Charlotte Frances {7 months}

Charlotte Frances, you are SEVEN months old!! 

(yes, it's nearly time for the eight month update but better late than never)

Weight/Height: We haven't officially weighed you since your 6 month appointment, but considering your love of solids, I'm going to guess you weigh somewhere around 15 1/2 pounds? You're still my sweet little petite girl - your tiny feet don't even fit in most 0-3mos shoes and you can still wear your pink Freshly Picked "Newborn" moccasins.

Nicknames: Lovey, C, Lovebug, Shug (like sugar - I have no idea where this started but find myself saying it often)

Clothes: Still solidly in 3-6 months and 6 months in Carters, Cat & Jack, and Old Navy. Baby Gap fits you a little big - you're just starting to grow into these sizes there! And anything smocked swallows you, so I try to size down if possible. Mama has been taking advantage of all of the holiday preorders for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas outfits!

Sleep: You put us through the ringer this month, my girl. I'm thinking that teething has been the culprit, but there hasn't been a single night where you slept a good chunk of time. I'm talking flashback to the newborn days of pacing the halls while bouncing and "shushshushshush"ing for hours in the middle of the night. I admittedly, out of pure exhaustion, let you sleep with us a few times (because OF COURSE you slept perfectly then) but that started its own bad habit. So, probably the first month where sleep has really been a guessing game as to how good of a night we'll have.

Schedule: No matter how quiet I try to be in the mornings when I nurse you right before I leave (around 6am), you end up waking up and smiling so big at me. I feel awful because you need your sleep, but I also secretly love that time with you. Since you wake up so early, you typically nap between 8:30-9am, have a bottle (when you're with the nanny), play, nap around 1pm, have a bottle, play, and then I'm home from work around 3:30pm. I typically nurse you (quickly - you are very busy and have lots to do these days), we go outside with Molly, play on your playmat, read books, etc. and you go down for a nap around 4:30pm. At the most you nap an hour, usually shorter, and we start getting dinner ready - you hang in your highchair while I cook, and Daddy is home by 6pm. We feed you, you hang out in the jumper while we eat, and we alternate who gives Tubby Time and who cleans up the kitchen. After Tubby, we nurse, read a book or two, and you're asleep between 8 and 9pm.

We're a little more relaxed on weekends. You're still very go-with-the-flow, but I can definitely tell when you need a nap and when you've gone without one, so there've been a few times when we're driving home and I can see you fading, and I make all of the noises and sing all of the songs to try and keep you awake until we get home.

Health: You've been in perfect health, thank goodness!

Crying: I think that we have teething to blame for the majority of any fussing that you may do. You also pretend-cry if we aren't paying attention to you.

Feeding: You're still nursing great, although a little bit less during the day - mornings and nights are our longest sessions. You're LOVING solids and this month I spent a day making you a big batch of homemade purees: roasted butternut squash, blueberry + chickpeas, blueberry + apple + spinach. You LOVE blueberries and are a big fan of the squash. We also introduced YoBaby organic yogurt and you're loving the blueberry and peach flavors. Also still a big fan of avocado.

Likes: Rolling and scooching on your tummy! Your Wubby, chewing on Sophie, playing with your Sassy rings, listening to music, going for walks in the stroller, snuggling with Mama, watching Molly

Dislikes: TEETHING, not having our full attention, being in your carseat for too long

Milestones: This month, you're recognizing your name and will quickly turn to us when we say it. You've nailed picking up both a Soothie and a Wubbanub and putting it in your mouth on your own. Lots of rolling over, both from back to tummy and tummy to back. You also did GREAT in the swimming pool - we tested a float out after a disastrous first attempt on July 4th, and you loved it so much. You've also really found your voice and are known to unexpectedly shriek and squeal when we're out and about. You have one little tooth right at the top of your gums (bottom on your front right). I try to see it and snap a picture but you stick your tongue out and laugh at me.

Faces and Places: Your Aunt Meg, Uncle Ryan, and cousins Colin, Meredith and Evelyn came to visit for a few weeks, and your Uncle Ricky, Aunt Candice and cousin Shirley moved back to Boston from Illinois!

Molly: Still loving you but becoming awfully interested in you, now that you're making so much noise! She's also a big fan of the nights that you sling avocado and yogurt bites her way.

Things I Want to Remember: How you crinkle your nose with you smile. The sound of your belly laugh (I wish I could bottle it up). The way your face lights up when you see me after I've been gone at work all day. How you play with my hand and my hair when you nurse. Your excited inhale that you do when you're eating. How you let us know that you're done eating purees by spitting your food back out and grinning at us.

Peanut butter toast - you loved it!

Sunday morning snuggles with Bun-Bun, Mama and The Great British Baking Show 

Baby and Boogie

Playing while Mama cooks

After walking at Humarock, we peeked in to see this - all smiles! 

Love this sweet KissyKissy outfit on you.

The First Adventure of Charlotte and Shirley!

Testing out our Lilly

Such an awkward position, but you were OUT after our walk!

We attempted the pool again, and you LOVED your float.

Early morning Saturday stroller workouts with Shirley

Your cousin Evelyn loves you big time!

Meredith told us all week that "When Baby Charlotte is with Kiki (me), she's her baby, but when she's here (at Brian's parents house) she's MY baby."

You and Aunt Meg after the putting challenge

Meredith loves you hard, girlfriend!

Snuggles with Daddy

Your protector big cousin, Colin!