Seven (ahhhh!) Months

Stickers!  Nom nom

Seems like life is really starting to pick up speed.  We are zooming through the last few months of 2012 and I can't help but think about all the changes our world has gone through this year.  But I'll talk about that on a later post.  Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I have SO.MANY.THINGS to be thankful for at this point in my life.  Sometimes when I think about my son and all the cute/awesome/smart/funny things he does, my heart literally feels like it's going to jump out of my chest and explode.  It's the craziest thing!  Or if I'm not with him and I see another baby close to his age out and about with his/her parents, doing something cute or baby-like, my heart aches for my boy.  Like physically, painfully aches.  Being a mommy and parent is the most amazing, life altering, rock-your-world (in a good way) event.  I am beyond grateful to our ever loving God, that he has chosen me {ME!} to be this little boy's mommy.  Every day my love grows by leaps and bounds to the point that I don't think my heart can possibly take any more.  He is MY joy.

He is now 7 months old and I'm already starting to think about his first birthday.  I can't seem to narrow down the theme just yet, but the wheels are turning.  Andy thinks it's crazy to put so much thought and effort into a first birthday party, but he knows me and my crazy OCD ways so he just goes with the flow.

Here's what JAM has been up to over the last month.

• He weighs a solid 22 pounds (90th %tile) and is still 28.5 (95th %tile) inches long
• Currently wearing 12 month clothes, and even 18 month sizes in some brands
• Eating two meals a day, breakfast (usually blended steal cut oatmeal and a fruit) and dinner (fruit & veggie medleys) and getting really good at eating.  I make all of his food and it's so much fun!
• Loves carrots, yams, acorn squash, green beans, apples, and pears.  Not a big fan of bananas and avocados...we think it has something to do with the texture
• Learning to drink from a sippy cup
• Still nursing and taking 4-5 bottles of pumped milk per day (4-5 oz each)
• Sleeping from 7:30pm - 6am most nights (day light saving time moved bedtime back by about 30 min)
• Totally obsessed with his pacifier and can handle and maneuver that thing like a champ.  He will steal it from you if he sees you have it and can twist and turn it with his hands until it's just right in his mouth.
• No teeth yet
• Laughs all the time and at everything!  Funny faces, silly noises, being tickled.  We call him out little chuckle-head.  It's the greatest sound EVER.
• He does this cute bashful smile when we talk cute to him, and will turn away and bury his head into your shoulder.  LOVE when he does this.
• Has a set of octopus hands, those babies are always moving and opening/closing
• Still not officially crawling, but can scoot/roll/army crawl anywhere he wants to go.  He rolls ALL over the place.  Gotta get this house baby-proofed stat!
• Sitting up well, but still makes me nervous to leave him sitting without a spot
• Thinks its funny to throw himself back when he's in your arms or sitting in your lap
• Really showing an interest in toys now, loves all things that rattle and crinkle
• Sits in a big boy car seat, but still facing the rear...he just go too heavy to carry around in the infant carrier!
• Loves to grab your face with both of his hands and give you "kisses".  These JAM kisses make me want to melt.
• Loves it when Sydney licks his hand and wants to be best friends with her so badly!
• Seems to favor his left hand when he picks things up, which makes sense since his daddy is also left handed
• Really enjoys jumping in his jumperoo (aka, circle of neglect, LOL)
• Shows an interest in other little kids, probably because he stays with two other little boys during the day
• Still needs that hair cut I keep talking about...at least to cut the rat tail or mullet thing he has going on in the back of his head.  But I just can't seem to go through with it yet.  That sweet baby hair is so precious to me!
• Getting baptized next month!

And that's my boy.  He such a funny little guy.  I can't wait to celebrate all the holidays with him and see what next month brings us in terms of milestones.  Jensen Alexander, I love you more than words can ever describe.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

He loves his giraffe.  You can see the annoyance on his face.  More pictures mom?!?

My always smiling, happy boy.

My favorite.  The last photo of our session.  iPhone and all.  LOOK at that head of HAIR!  He doesn't sit still for too long anymore either.