Our Big Boy is 7 Months Old...(tear)

Yesterday to be exact Max turned 7 months old. Another month has flown by, and he is NOT so slowly losing his baby ways. Everyone who is around him frequently says the same. We had lunch with my mother in law yesterday, and she and I were just watching him in his own little world at the restaurant. She agreed that it seems like in the past 2 weeks he has changed so much.

Quick disclaimer. I am going to write many, many, details that will probably bore most everyone other than my mom (and maybe even her), but I want to be specific so I can look back and remember exactly how my little baby was when he is all grown up! I can also see into the future, and KNOW that when I have another baby I am going to be obsessed with wondering what Max was doing at that child's particular phase. Okay, continuing on...

I LOVE that he loves to go out and be around people. He will sit at a restaurant like a champ, loves to look around at church, and can usually do well on little sleep when out in public. At home is another story. He has a very calm, chill demeanor so he rarely MELTS down, but he does get fussy at home which rarely happens out. The main problem we are dealing with now, and it truly is driving me mad is his lack of decent naps. He has always struggled with what BabyWise calls the "45 minute intruder." At around 45-50 minutes all babies hit the end of their first sleep cycle, and usually flutter their eyes and fall back asleep.

Well, I don't know if it's just his social personality or what, but Max rarely can fall back asleep after his little cat nap. This is usually fine, but he is tired again so quickly that I feel like I can never leave the house and get anything done before he will want to go to sleep again. Or he will fall asleep in the car, and further the vicious cycle of bad napping. About 2 weeks ago, for exactly 2 weeks straight he took three 2 hour naps a day, and slept exactly 12 hours at night! It was AMAZING and I thought we had finally turned a corner! Well, my Mom came in town, he got wired and excited and what.do.you.know. Back to dinky, irritating, annoying, 45 minute naps. Can you tell this is killing me?! I guess he was just going through a growth spurt before.

He still sleeps well at night, but the past couple of nights has woken up at 5:45ish crying for about 20-30 minutes and then goes back to sleep until 7 or so. Weird. A typical "good" night he will sleep from about 7-6:30. I'll think we are finally in a routine and then he changes it up on me. I've heard from other moms that this never changes, so I am trying my best to just roll with the punches. He is a wonderful, adaptable baby so I can't complain. I just really get hung up on his not getting enough sleep.

Here are a few things he is up to this month:

-Scooching/Crawling. He can get anywhere with his little maneuver.

-Playing "drums" with his little hands on any flat surface. The wipes container, the table, or highchair.

-Rocking on his hands and knees CONSTANTLY, even in his crib when his eyes are closed.

-Doesn't like rocking very much anymore, and I usually have to just lay him down wide awake. I will try to snuggle him in his glider at bedtime but he is usually not having it. Occasionally with a bottle or at naps he will still fall asleep with me holding him.

-Never says no to food. He loves all fruits, green beans, potatoes, and mixed veggies. The only 2 things he HATES are prunes (understandably so) and peas (again, I get it).

-He has started on some table food, but I am somewhat of a freak about choking, so I am still holding back on that for now. So far he has sucked/gummed an apple and loved it, had some banana chucks, bites of a whole wheat bagel, and little pieces of Puffs. Cody gave him a tortilla the other night and he choked a little bit! It probably wasn't the best choice looking back, but I do think he is ready to try more of the baby "friendly" first foods.

-He holds his arms up now for me to pick him up, and it's pure heaven on earth.

He is developing a little bit of stranger anxiety I think, but only acts that way at the church nursery. I was SHOCKED the first time I went to pick him up and his little eyes were red from crying. Same thing second time, and most recently I had to be paged! I really have no idea why he doesn't like it. Next time I am going to spend a little more time in there before I leave, and maybe that might work.

Such a great baby, and we are beyond in love, and beyond blessed!