7

looking quite pensive:o)

Well, Gracie is now 7 1/2 months. Although I am late writing this, it is not because I have been too busy or just distracted. Its because as I roll the words, "7 months" around my mouth, it just sounds old. It is so much closer to 12 months than 6 months is, and I know that if I blink twice, Grace will be 7 years then 17. Sigh. Unfortunately, I can't find my camera, so I don't have any more pics than this, for now. (more sighing!)

She is such a big girl.  I decided the easiest way to write up all that she has been doing is to write "7 things about Gracie."  So, here goes:

1) The past 7 months have been wonderful. Like my friend Janet said when her Lucy was 7 months, it has been 7 months of Heaven.  Gracie has been a very easy baby..happy, content, a good eater/sleeper/pooper, etc. Of course, here on Earth, nothing can be perfect, but even with the trials we have experienced, overall, I am sooooo thankful for this little girl (whom some might know I was initially terrified at the idea of having, a girl that is), who makes me smile so I want to cry and makes me realize how much I truly need the Lord!!

2) Things Gracie loves:
Her blankie, real food (with lots of texture and spice!)- even things like buffalo chicken and lemons. She also like chocolate (I gave her one bite once- her eyes LIT up!!), emptying out all of her toys from the bin, and then chewing on them one by one, other children- especially babies, dancing to worship music at church, baths, being outside, sitting up like a big girl, tags, and her toes and her water and her monkey. She loves a lot of stuff. oh, and her mommy and daddy:o)

3) Things Gracie hates: taking more than a 30 minute nap during the day, getting undressed or dressed, pureed baby food, crinkly sounding noises (think aluminum foil or a plastic grocery bag), being on her belly, being on her back, and sometimes, carrots.

4) She gives the best kisses...bunny, butterfly, wet slobber kisses...she loves to give and recieve!!

5) Grace has such a great sense of humor.  She thinks animal sounds are funny. She thinks if you imitate her it is funny (even when she is upset!). She thinks being scared (BOOO!) is funny. She thinks friends who clap plastic toys together are funny!  She laughs a lot, and about random things.

6) We don't have another Dr. visit until April, but Grace is growing so much. Last week, she was comfortably wearing 6 month and 6-9 month clothes. Today, I put on an outfit that she always wears, and they were like capris on her!!! She is practically done with the 6-9 month clothes too, and looking quite cute in her 9 month stuff. At her last home weigh-in, she ways 16.8 lbs!

7) Developmentally:

She still refuses to roll from her back to her belly. I really suspect she could, she just won't. She always look like she is about to, but then changes her mind. She is sitting up completely by herself, although I will often still put a boppy a foot or so behind her. Gracie is eating table food, that is just chopped.  she knows how to much and chew, but she won;t put anything other than her water or teething biscuits in her mouth. she usually just throws it overboard. She recognizes when the back door open that it is probably daddy and gets very excited and starts looking for him.  she has great cognitive skills.  For example, when she her duck or ball get too far away from her in her tub, Grace will kick her feet really hard to make waves so it will return!! Lots of sounds come out of her, ranging from screaming to lower grunt kind of noises. She can sign "all done" and also, sort of, "more" (these look similar, you have to know her to know which is which, and even then its hard!!) She can drink from a sippy cup with a spout AND a straw-topped one!! She likes "spitting" which is mostly blowing raspberries...she does this whether she is happy or mad, but mostly mad.She has been starting to have fits, especially when she is very tired. On the other hand, she is also getting more cuddly, especially when she is tired. And finally, for now, there are still no teeth out yet!!