now sit herself up from a laying down position and if she's close enough to something she can pull herself up with, she will! The first time she did this was in the bathtub (10.2.15) which is NOT the place you want your child to learn how to stand! 

UPDATE! Ezra IS crawling! I wrote all that ^^ yesterday mooring (10.23) and by the afternoon she had crawled across the living room floor. It'll take her awhile to get some speed, so she's still rolling and scooting most, but she definitely knows what she's doing now! 

Talking: Ok, so she's not really talking, but she's babbling like crazy! I remember Uriah hitting this stage after he turned 8 months, so it surprised me when she started just after turning 6! We hear lots of "ababa" and "dadadada" and I swear she said "mama" one night from her crib but Stephen was working nights and Uriah was sleeping so I have no witnesses ;) She'll mostly babble when she's just sitting with her toys, happy and content. 

Likes: "The Wheels on the Bus" - it will calm the tired/hungry baby in the backseat of the car every single time! Tickles, smiles, eye contact and attention - she's such a social butterfly and her big open mouthed smile that makes her eyes disappear will make anyone feel like a million bucks! Watching her brother play and dance - she thinks he hung the moon! Her daddy's voice - she is always turning her head to stare in his direction! It's really sweet until she's nursing! ;) Bath time and being outside - my go-tos when I'm trying to extend bedtime just a little bit! New textures - which mostly ends up being things to play with that aren't toys like the wooden spoon from the kitchen or the reusable grocery bags or the throw blanket from the back of the chair (it's almost like you can see her learn as she focuses on the new item and the way it feels, tastes and the sounds it makes... It steals her attention and buys me some time to get something done!) Bouncing on my knee, interactive songs, eating food, pretending to eat her toes (its a guaranteed laugh every time!), her Sophie (ok, anything to chew on) and her brother's blanket (which he doesn't have to share therefore she's not allowed to play with). 

Dislikes: Not being able to crawl (the way she'd like to or at the speed she'd like to - I'm not sure which!), the sound of the hair dryer (though she doesn't mind the vacuum), a toy being taken away from her (she's starting to get an opinion about things!) and watching people leave the room (especially mom and especially if it means she's left alone in the room). 

Things I want to remember: The way she sucks in her bottom lip and then smiles with her eyes. The way she's constantly blowing her lips. The way her whole body jumps and shakes and she excitedly turns away when someone smiles at her like she's too excited to handle it. The way she's content to sit with her entire bucket of toys on the living room floor, pulling them out one by one until the bucket itself has become her toy. The way she laughs and laughs at Uriah's silly sounds in the backseat of the car. The way her skin feels like silk. 

We are officially closer to one year than we are to being a newborn. While it feels like just yesterday she was being put in my arms for the first time, it simultaneously feels like she's been here all along. It's all been said before... The days are long but the years are short. Oh, Ezra, we are all so much better with you in our lives - our constant reminder of peace and beauty and the reason behind so many of our smiles. We love you, baby girl!