During the past four weeks Brooks has jumped on the developmental train and is chugging right along.
We are still in the process of introducing solids. The whole "wait three days" is for the birds. Have I mentioned before that patience isn't one of my strong suits? It is so important for me to reflect on the Beatitudes each and every morning or else my life would be frenetic. Back to Brooks...
On June 18th he had his first taste of peas and apples. He also went from eating solids twice a day to three times a day. On June 22nd he ate zucchini, on the 25th he tried apricot, he inhaled plums on the 26th, we introduced yellow squash and greek yogurt on the 28th, on July 1st he gobbled up red potatoes, on the 2nd we "worked through" blueberries (he loved them, but the mess almost sent me to the grave), he ate peaches on the 3rd and nectarines on the 7th, on the 8th we introduced carrots, on the 9th he turned his nose to cucumber, on the 10th he tried acorn squash, he spit out beets on the 11th, and somewhere in the mix he has had green beans, butternut squash, and mango. He loves everything except the green stuff (peas, avocado, cucumber, and green beans). He will even eat bananas now if I mix them with apples or yogurt. And don't worry, I've tried mixing the greens with the good stuff and he still spits it right back out. Stubborn little booger. Side note: I am still making all of Brooks' purees and really enjoy it. It's a stress reliever for me and good for the baby. Double win.
We are still giving Brooks 4 bottles a day—one at 7:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. We fill each bottle with at least 6.5 ounces. This month he has only been taking down 4-5 ounces in the morning. I'm not too worried about it, though, because he makes up for it with a 9.5 ounce bottle at night.
Brooks' sleep was a little off at the beginning of month seven. On June 21st he decided that he no longer wanted to sleep. He refused to nap when I put him down in his crib. The minute we would walk into his room and approach the crib he would burst into hysterics. I thought that maybe he was just having an "off" day, but the next day, on the 22nd, he did the same thing. I have to pat myself on the back because I let him cry it out for 40+ minutes before he finally crashed. The next night he woke up at 3:30 a.m. ready to boogie. Every time I would try to sneak out of his sight he would LOSE IT. I had to pick him up and rock him, something that I haven't done since he was a newborn! I'm chalking these three sleepless days and nights of hell to his newfound discovery of what the psychs call "object permanence." I like to call it, separation anxiety...
Thankfully Brooks is back to his old self and sleeping like a champ.
Every morning when I get JB out of his crib he pulls his knees to his chest, digs his head into my shoulder, and gives me a little open mouthed smooch. It is the best part of my every day.
On June 22nd we upgraded to the big boy (6-18 month) pacifier. He can now take his paci out and put it back in. We also made the switch to the "Level 3" nipples for his bottles. He is still getting used to the faster flow, but is less distracted during his feedings. This is a good thing, seeing that he got into the habit of flipping over to his belly while taking the bottle. Crazy kid.
Brooks took his first ride in the wagon with his cousin William at Shug and Pops' house on June 23rd. He cautiously sat back and took it all in.
On June 24th Brooks started commando crawling. It started out as a slow drag, where he would put one arm out and then pull his bottom half forward. Now you blink and he is on the other side of the room. For instance, this past Tuesday morning I left Brooks on his playmat in the den and walked to the kitchen sink to wash his bottle. I heard his little hands and legs working it and the next thing I know, he is at my feet pulling up on my leg.
Speaking of pulling up, he pulls up on anything and everything in sight. He typically only pulls up to his knees, but as of late he is pulling up to the standing position without help. He also tries to dive off of the couch, his new favorite place to play, and flip over mommy or daddy's legs. Our child has no fear!
Brooks prefers the commando crawl as his primary mode of transportation, but is determined to get the knee crawl down pat. All month long he has been getting on all fours and rocking back and forth. His favorite place to practice this move is on a soft surface, like his crib, our bed, or the couch. Picky! We have seen him take a knee step or two, but he always ends up back on his tummy. Yesterday, however, he spent more time on his knees than he did commando crawling. He takes his time, moving at a snails pace, but gets from point A to point B. I can't believe it! And now that he has this whole knee thing figured out he has been doing, what I like to call, the human teepee, where he straightens his legs and arms, keeping his hands and feet on the ground. I swear, this boy is going to be walking before I know it and is going to wear. me. out.
Brooks also loves his exersaucer. His new thing is to bounce up and down, shaking his head like a mad man, then stop and wait for a reaction. When we clap and praise him he gives us a huge smile or giggle and does it again. Over and over and over again.
Our spunky, happy boy also gets a kick out of his reflection. He thinks that the mommy and baby in the mirror are too funny. The mirror in our bedroom would probably keep him entertained for hours!
Brooks also thinks that it is hysterical when he sneezes and when I smell his bottom and say "pee-yew!" Gets him every time...
On June 25th, baby boy waved for the first time. On the 27th he practiced his wave ALL day. He would stare at his hand with extreme concentration while doing it.
We said sayonara to the Moby Wrap and hello to the shopping cart on the 27th. Our shopping trips have been successful since the change.
On July 4th (big day in the Bryant household), I checked the monitor during Brooks' afternoon nap and he was sitting up in the crib! John and I couldn't believe our eyes. I have yet to see him do it again.
On July 9th I took the bumper pad out of the crib. Brooks has gotten in the habit of pulling up on it, chewing on it, and grabbing it and pulling it down. It is bent out of shape and, frankly, a huge distraction. #FAIL
45 minutes went by and Brooks was still awake and partyin' hard. He first threw all of his pacifiers and lovies out of the crib. He then tried to pull up on the slats and hit his head (so hard it shook the monitor camera). After the tears stopped flowing he thought it would be a good idea to slap his hands and bang his feet on the slats because it made a loud, fascinating noise. Being bumper padless also gave him the freedom to check out every. single. inch. of his nursery. Short story long, the bumper pad made it's way back home that night...
Some other fun facts about Brooks during month seven:
We weighed Brooks yesterday and he now weighs 17.4 pounds.
Our cutie patootie started sleeping with his bum in the air. I know that most babies do this, but it is so much cuter when it's your baby. Am I right?
Brooks also started smacking his lips together and sucking on his bottom lip. It is the cutest thing ever. He also sucks on his pointer and middle finger combined if his paci is out of sight, out of mind.
He has added even more sounds and syllables to his vocabulary. GaGa, CaCa, YaYa, LaLa, and as much as I hate to admit it, DaDa. I thought that I heard him babble it on the 8th and the next day he was "GaGa DaDa'ing" it like it was his job. It's probably because his dad is his favorite person in the world. He lights up when John gets home from work and wants nothing to do with me when he is around. SAD! But, warms my heart too.
I cannot wait to see what month eight entails. If it is anything like month seven, we are in for a wild, yet fun, ride!
*I am going to redo his 7 month pictures because he is still under the weather and not feeling well at all. These pictures didn't come close to capturing his spunky personality and smiles. Poor sick baby.
I cannot believe he is crawling around, pulling up, and sitting up!!!! WOW! He's just a doll baby!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna! Hopefully by keeping up with Baby Brooks you can mentally prepare yourself for what's to come for you and sweet Murphy girl! It goes by way too fast. Savor these immobile days! XOXO.
Delete