7 Month Update

There just aren't enough hours in the day lately--so many things I want to get done (like updating the blog!) and very little time to do it. But I know most of you feel the same way, so I won't complain. :) I completely missed doing an update for Jonathan at 6 months old, but I'll try to make up for it with month 7. Here's the latest on our big boy:

*At his 6-month check up, he weighed in at 18.5 pounds (75%) and 29.5 inches (off the charts--again!). I know he's grown since then, as his size 9-month clothing is getting too small already. I can't keep this boy in clothes! *He has his first two teeth! The front bottom teeth have finally poked through, and thank goodness. It was a difficult process for all of us, most of which occurred during our Disneyland vacation. Good times.

*He still needs a little support while sitting, although he can balance on his own for longer periods of time. Seven months was when sitting finally "worked" for Lauren, so I think he's on the same track. *Jon is in constant motion. He can't crawl yet (thankfully!) but he rolls a lot, kicks a lot, and just generally wiggles all the time. It makes feeding him interesting...

*No real babbling yet, but lots of grunts, groans, squeals, and screeches. I can't wait until this boy can communicate with something other than a scream. (I remember feeling the same way about Lauren at this stage.)

*Most of the time, our "challenging" boy has ZERO patience. I've learned to try to anticipate what he will need at different times because otherwise, he can go from happy to angry in about 0.3 seconds. *He is eating a variety of fruits and veggies now, and sitting in his highchair. At first, he would eat anything we put in his mouth without a second thought. (I was hoping we had finally found something that would be easy with Jonathan!) But now he has definite opinions. If it is green (i.e., green beans and peas), he doesn't want it. He's also started fussing over a few other things, like peaches. And he doesn't like straight rice cereal or oatmeal anymore--it has to be mixed with a fruit or veggie. (Although I can't say I blame him on that one. That stuff is pretty gross!) He is also still nursing a few times a day and drinking his bottles.

*Sleeping continues to be the ultimate challenge. Nap times have been okay on most days. I'm trying to be very consistent, with naps at about 9am and 1pm. Sometimes, if those naps don't go well, he'll have a third short nap about 4:30pm. Bedtime is between 6:30 and 7:30pm, and he's up for the day around 7am. He generally does well going to sleep--it's staying asleep that is the problem. On good nights, he is up once or twice, eats, and goes back to sleep. On bad nights, there's lots of screaming. If I only knew what caused it...*The best things about Jonathan: He has a wonderful smile that he shares generously. He adores his sister (and gets upset whenever she is out of sight). He is very curious, and seems to really examine the things that we give him. He is a true boy--already enjoying power tools, as you can see in the picture below! He does well in the car (up to about 2 hours) and seems to enjoy going places and seeing new things. And when he is well-rested and fed, he can be lots of fun! We love our little man and look forward to seeing the changes that will come in the next few months.