7 Month Round Up!

Just the other day I was telling a colleague at work that Everly was 7.5 months old. As soon as the words left my mouth I felt a wave of panic come over me. From the moment she was born everyone has been telling me to enjoy every second of her childhood because she will be heading off to college before we know it. To be honest though, I didn't really grasp how fast time really passes by until this very moment. Everly is growing and changing so quickly that it is hard to keep up with her major milestones and personality developments because it feels like they happen overnight. I swear Danny and I look at each other on a regular basis and proclaim, "Something is different about her today!"

If I had to sum up Everly's spirit in one word it be lively. She has more energy than any baby I have ever been around. She is constantly moving and squirming and flailing her arms and legs.  Her bubbly personality and infectious giggle are intoxicating. I can just tell by looking at her that she has so much to tell me. She is trying her best to talk but since she doesn't have words yet she communicates by squealing, coughing, raising her eyebrows up and down, and using different pitches of her voice to express how she is feeling. She also started saying "Da-Da" this week, which was a very proud moment for Danny.

She absolutely LOVES food and will not tolerate any monkey business when it is time to eat. We have been trying to teach her baby sign language so that she can tell us when she wants more food, but when she gets really excited she forgets to use the sign and will bang her hands on the tray and grunt until we move faster. So far she has enjoyed everything we have given her to eat except carrots. Right now her menu consists of yogurt, oatmeal, apples, bananas, avocados, and sweet potatoes. I plan to add green peas, turkey, cauliflower, and pears to the menu in the next couple of weeks. We are still preparing all of her baby food and thoroughly enjoying introducing her to new fruits and veggies. Danny and I are both incredibly picky eaters and we are hoping to break the cycle with Everly. So far I think we are doing a pretty good job.

Look how much our "Spicy Little Meatball" has filled out since she started eating solid foods. 

Her little thighs are so chunky! 

The two biggest milestones that Everly has hit in the last few weeks are crawling and sitting up without any assistance. She is on the move and into everything. Since crawling basically happened without any warning we are scrambling to baby proof our entire house. Of course her favorite things to examine are the fireplace screen, the electronics on the entertainment center, and the computer cords; all items that we have had to block off until we can get the proper safety measures in place. We cannot take our eyes off of her for one second because she moves so fast. She knows exactly what "NO!" means because just as she approaches the "forbidden fruit" she will stop and look at us to see how we are going to react.

She continues to love going on adventures outside of the house. We still attend our Stroller Strides workout class a few times a week and trips to Target, the Grocery Store, the park, and restaurants are some of her other favorite outings. She loves riding in her stroller and being carried in the Baby Bjorn. When we are out she is very social and enjoys people watching. She really studies people and her environment. She is also highly amused by Bama and all of her antics. She loves to watch her playing with her toys and often goes after her stuffed animals or balls when Bama isn't looking. Bama is very patient with her and even lets her grab her fur or take her toys. 

Her favorite toys right now are her blue dinosaur, the piano, plastic balls, the tummy time water mat, the frog activity center, and Sophie the giraffe. She is very tactile and loves to explore different textures by "rat clawing" (this is Danny's code word for touching and scratching) every surface that she comes in contact with. She is also tickled by "peek a boo" and is thrilled when we sing to her. "Patty Cake", "B-I-N-G-O", and "5 Little Monkeys" are  some of her favorite jams.

She is still sleeping through the night and napping twice a day like a champ (which makes her mommy and daddy VERY happy)! We plan our entire lives around her schedule because she is a BEAR if she doesn't eat or get to sleep on time. While it can be challenging to get things done on some days, in the end everyone is happier if we stick to the plan.


We continue to be humbled and in awe of the impact that Everly has made in our lives. This little person teaches us about true love, strength, perseverance, and pure joy on a daily basis. We are so much better because of her.

We have some exciting adventures planned in the next month, including our first family vacation to the beach (I can hardly wait to buy her a bikini and a sun hat) and another trip back to Alabama. I am looking forward to my summer break so I can spend more time with her. I am already working on our summer "bucket list"in the city.