My First Christmas!

Now that I have officially passed the 7 month mark, I am old enough to know that Christmas is a very fun holiday!  You get to open lots of presents, see your grandparents a lot on the computer, sing Christmas songs, build gingerbread houses and eat lots of yummy food.  Okay, so I can't open presents, sing, build houses and the food I eat are cereal and vegetables, but I'm still taking all of it in!  Miss Elaine at school was right when she predicted I would be crawling by Christmas.  In fact, I use my new crawling ability to get to furniture or people to climb on so I would say I have been climbing just as much as crawling.  I really enjoy the new toys I have to play with and Cora has been good about letting me look over some of the toys she got for Christmas.  I especially like the airport she got.  The excersaucer I got, or as Uncle Marcus calls it - the command center - is a good time.

Chipmunk cheeks!!

I am still doing a great job with eating, holding my bottle and not drooling too terribly much.  I have been cranky the past few days because my gums hurt a lot.  I'm sure my teeth are coming soon although there is still no sign of them peeking out yet.  My pointer finger still does a good job for sucking when I can't find anything else.  Other than that, nothing too big to report except that when I tumble on the floor and bump my head, it doesn't feel so nice!!

The new playroom!

Busy Bruiser Beaver

My big hair after a bath!

I play with Cora's stroller when she isn't looking!

I have officially started crawling!  On Friday afternoon (12/21/2012) when Daddy came home from work I took my first shaky glides across the floor.  That evening, when Mommy was getting Cora ready for bed, I crawled from my mat over to Daddy, who was laying on the couch, so that I could cuddle with him and take my pre-bedtime catnap.  I am so busy these days now that I can get around on my own!  I can play with whatever is laying out - which is sooo many toys these days.  Cora will get out 10 different things and forget about them - and that's when I make my move!
At the rate that I have been eating I am probably gaining about a pound per day!  I take my bottles in usually less than 10 minutes and I prefer to hold it myself.  I've started eating carrots and peas now.  The peas taste funny, but I guess I will get used to them.  Honestly, they aren't my favorite, but I am so hungry I just don't care.  My cheeks have really gotten chubby too!

Holding my own bottle!

Crawling

I think I can officially say that I can crawl.  It's more of a squiggly worm, but I am very capable of getting around to places I need to be - usually exploring new toys that Cora has gotten to play with but forgotten.  There is a piano that lights up that I like in particular, but Cora sometimes has a hard time letting me use it on my own.  
I have also started using a high chair.  A few weeks ago, Mommy tried putting me in it to feed me my rice cereal, but I couldn't sit up in it.  Now, I am a champ.  In addition to gobbling down my food with practically no mess, I can sit up in the chair and look around as I eat.  I also like to bang on the tray.  I could get used to it.  My favorite vegetable so far is sweet potatoes, and carrots aren't so bad.  Anything is better than the squash. 
Last week was a busy week.  I had to go to the doctor because Mommy and Daddy were worried about my cough.  The doctor told me I had an ear infection in BOTH my ears!  I have to take medicine now, but it doesn't taste that bad so it doesn't bother me.  The more important event from last week was my visit to Santa.  I was not afraid at all because Cora was with me, however when we got up to see Santa and sit on his lap, she started crying.  I don't understand.  I liked his red suit and he made a very comfy chair!  Even though I can't talk yet, I am hoping Santa gets me an exersaucer like the one I have at school.  Mommy and Daddy tell me that I won't be at school much longer because Mommy is going to be home with me from now on....that will be fun!!! I am looking forward to Christmas when all of the family is home together!!

Hanging my first ornament with Mommy!

Posing with my First Christmas ornament!

Weekend Whirlwind

My first Christmas tree outing - a success! In a new car too!!

We had such a busy weekend I am almost too exhausted to write!  Thank goodness, I caught a catnap with Daddy on the couch after dinner, so I wasn't too cranky going to bed.  I really like cuddling with Daddy - on weekends when Daddy is out doing things, I miss him and I cry a lot.  When he is around, I am always looking at him.  He did a really good job hanging lights on the house and putting up the Christmas tree this weekend!  We went to pick out a tree and I watched Daddy put it up while the girls were out shopping.  I love having new things in the house to look at.  If I'm not looking at things, I'm constantly grabbing for something to put into my mouth or play with in my hands.  I enjoy when Cora wants to play with me, either letting me play with her blocks or help her with her train tracks. She isn't always up to it, but sometimes she will share her toys with me.

Squash is gross!

I also tried my first vegetable this week too...I did not like it.  Mommy is going to try a different vegetable, but for now I can say I DO NOT like squash.  And putting rice cereal in it does not help the taste.  Hopefully the next one will taste better.  

Crawling is around the Corner!

The past couple of weeks have been very tiring for me - I have been rolling, squirming, and trying to crawl.  I can now get on all fours, I just need to coordinate my hands and feet and figure out how to move forward.  One night, I rolled across the family room and ended up chewing on the table!  Speaking of chewing, no teeth yet for me.
I have also become very good at grabbing my toys.  Anything you put in front of me, I will grab and take.  Sometime I have a hard time letting it go too!  One of my toys plays music if you push a button and I am very good at pushing the button for the music.
Yesterday I had my 6 month well visit at the doctor!  I am growing right on pace and I'm up to 15 1/2 lbs!  The doctor says I'm ready to start eating vegetables!  Yum!!! I can't wait!  I had to get lots of shots too, but Daddy said that I was a real man because I only cried for about 15 seconds after the shots, then I was done.  The shots didn't bother me one bit.  What bothered me most was the icky medicine they gave me in my mouth.  It made me throw up later that evening.  But after that I felt much better.
I'm sporting a really cool hair-do right now.  The front of my hair is long and wavy, while the back is short and fuzzy.  It's a cute look for me right now, although I don't want my hair like that forever.  I do what I can right now to look as cute as possible, although it's not that hard.
Cora is a very entertaining big sister!  I love when she tries to play with me and isn't too rough.  She loves me a lot and is always helpful getting me my burp cloths or taking my bottles to the counter.