Elodie {7months}

Elodie,

I cannot believe you are already 7 months old!  You are such a happy and smiley baby now it is so sweet.  I am loving watching your personality grow as you explore everything and watch everything around you.  It is such a pleasure and blessing to be your Momma each and every day.  You have such a sweet disposition and gracious spirit.  You have a genuine happiness that just exudes when you smile and it melts my heart.

Sissy can always make you laugh the hardest even when you won't crack a smile for me; you will for her.  She is so playful and fun with you and you really seem to love watching her.  You certainly let her know when you don't like something though.  That cute bottom lip will still curl into a pathetic frown and then a sad cry will ensue.  You generally let anybody hold you and aren't too shy about it.

Suncatchers & daydreamers.
I have a vision that this might be you girls in 10 years on a sunny day laying in the grass sharing your hopes and dreams (and I hope 20, 30 + years as you grow older together as sisters).

Your first 4th of July bash at the Young's House.  Daddy snuggled you up in a blanket and then lay you in the grass while the fireworks and chaos surrounded you.  You slept....like a baby. 

You are really starting to sit up now on your own without too much support.  Here you look so proud!  I don't leave you yet since you might relax and topple over.  It is cute to see you upright now though.  You love to go into the ball pit at the Y and sit and feel all the textures of the balls there.

You've really decided that you like to stand and to jump.  You like to move and be active not just sit around all day.

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Here are a few reminders of what you are doing right now:

• starting to sit up regularly (although you still need a bit of support or the boppy pillow)
• started eating some solids, just bananas and oat cereal so far although you mostly just blow your tongue and spit it out so far 
• starting to push back and move around the floor (tonight I lay you on your back on the activity mat with the boppy pillow and you somehow rolled over and out and around the mat and then ran into the wall!
• you are starting to make it slightly longer stretches at night for sleeping getting closer to 4 hours and a few times longer
• you are really starting to "talk" and engage us with sounds and grunts and lots of Mama....I secretly love to hear my own name :)
• You are getting better at being in the car now that you can hold your toys and put them in your mouth.  You still don't seem to love being in the car for long periods of time yet.
• I've started weaning you from the swaddle blanket by leaving one arm out when you sleep so that you can roll/push yourself back over.  Last night I left both your arms unswaddled and you slept fine.
• You are a much squirmier baby than your sister....you like to move and be on the move.  In church you don't want to sit and be held, you want to roll and kick your feet and stand and move.  
• You are really good at grabbing things now and I need to watch out for little hands.  You pulled a whole container of strawberries off the table at TJ's the other day.
• You and Daddy are really starting to bond.  He sneaks little pockets of time with you early in the morning or at night before/after sissy goes to bed or gets up.  He is learning how to soothe you and take care of you the way you like.
• You have your favorite pacifiers: the Mam brand.  It was what you started with and you still really like them.  This is fine except when they all seem to disappear!  It is nice in the middle of the night though because they don't have an up or down side; you can put them in any which way.
• You are still a good nurser and are working through the distractable phase although with an  older sister who likes to play, play with you and make noise, that can sometimes be hard.
• This week your two little bottom teeth finally started poking through.  It has been a long process but I think the most painful part of those two teeth is over.  It will really change your smile when they finally come through.
• You seem to like to watch cartoons or listen to the books when we watch and read.....
• You are a very observant baby watching the dogs walk and move around; watching Daddy or Aven and just observing life and interactions around you.
• You always know when I've left the room and often smile and even coo when I return or cry and start to be upset when I leave.

You are really coming into your own.  I love getting you out of bed in the morning because you always give me the biggest widest and cutest smile.  Joy comes with the morning is what I say.  I am so thankful for you and your health and spirit.  Happy 7 months Miss "E."  We love you.