Seven months!

Levi B.,

Seven months, and WOW are you a kid on the move! I realize that once you start crawling and walking, that sentence will take on a whole new meaning, but even still, I am amazed at your energy and determination to be in motion.

You smile and laugh all of the time now. Sometimes it's at us, sometimes it's at something as random as the ceiling. It doesn't matter to us - we just love to hear that laugh. Your smile and your laugh will melt your mama's heart in a matter of seconds. And your daddy's, too. You are our little sunshine.

You are sitting up now completely on your own and reaching for anything and everything that might remotely be in your vicinity. You have graduated to a high chair in restaurants, and while it's not your favorite thing, it sure beats sitting on the ground in your car seat, so you approve. You are also riding in the front of the grocery cart, and our shopping trips have opened a whole new world for you. A new perspective changes everything! I suppose that's a metaphor for life.

The last month has been busy, to say the least. You've had lots of fun visitors come from out of state, and out of the country, to see you. We said goodbye to your first nursery and relocated all of your belongings down the street to a new place. You have adapted effortlessly.

Last week, while waiting at a cash register for nearly twenty minutes while they tried to find a price on something we were buying, I just watched you watch people. You smiled and talked, and just sat there very patiently. A gentleman tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me. You have such a good baby." Of course, my heart soared. But I wasn't surprised, because you really are SUCH a good baby. I love the spunk that continues to emerge in your personality, and I love your curiosity when we go places. You are consistently alert, observant and intrigued by your surroundings.

Your dad and I cherish snuggle time, because these days, you are generally more interested in lunging, jumping or grabbing while on our laps. No longer content to just sit and look, you want to feel, to experience. Whether you are in your Bumbo eating, or in our arms or laps, you buck around like a wild horse. We call you our little bucking bronco. And, should we place you on your back, within seconds you have flipped over on your tummy and are looking up at us with those big blue eyes.

You have quickly mastered eating from a spoon, and you open your mouth expectantly, like a baby bird. And when fruit is on the menu, that mouth opens and closes like rapid fire. You love fruit, just like your daddy.

It hit me this month that you are now closer to being one year old than to the day you were born. You are growing up, little man! And I'm okay with that, just as long as you don't lose those cheeks for a very long time.

We love you so much!

Love,

Mom

Reaching for "your cows" on the blanket:

Morning book time:

Goodnight reading with mom:

Thailand t-shirts:

Our little hippy: