7 month update

Lydia turned 7 months on the 3rd!!! Lots of changes to report like ...

she is now sitting up by herself (longer than the 3 seconds it takes to topple over).

She is also reaching alot more for things just out of her reach ...

... and successfuly managing to grab them.

If she can't quite reach, her skill set includes pivoting, crawling backward, and the occasional crawling forward (as seen below, you might have to give her a little help - put a hand or foot on her feet so she can push off).

She is definitely more aware of things and is getting to recognize when the camera is out.

She can also now go from sitting up to on her belly (though often gets her foot stuck for a moment).

And she continues to entertain herslef and us with her contageous laugh

and mesmerizing stare. Indeed, her curiosity is unparalleled - so much so that her nickname at school is Nosy Rosy. Her teachers, Marie and Dolores, say they need to put the bottle on a swivel since she is constantly looking to see what is going on around her while she is feeding (and Eden and I often have to leave the room when Ashley is nursing so that Lydia will pay attention to what she is doing).

Here are the pictures of the push off crawl ...

We think she'll be crawling soon (watch out things on the ground, you will end up in her mouth).

From Ashley:

In other news, Lydia slept for 9 hours straight one night this week! You may remember that a few months ago Lydia was sleeping 8 hours or so at a time fairly regularly. That went by the wayside for the past few months with Lydia waking to nurse or cry every 3 or 4 hours. It was just about as much as Ashley could take. We were pretty determined not to use the "cry it out" method especially since she was nursing for more than 10 minutes most times that she woke during the night {one sign that she was hungry and not just wanting company}. We did start really trying to be diligent about putting her down "drowsy but awake" for her naps the past few weeks and letting her stay awake on her own in her crib after nighttime sessions. It seems to be getting better.

Her new routine is to have dinner with the fam around 5:30. Take a bath with her sister around 6:30 or so. Get dressed for bed and then possibly read a few books if there's time. Then, a nursing session sometime between 7 and 7:30 and sleep in her crib by 8 at the latest. Most nights this past week, she has slept through her usual 11 or 12 or 1 a.m. feeding and slept until 4 or 5. Now that I have finished classes for the semester, I may actually be able to go to bed before midnight to take advantage of Lydia's early bedtime.

We are loving our little bit and watching her become more verbal and determined to play every day. The most common comment we hear from others about her is what a happy baby she is. Unless she is hungry or tired {or sometimes frustrated from not being able to get something she wants}, she can be found smiling at someone and watching everything around her. We love you, Lydia!!