Mataya and I had a lot of fun taking 7 month pictures!
This baby girl is so very sweet. She bubbles with personality.
This month she has decided she LOVES food. She was intrigued with baby food for about 3 weeks, and she now wants real food. So she shares supper with us. Last night she had mashed potatoes and cooked carrots for supper, just like the rest of us (minus the roast and gravy!) She loves to feed herself. Her favorites include goldfish crackers, peas, green beans, pears, pizza bits, and french fries!
In the last weeks she just seems to be maturing at an alarming rate. Her hair gets thicker and longer every day. She learns new sounds, too. Her current favorite is to scream very LOUDLY when she is frustrated. Not the crying kind of scream, the "I am mad!" kind. We call it "sassitude." And she has plenty.
She babbles like crazy, "Mamamama! Dadadada! Nananana! Babababa!" She also loves to clock her tongue, make brrrrmb noises, and "wha wha wha" with her hand over her mouth like a little indian. CHad swears she says Momma sometimes, but I am not convinced it is a deliberate word just yet.
She sits like a champion.
Is completely addicted to her pacifier.
And I think she may actually be crawling by Thanksgiving. (Nope that is not early, but I had been predicting Christmas, so I have moved my prediction up.) As I have said many times, I am so thankful Mataya is not in a hurry to get moving. I have been savoring every minute of her babyhood. Until the last few weeks she was perfectly content to be still. She did not jump in her exersaucer. She did not try to roll much. She was just happy in whatever position we put her. However, in the last few weeks she has gotten a little spicier! She jumps in the exersaucer! (We say she has hops!) She reaches for far off toys until she pulls herself from sitting to her tummy. She has even rolled a time or two to get to something she desires. It is fun to see her become a bit more determined - while remaining the sweetest little snuggler there ever was.
She is very social while in my arms. She does quite well while in my line of site - but when momma disappears, she is not so happy, especially if she is with someone other than Daddy, Rah-Rah (Sierra), or Brenna.
Her favorite toy is paper or plastic. . . anything that makes fun crinkly sounds. She enjoys playing with the container of wipes just as much as her most expensive toy. Ha! She likes it when I read to her. She loves it when we sing silly songs.
She is sleeping fairly well. She goes to bed at 7:45 each night and awakens for the day at about 6:30. She is usually up at 5 for a quick bottle. She also commonly wakes once or twice looking for her pacifier. I am working on nap time. She prefers to take 4 short naps a day - a habit which began with all the carpool driving we did this summer. I am trying to convince her to take 2 longer naps a day instead. We are making progress!
Mataya Hope - you are pure sweetness and joy. Everywhere I go people talk so sweetly to you. They call you the "gerber baby" everywhere I go - with your round cheeks and curl on top. I enjoy you so very much. Every smile, coo, squeal, and scream bring me joy. I savor every minute spent snuggled up with a bottle, sprawled out on the floor playing a silly game, or singing songs and dancing with you in the kitchen. You are an expert at running at errands already, my perfect companion. I love you, my darling. I am so, so, so thankful to be your momma.
