Seven Months!

On May 12, we became the proud parents of a seven-month-old! Can you believe it? Time sure does fly by when you're watching a little one grow up! Rowan has been such a joyful addition to our lives, and we're more and more thankful for him every day.

Rowan is a happy and healthy baby boy. We took him for a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. He weighed 16 pounds, 9 ounces, and measured 27.25 inches long (still long and lean!). He showed off some of his ahead-of-schedule motor skills (crawling, pulling up and even cruising a little bit!). His doctor said he looked great! Very bright, healthy and active!

Rowan's social skills took another leap over the past month. He really hams it up now. He rests his head gently on cushions and pillows until he gets a "Oh, sweet baby" from his audience. Yesterday, he did this and after I alone responded, he looked at Kyle like "C'mon Dad, you're supposed to say it, too!" He also dances! He'll pull up on the couch and start shaking his head and booty while I sing! Sooooo cute!

Sleep has been a mixed bag for little Rowan. He's a great napper, often sleeping for 1.5 to two hours during his morning and afternoon naps. Nighttime sleep can be more challenging, however. We usually put him to sleep around 8 p.m. He goes down fairly easily, but he'll start (still asleep) rolling, crawling, pulling up and (eventually) falling down! His doctor said that because he's achieving his motor milestones so fast, he probably has a hard time slowing down, even in his sleep! He "practices" in his dreams until he wakes himself up, crying and confused about where he is and what he's doing! Poor little guy. His doctor also said Rowan's getting close to cutting his top teeth, so that could be disturbing his sleep, too. He tends to sleep better next to me or Kyle. I think our warmth and breathing help him regulate and settle down.

We're continuing to introduce solids. I offer him food whenever we sit down to eat meals. He usually eats several bites during one meal a day (usually during a late lunch or at dinner). Yesterday, he ate broccoli! I gave it to him a little chunkier than usual and he seemed to do OK (a few gags). He loooooves to drink water from a cup. We're skipping the sippy for now and working with him on an open cup. He enjoys drinking more than eating!

Overall, he's just a wonderul little baby, and we can't get enough of him!