Seven Months

Grace turned seven months old yesterday. She's really becoming quite a little person. She is starting to fuss a bit more, but I think it's because she now knows when she wants something and gets frustrated when she doesn't get her way. We may have to start using the word "no" soon.

We've moved up to Stage 2 foods this month and most of the time Grace will still finish her jars. She's really enjoying the new "dinners" she does very well on the ones with meat in them.

Last month I predicted we'd be crawling by this month. Not quite yet. She's definately getting closer. July 1st I noticed her move backwards for the first time. She trys to get around, but when she pushes off with her arms she goes backwards and then gets mad because she's farther away than she wanted. She can get her butt off the ground, but usually while her chest is on the ground. Several times I've seen her get her knees under her and get her belly off the ground, but only for a few seconds at a time. She can turn a complete circle on her belly and will pivot to a new direction if something catches her interest.

She really likes to stand too. If you hold her hands while she's sitting, she can pull herself to a standing position. She hasn't figured out how to use furniture yet, but once she does, she'll have the strength to pull herself up.

She still loves when you play peekaboo with her, although she doesn't really play along herself. She likes playing with all kinds of toys, especially ones she can bang on things or shake. She has very good hand/eye coordination and can pick up almost anything (and put it directly into her mouth). She especially loves non-toy items (remote control, keys, water bottles, etc.)

Here's the milestones we've reached for 7 Months based on "What To Expect The First Year." The bold items we have reached.

By the end of the Seventh Month your baby:
...should be able to:
- sit without support
- Feed self a cracker (we've never given her a cracker to try, but everything else she picks up goes in her mouth)
- razz (make a wet razzing sound) - Not sure why she's not interested in this one.

...will probably be able to:
- bear some weight on legs when held upright
- Object if you try to take a toy away (there is much crying and anger involved)
- Work to get a toy out of reach
- Pass a cube or object from one hand to the other
- Look for a dropped object
- rake a raisin and pick it up in a fist(never tried a raisin, but she'll pick up a bottle cap from a bottle of water)
- Turn in the direction of a voice
- Babble, combining vowels and consonants such as ga-ga-ga, ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma, da-da-da
- play peekaboo

...may possibly be able to:
- stand holding on to someone or something

...may even be able to:
- pull up to standing position from sitting
- get into a sitting position from stomach
- Play Patty-Cake (clap hands) or wave bye-bye
- Pick up tiny object with any part of thumb and finger
- walk holding on to furniture (cruise)
- say mama or dada indescriminately