.: July 2018

My baby is getting too old!! We have loved this last month with her. She's getting more mobile and better at entertaining herself. I dare say she'll be officially crawling by the end of the week! She has already"crawled" by moving her knees and hands forward a little but didn't know how to do it again. Right now she's able to get up on her knees without hesitation and then she'll rock her booty back and forth. The funniest thing to watch is her go from her knees up onto her toes, just like a little stinkbug!! She can officially sit up on her own and only falls over if she tries to grab/lean for something slightly behind her. She still doesn't quite understand gravity. As long as mom is in her sight she is pretty good about playing on her own. We bought her a little inflatable pool about 3ft X 3ft and dumped some colorful balls and other toys inside to help her stayed entertained. If I walk into another room where she can't see me she'll start to fuss a little so I just drag the pool into the room I'm in so she stays content. I'm excited for her to be able to actually crawl and just follow me from room to room if she wants.

Weight & Height - We didn't have a check up for 7 months but by weighing her at home we guessed she's about 18lbs. She's still got her chunky rolls down her legs but I can tell with how mobile she's getting that she's already starting to thin down. It's bittersweet and I can already feel the difference when I kiss her little cheeks. They just aren't as puffy/ chunky as they used to be! Nothing will stop me from kissing all over her though!! She's still in size 3 diapers and wearing 6-9 month clothes.

Sleep - Grace's sleeping habits aren't the best when it comes to nighttime and I know that's partially my fault (mom). I got into the bad habit of feeding her to sleep and now I'm trying to break that. So far it just depends on the night of she's gonna fight me or not. Early on I rocked her to sleep and cuddled her for some time before laying her down which I know most people will tell you is a big no-no. But I'll admit, I don't feel bad about it for one second. Sure she can't put herself to sleep in her crib at night yet, even at 7 months, but I decided early on that I would never get this much cuddling with my next kids. I'll be too busy getting my other kids bathed and to bed that I won't get this one on one nighttime routine that I'm lucky to have with Grace. Some nights she fights me to go down by tossing and turning but other nights she'll just go right to sleep. We start with our normal routine of bath, lotion, and feeding with dim lights then I'll turn on the sound machines/fans and climb into bed with her. Instead of holding her now I just lay her next to me on the bed and put my arm on across her or around her. She's big into cuddling, probably because of mom and dad being big cuddlers, and always wants to at least be touching me when going to sleep. However, now she'll sometimes roll away from me and spread out as she's falling asleep so we're getting somewhere. I know what you're all thinking. Why have I not done the CIO method?! I just can't do it. I won't do it. I'm not bothered enough by putting her to sleep each night to feel the NEED to do it. I'm just trying to help her obtain good sleeping habits in other ways. And no I don't judge anyone who chooses to use the method. To each her own. And who knows maybe I'll do it with my other kids in the future, that's something I just won't know until then. Grace has gotten really good at putting herself to sleep in her car seat. Never thought I'd say that! For a place she used to hate SO much, she's finally seemed to give in about the fact that it's just apart of her daily routine.

Eat - After having a second cold of her life already she's finally healthy and trying to get back into better eating habits. When she was sick she was hardly ever interested in baby food or her entire bottle. Now she's excited to eat again and occasionally finishes an entire container of baby food in one feeding. Grace loves most table food and really hasn't found anything she doesn't like yet. She drinks 4 oz and only sometimes wants more but for some reason is still only drinking from a size 2 bottle nipple. She absolutely refuses size 3 and acts like she's drowning when we use it.

Mommy Update: I've finally got back in the gym and it feels so good! I wake up early before Grace and get an hour in and then get back home before Ethan needs to leave for work. It really helps me to get up and get going and to have the energy I need to be a good mom. I believe a happy healthy mom takes a little time for herself often! Going to the gym just starts my day off right and puts me in such a good mood. I've also still been working my two side jobs and planning our first real family vacation! Now I've got a deadline to get in better shape before our beach getaway. Work hard, play hard!

We are really enjoying our summer, even though dad has been gone a lot at military things and work trips. It's been a good excuse to stay at Grandma & Grandpa's and spend time with them. We've played with cousins and done a lot of swimming! Grace is so fun in the pool and sometimes falls asleep in the water! Mom and dad even got to go on a date this month and Mom went to a work party. It's been a good summer and it's not even over yet!!

** Goals for next month **

1. More dates for mom & dad.

2. Get her back in her own bed and sleeping longer at night.

3. Crawling!

Monthly Photo Dump
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