Emma: 7 Months

Sweet Emma girl is now "mobile" in that  she started rolling around the room. She loves the freedom both rolling and sitting gives her I think as she was often bored just laying on the floor and now she has the ability to change her scenery. I often find her halfway under the bed or coffee table, just tugging on whatever she can find, usually electrical cords or curtains.

We've added black beans, beef, oatmeal, chicken, sweet potatoes, green peas, apples and bananas to Emma's solid repertoire. All have been accepted favorably except maybe for the black beans which I'm trying to mix with other foods (avocado or sweet potato) as she often gags when I give them to her plain. I couldn't hold myself back and started adding spices and seasonings to the meats. Maybe I should do the same with the beans? Here is an awesome shot of her first time in the big girl high chair at my parents--totally looks like she's drowning in it!

Oh and the peas...she LOVED them but then we proceeded to go through about 6 diapers and 2 1/2 outfits in 4 hours. She ended the play date we were attending naked except for a zip up sweatshirt and a diaper. And she pooped on the carpet. I don't know how it happened exactly but at that point she was topless and just sitting up playing with toys. Next thing I knew, I looked over and there was poo up her back and behind her on the carpet-embarrassing! Needless to say, I'm feeling cautious about trying peas again. At least I know what to give her when she gets stopped up (which she had been prior...)

I must mention one other thing before I move on: Emma has a strange relationship with our Bumbo seat. We have been sitting her in it to feed her solids but that needs to change ASAP. There is something about the positioning of it that makes her poop instantly when she sits in it. Every time. Sorry for the TMI but I've never seen anything like it. It had been just a tiny turd that would get stuck in her crack (a total waste of a diaper) until the peas that is... Thankfully my cousin offered up her Ikea highchair and it seems the bodily functions have died down at dinner time.

We left Emma overnight for the 1st time on our anniversary (can I just say our friends are awesome to take 2 young kids for a night???!) She reportedly woke up earlier than usual at 1 am but then went back to sleep without a bottle and slept until 8 or 8:30!! What? I'm glad to know she's capable of making it through the night without eating but we have yet to be so lucky.

And while I'm on the topic of sleep, we attempted to get rid of the swaddle earlier in the month (by removing one arm at a time) but it went horribly and so when our Dr gave us the ok to continue to swaddle, we happily pulled it back out. But since then, Emma figured out how to roll over to her tummy while swaddled which totally freaked her out so it was truly time to let it go. This time we took it away cold turkey on Sunday and put her in a sleep sack instead. Let's just say we began Monday morning for the day at 4:45 AM. :) But since then night times are better, naps are still a challenge. Now that she has figured out how to roll, she seems to only sleep on her tummy, even though she fights it tooth and nail. I've found her with binky back in mouth after some crying episodes so I think she finally figured out how to put it in her mouth and let go!

Emma is babbling now so we are enjoying lots of "Da-da-da" contributions at our rather chaotic dinner table. The video above portrays this although it's missing Isla's confused exclaimation "Mom! Why is she calling you Da-da!?"
Emma loves being held (and you can't leave the room or set her down if she's over-tired), but she's overall a happy and very easily entertained baby when left sitting with a toy or her big sister...