October just flew by and before we knew it, our sweet Reed turned seven months old! It astounds us how quickly he develops and we just love being witness to the emergence of this little person. Although he's still an amazingly good-natured baby, Reed definitely has strong likes and dislikes (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree there!) and can be quite determined when he puts his mind to something (surprised?). We're already so proud of him and can't wait to see more of his developing personality.
But for now, here are the things we want to remember about Reed Alexander at seven months:
At around 19 pounds and 27 3/4 inches, Reed is really starting to level out in the percentiles. He's now 53rd for weight and 64th for height. Not that you'd know it from his chunky thighs and deliciously chubby cheeks - everyone we see comments on those cheeks!
Speaking of the cheeks, nuzzling them is one of my very favorite things in the world. They're unbelievably soft and just perfect for kissing!
He's wearing 9- and 12-month clothing.
Reed is still taking five liquid feedings (breastmilk only) a day - 6:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 6:45 p.m. During the week, the middle three feedings are bottles at daycare and he takes a full 8 ounces at each. I think he takes around 8 ounces in the morning and less than that, probably 5-6 ounces, at night.
We've been trying solid food for about a month and a half now, but to our surprise, Reed really hasn't taken to it. He liked it more when we first started, but now he often turns his head away or won't open his mouth. We've been somewhat successful with yogurt, cheese, and the Gerber puffs that he can gum on, but he hasn't really liked a lot of the purees, including apple sauce and bananas.
We introduced the sippy cup this month. Reed likes to suck on it, but hasn't quite mastered tilting it back and actually getting water out.
He always takes two naps a day (one around 8:40 a.m. and the second around 11:30 a.m.), ranging in length from an hour to an hour and a half. Sometimes he'll take a third, shorter nap, around 45 minutes, in the later afternoon, but that's becoming more rare.
Reed's nighttime sleep habits have really been great this last month. He goes down between 6:45 and 7:00 p.m. and wakes up around 6:30 and 6:45 a.m. For the most part, the nighttime wake-ups have stopped. Mostly because . . .
Reed is a pro at finding his paci and putting it in his mouth! While he might put it in backward at first, he knows how to turn it around to get it right-side up, and can often find the paci in his crib on his own. This has made a world of difference for Jeff and me - no more getting up in the night to put the paci back in!
Reed's hand/eye coordination and dexterity have grown by leaps and bounds. The pacifier is one example, but he's great at playing with his toys as well. He reaches for things with one hand, transfers them from one hand to the other, reaches deliberately for objects (as opposed to grabbing willy-nilly), and bangs things together. He can even sometimes put the balls in the holes of his favorite monkey toy.
Speaking of the monkey toy, it has helped him learn cause and effect. He knows that when he hits a part of the toy, it will make noise or play a song. He doesn't always hit the right part, but he knows that banging on it will produce sound.
Reed can sit easily on his own now (although he can't get into a sitting position by himself yet), without leaning on his hands for support, and seems happiest when in that position or when being held or carried.
His favorite toys are those that make music - his train, octopus, monkey, piano, and musical book. He also still likes Sophie and his stacking cups.
Reed absolutely recognizes his own name now and turns his head when you call him.
When I pick Reed up at daycare, he grins like crazy and seems so happy to see me - makes my day!
Guaranteed to make Reed laugh - or at least smile: Daddy's "sneezing" (see video below!), spinning around in Mommy's arms, and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" (complete with hand motions).
On his seven month birthday, Reed's Grammy taught him how to wave "hi". He's best at close range and he's not always consistent, but he loves reaching out with his hand when you raise your hand up in greeting, especially if you grab his hand and cheer for him. :)
While he doesn't raise them high, he has started to raise his arms to be picked up.
Reed loves to blow raspberries and will often spend several minutes at a time doing so.
He's also a very proficient babbler! He's extended his vocabulary to include ba, ra, la, ma, da, and ga, and he often strings them together.
Reed is slowly starting to enjoy peek-a-boo. He can pull off a cloth placed on his head, and sometimes even covers his own head and pulls it off.
These monthly lists seem to get longer and longer, but I just don't want to forget a single thing. Here are some fun pics (and video) of our favorite seven-month old!
Just love your blog! It just gets better as he grows! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI miss you all so much. Reed is perfect. Just perfect.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Auntie C