The Tolbert Family: Eleanor is seven months old!

Happy Seven Months, sweet baby Eleanor!

You sure have grown up a lot this month. As hard as it is for me to say, your newborn days are long gone. But with their passing has come a wonderful new world of mobility, playfulness, interaction, and more joy each day.

~ You are now an expert sitter. If you start to topple over, you just reach out with one hand and steady yourself.
~ You are not officially crawling (hands and knees), but you are all over the place with your army crawl on your tummy. What I really need to do is attach a sponge to your tummy and have you slide all over and mop the floors! You are also crawling much more purposefully now; you see something that you want and nothing will stop you.
~ You really, really like food. We started feeding you table foods a few weeks ago and you haven't found anything you don't like. Your favorite is definitely avocado, but you have also eaten carrots, bananas, applesauce, green beans, and peas.
~ Just this week you learned how to clap your hands! You'll even do it on command sometimes. You usually do it when you're really excited. You put your chubby little hands together a couple of times and then stick them in your mouth!

~ Along those lines, you really love to play pat-a-cake. I help you clap your hands and pat your knees and you just giggle and giggle!
~ You are doing better about taking both of your naps in your crib instead of your swing. Occasionally, if you're having a hard time falling asleep, we'll still put you in the swing, but usually you take an hour nap in the morning and a 1.5 to 2 hour nap in the afternoon, both in the crib.
~ You usually are tired and ready for bed by about 7:30 in the evening. Sometimes you'll make it all the way until 4 or 4:30 without having to nurse again. Occasionally you're up once around midnight and then again around 5. Then you sleep until 8 or so.
~ You are quite the easygoing baby. You did fantastic for your first plane ride out to Oregon for your great-grandparents' sixty-fifth wedding anniversary. I just went prepared with three or four toys for the plane and that pretty much kept you occupied. That and one of the little plastic cups they give out for drinks!
~ You still love to be worn on mommy in the sling or the Ergo. We usually keep both of them with us at all times. You like the sling for sitting up and looking out at the world. You like the Ergo for nursing, snuggling, and sleeping.
~ You still think that your thumb is about the best thing ever. Any time you get even slightly agitated, you just stick that thumb in your mouth and all is right with the world. You always suck your right thumb. Here lately you've been using your left hand to play with your ear when you're sleepy. I bet that will remind your grandma and grandpa of someone...
~ This month was the first time that Mommy has ever left for a few hours in the evening where Daddy has had to put you to bed. You did really well both times, but pretty much refused to take a bottle, preferring instead to have your tummy filled with applesauce. You were good with just rocking and snuggling Daddy, and I guess you figured Mommy would come home eventually!
~ You've become a little more vocal this month. Your favorite sound to make is "Nah nah". It kind of sounds like you're trying to say "night night" with a southern accent! Anna Kate thinks you're trying to say "Anna". In all reality, you're probably just mimicking sounds, but who knows!

Ellie-belle, we love you and are having so much fun getting to know you this month as your personality develops. Seriously, we all argue over who gets to hold you and snuggle you and play with you throughout the day. You're just the best! Happy seven months!

One month