7 months...they're slipping by!

Chloe turned 7 months on Sunday. I momentarily decided if I didn't post it, it wouldn't happen. Along the same lines, I stayed up entirely too long in the middle of the night the other night admiring her precious baby feet. I just can't believe how fast this first year is going. Each moment is so precious and I just can't get enough. In fact, twice this week I've even gotten her up from a nap because I figured it had been long enough and I missed her too much!

Anyway, here are a few Chloe updates since 7 months did happen and I can't stop it:

- She is still eating lots of new solids. Firsts for the past few weeks included: chicken, green beans, and plums. She loved the plums, tolerated the green beans and fake choked with disgust on the chicken. We aren't giving up on the meat yet because if she doesn't take to it I'll have to start on the nasty baby cereal fortified with iron. Since my rule thus far has been I won't put it in her mouth if I don't put it in mine, I'm really keeping my fingers crossed for the chicken. It's organic and local...sooo yummy. She'll learn, right?

- Physically she is still active and strong. Her latest thing is pulling up on anything with her favorite being me. If I would sit on the floor and let her stand balanced on me all afternoon she'd do it and babble my ear off in joy. As cute as this sound she does not discriminate where she practices her standing so in the tub last night and on her changing table this morning she was not as cute. Well ok...she was still cute but I was scared. Guess she got her Dad's wide streak or her Gigi's obsession with climbing.

- She loves to play with toys that light up or play music. She'll make a musical instrument out of anything including spoons, whisks, and toilet paper rolls. She also loves to explore. If I hide her favorite rattle from the Bethel's in a pile of clothes it is JOY for her to dig around and find it. She is sooo proud when she does and expects me to say YEAH!!! really loud. She also LOVES watching me put on make-up (finally a sign that she'll be a girly girl!). She gets really quite and consintrates on each move. When I raise my eyebrows to curl my lashes, she raises her eyebrows. When I open my mouth to put on lipstick, she opens her mouth. It's adorable! Oh...and then she wipes her hands on my lips to see what it is I've put on thus making a mess of us both. Sigh.

- She also loves for me to read her books. Her Baby Einstien Mirror Me book is still her favorite but she will let me read anything to her (even magazines if I'm in a pinch!) My most favorite new trick is that she is recognizing a few objects and colors. Mostly red and banana but I LOVE that she actually seems to know what they are. I can't wait for her to keep taking in the world around her.

- Finally, she still loves to kiss....open mouthed. For the longest time it was just me. Then she open mouth kissed Gigi once. She has not kissed her Daddy - I blame the scratchy scruff on his jaw. It was always sweet though a little sticky. A few weeks ago however, she decided more people than me were kissable. In fact multiple boys in her little class at my bible study were the subjects of this realization. They had to "remove" her to a younger room because with the swine flu rampant in Austin they didn't think open mouth kissing was germ free. Yikes. For those who can't picture it, I recent caught her trying to open mouth kiss her bear. I'll post the picture below. Guess I'll have to start working on that...most parents say no to things like the stove, climbing stairs, or biting. Around the Crack House it'll be "No french kissing, Chloe!" Here's her 7 month pictures, the open mouth attempt with Mr. Bear and a link to the previous months for those who like to see the succession.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=71362&id=710737489&l=17e40bf129