seven months.

Jackie,

All throughout the day I just pick you up and squeeze you until you push me away. When I look at your face, I really just can't help myself. There were about three days when my work had meetings that I had to leave you and head off to Salt Lake all day. It made me super grateful that my normal is being home with you and spoiling you with affection.

Over the past month you have learned all about food and you have decreed it to be more wonderful than anything else. It's come to the point where we can't eat anything around you without you setting out a low whine and making grabby hands (gimme gimme, they say!). As long as it is fairly soft, you tend to win and get to share with us. One time, dad was eating a chicken filled pita on really soft pita bread. He sat down next to you, and you literally dove to the side and stuck your hand right in it. The pita had a permanent hand print in it. You also like your pureed or cut up fruits and veggies and drinking small amounts of water from a sippy and/or our water bottles. You also feed yourself small bits of snacks by picking them up with your thumb and pointer finger and putting them in your mouth. You are still nursing well.

You love to bite noses, grab our faces by our cheeks, give us fish hooks in our mouths, and trying to gouge out our eyes. You love to play peek-a-boo and sit on dad's shoulders. You shake your head no at random times. Our favorite smile of yours is called "the cheese" where you smile big without opening your mouth.

You love strangers. You are always caught smiling at whoever talks to you at the store or at church or wherever we find ourselves. Sometimes when we are at the store and you are getting fussy, I pull a creepy move and stroll you by a family so that you can watch them and regain your happy composure.

You love swinging at the park. You hold on to the front of it and get this half smile on your face as you gaze into the sky. It's the only time you don't squirm or reach to grab things or try to put things in your mouth. You are so careful and calm.

But your favorite thing of all might be getting your two teeth brushed. Sometimes we do it when you are especially mad just to get some laughs in. We play a game where you try to chomp down on my fingers until I make a grand, albeit close, final escape.

You are a man of few words. You don't babble as much as you used to, and everytime I try and get your to say "mama" you laugh instead. Your new thing is spitties where you move your lips together and stick out your tongue to make interesting noises. You will do it in your crib, in the car, right after you finish crying, and basically all the time. You think it's funny, and so do I. Your laugh is frequent and amazing. It's this hearty chuckle that's always showing more in your eyes than on your mouth.

For the past few days you have started to fall asleep on your side. I start off putting you on your back and then you roll yourself on to your side and fall asleep. You hate being swaddled now, which is kind of nice because I can just set you in the crib with your binky and you are set. Though, your new mobility has made nap time even more difficult than it used to be. You will roll all around in your crib, spin, do 360 degree turns, and whatever else you do that makes it so when I go in there your head is where your feet usually are.
You always want to be holding things in your hands. The minute you are put down, and even before, you turn every which way to find something to grab. You like things that aren't your toys.

I love that you are my buddy and that you go everywhere with me. I just can't get enough. There are some days I feel like I'm failing to be the mom you deserve, but mostly I think we make a pretty great team.

I dedicate the following video to you:

Love, Mom