Gavin at 7 Months

Gavin at seven months was a lot like Gavin at 6 months, but instead of him going back to my easy going happy baby at the end of the month, he seems to be grumpier than ever. I keep thinking that I am just sure that he is teething, but I have been thinking that for a month now and there are still no top teeth. There have even been some nights we have given him motrin because I am just so sure that he is teething and is in pain, but still not teeth. Month seven has been a bit of a challenge, but Gavin has also grown so much and his little sweet personality just keeps blooming. About a week after school got out I became really sick and found out I had pneumonia. That has also made this month really difficult because I am still working on building back up my energy and I still have this lingering cough that flares up every now and then. I am starting to feel a lot better so I have high hopes for the weeks to come.

Height: 29 inches (estimate)
Weight: 18.5 pounds (estimate)

Gavin is growing so much. People always ask me how old his is and when I would say 7 months, they are usually surprised. He definitely has a little chub, but most of his size is because of his height. He is already wearing 12 month clothing because his torso is so long. I kind of just skipped buying 6-9 month clothes and just went right to 12 month because he is growing so fast. Gavin is rolling all over the place and even without crawling or scooting yet, he is pretty mobile and finds a way to get where he wants. He loves sitting up and playing with his toys but he still can't quite control himself and once he starts tipping over he falls to the ground. He loves to bounce in his bouncer toy. He loves being tickled and has started laughing a lot more. Gavin is such a good eater. There is nothing that he has refused to eat yet. He loves everything from peas to pears and from avocado to yogurt. The only things he hasn't been crazy about are bananas and pineapple, but he will still eat them. And even though he likes them, mangoes make him spit up a lot so we are waiting a while to try those again. He is starting to get little bites from us during dinner and learning how to chew and swallow. He absolutely loves sucking the juice from melons and strawberries.

Gavin has gotten the nickname of Grumpy Gavin around here because he just gets so grumpy so fast. He has started to get a little clingy and whines when you walk away from him even for just a few seconds, and will sometimes cry when strangers try to hold him. In a way it is cute that he has become so attached, but it also makes things a little harder. He definitely favors women over men and loves all his aunts and girl cousins. His favorite person of all time is probably my mom. He just lights up when she comes into the room and he just smiles and smiles at her. He loves all his grandmas and grandpas. He is definitely partial to anyone over the age of 60.

One thing I have loved to see is Gavin enjoy books so much. We have a lot of books from me having a book shower and so it is fun to have so many to read to him. We probably read 10 books a day, granted we sometimes read the same book 5 times and they are baby books of course. There are definitely books he prefers over others and I love to just see him smile and actually listen to the story and actually keep his attention, most of the time that is. Another sweet thing is that Gavin gives what I would like to think are kisses. Pretty much he is just trying to bite my face but it is really cute. I will give him kisses and then he will kiss me back. He probably is just trying to eat my face, but I will take it.

Even will all the grumpiness, Gavin is sure a sweetheart. He is just so darn cute. Some new things we have done is go to Wheeler Farm, go to the pool a few times, and take another camping trip to Lava Hot Springs with my family. Our camping trip was a bit of a challenge. Even though everyone thinks Gavin is so easy going because when we are out in public he is pretty laid back, he is actually really particular about eating and sleeping. People just don't see that side of him and it is a side that has me continually frustrated. Gavin unfortunately has developed an eat to sleep association and it makes trying to nurse him very frustrating. He refuses to nurse unless he is ready for a nap. It is very difficult to try to nurse him anywhere but home and that makes it hard to go anywhere too far from home. He takes about 3 naps a day, but he has to nurse to go to sleep, be in his sleep sack, and have his sound machine going. Gavin is also still waking up in the night, sometimes multiple times, and it is wearing me out! I feel so sleep deprived some days and it makes it hard to keep my sanity. So as we are about to take on month 8 we are going to try to make some serious changes and do some serious sleep training.

Even though it is a daily challenge, I love Gavin so much and I am so lucky to be home with him every day. We love you Gavin!