Today is the 14th, so I have one final day of Evan being 7 months old to write this report. Better get this done today or it just won't happen! Life has been busy with the start of school and all of the craziness that goes with the first weeks back in action. The trip to America trip was a fantastic adventure for us and Evan really took some big steps forward. I always find that trips will do that to babies. They are stimulated in different ways from their normal home routine, so they really mature quicky with all of the new stimuli.
Okay... Evan at 7 months....Where should I start? Evan is REALLY changing before my eyes these last few weeks. This last month he has rounded a corner in physical and social development, but has reverted back to babyness in other ways! Specifically speaking in the sleep category.
Physical Progress: I'm really proud of my Evan this month for his physical progress. He has mastered rolling and easily go back to stomach and stonach to back. He started his rolling in vigor right after we got back from America. In the last 2 weeks he has also learned how to get into a sitting position from being on his back, and he can even get into (and stay) in the crawling position now for about a minute. I can tell that these milestones have made him restless. He is just so anxious to get going. He sure is going to be a fireball when he takes off. He is just so CURIOUS about everything. This boy studies anything you give him! He wants to figure out how everything works. He also loves banging and making noise. He will either bang things with his fist or take and object and hit it against something to see what it sounds like. He is so different than Kaitlyn was at this age. He does not like being confined (in a playpen for example) and really just wants to get going and discover! In a nutshell he is ALL BOY! I can tell he is going to be a curious and strong little discoverer. I don't think he is going to be happy until he can run around. His frustration in his lack of ability to do what he wants to do is evident. Mr curious just can't get enough of the world! He wants to go go go and DISCOVER!! He is our "Mr Grabber!" He has the longest arms and farthest reach I have ever seen! He will try to grab whatever I have in my hand when I am holding him. If I don't watch carefully, he will grab anything in his reach. He once spilled my soup all over my lap when I was eating with him on my knee... and he has lifted a glass out of the sink with one hand when I was putting something in there too. He works fast so you have to be on full attention He will grab my makeup or toothbrush from me too *as you see he is often in my arms!
Evan also mastered sitting during our stay in America. Before we left for the US he could sit up without support, but I always had to put a pillow behind him for fear he would crash backwards (or forwards). Midway through our USA trip he was sitting solidly (so for the record a a little over 6 months). Evan has always been a standing guy--he loved to put his weight on his legs even at 2 months. His legs are so solid and strong now! Uncle Mike decided to take him for a walk and Evan did it! Mike held his hands and walked with him...and this made Evan very happy! I haven't really tried to force that on him yet but I know that he is very interested in moving.
Eating: Still nursing well and often... approx 80% of nutrition from my milk at this point. He nurses about every 2.5-3 hours during the day, but the day sessions are short (lasting approx 5-10 minutes max) From a nursing standpoint the only difficulties we are experiencing now is interest to nurse for any length during the day. I have to take him to a dim room so that he will focus. At night Evan nurses very well (no energy for distractions) and will nurse about 25 minutes, approx 2x a night. Often he is waking up 3 or 4 times but only nurses for 2 of those wakings. Evan does not have the same desire to suck as Krista or Erik. Both Krista and Erik needed a lot of non-nutritional sucking. During his 3rd-5th month when he discovered his fingers, he LOVED sucking his 2 middle fingers or thumb. I thought for sure we had a finger sucker on our hands, but the moment he got his 2 bottom teeth he didn't want to suck his fingers anymore. I really wish he would still suck his fingers though, because he was able to put himself back to sleep by sucking his thumb or his 2 middle fingers. Now that he doesn't like to suck anymore, he has been waking and can't sooth himself back to sleep. For the health of his teeth however, our orthodontist would be happy that he stopped the finger sucking habit early!
Evan started solids on our trip to America. We started Evan off with bananas and the first day he didn't seem to be interested. The 2nd day however, he really seemed to like them. I had chilled the bananas in the freezer and I think they felt wonderful on his sore gums. He ate about 5 spoonfuls which I think is pretty good for an early feeding. I thought he was going to be an easy baby with the transition to solids, but I was wrong! We tried apples, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes and a peach/apple/banana combo and he really didn't take to it. The most I could ever get him to eat would be 1/2 a jar of the mini size 1 jar...So maybe about 8 small spoons in total. When we returned here at the end of August he still wasn't that interesed in food. About 2 weeks ago something clicked and he really has been trying more and more foods. He does NOT like pureed foods or "baby" food. This was the same case with Erik. Erik went to solid chunk food right away. Erik was also an early teether so from this standpoint the boys are very similar. Evan will eat steamed salmon flakes and chew them very carefully. He will eat small pieces of banana that he still has to mash, he has tried bread, cheerios and fresh pears. He will take bites from a pear and is very careful to take small bites that he can mash with his 6 teeth. I have also used the baby safe feeder with him and he loves this. It is a mesh net that you can fill with ice or apples or whatever you want and the liquid and some of the solid form comes through. When I am busy with the 3 others I can give him an apple in his "net" and he can chew it up and eat the fresh apple safely. If I put a 1/2 banana inside it will entirely disappear! He loves feeding himself from that! He has also started with the picer grip this month and can pick up a cheerio and put it into his mouth.
Appearance: I weighed Evan about 2 weeks ago and he was a bit over 10 kg (22 pounds). This boy is BIG. He is wearing 12 months clothes now and filling them out. I'm not sure about his height but it must be near the average 12 month range because the pants fit him. Everyone who sees him thinks there is NO way that he is only 7 months. Those 6 teeth and his size really make him look much older. He still has very little hair. He lost all of his baby hair and has gone very light. His complexion is much like Krista's. He has very light eyes that glow and is very fair. Kaitlyn and Erik are both very similar in skin tone, while it seems Krista and Evan are more like me. Krista has many freckles and is much more sensitive to the sun. I have a feeling Evan will be much like Krista. The hair on top is nearly white in places and strawberry blonde in others. My money is on Krista's hair color when he is older. Both Erik and Kaitlyn are much darker (with Kaitlyn being the darkest hair color of the kids).
Personality: Evan loves to sing when he is tired, he laughs when you say "mama" and can even repeat it now. He is a serious little guy for the most part. Very intense and curious. He will laugh when you make silly faces at him or kiss his neck but he doesn't smile without a bit of coaxing. He'll smile back at you but usually isn't the instigator of the smile. Erik was my Mr. Smile Machine as far as smilers go in the family. Both Krista and Kaitlyn were a bit more selective of who they smiled for and when they smiled. Evan is a sweet little guy though, for sure! Nicknamed "Muffin Man" or the King of Evoland. The kids call him Evo, and since he always gets his way he became King Evo! He LOVES to be held. He wants to see the world from my vantage point and being held is a lot more interesting than being down low. He also loves playing with water bottles or cups! He get SOOOOO excited when he sees a big plastic water bottle! It is the funniest thing! He starts flapping his arms and legs until you give him the plastic container. He also loves spashing in the tub with his blue shovel! He loves getting his hair rinced too and running the showerhead on his back! He will give you high-fives or clap your hand. He loves playing with his hands. I could go on and on....he is quite the character. I'm enjoying every moment of this special little guy!!!
Schedule: Wakes up at 7 on the nose every morning and nurses. He usually is up until about 9:00 nurses quickly again and then sleeps for about an hour and a half (until 10:30). He has a small nursing session before I get the big kids from school at 11:40 and then eats lunch with the older kids. It is usually a battle to keep him up until 1:30 but we manage. He takes a 1.5 hour nap from 2-3:30 and we we the kids from school at 4. After we get the kids I nurse him again and he sits in his highchair with the kids while we talk about school and have our afterschool snack. At around 6 he is tired and will catnap a bit in the stroller. He'll eat a solid meal after he catnaps..I'm still pushing the pureed green beans, carrots or spinach for dinner but he often resists and I give into feeding him fruit and yogurt (his current favorite)! I bathe him around 7:30 and he nurses again (very well) and is in bed by 8 or 8:30. He'll wake up if I am "lucky" at midnight. His first 4 hour stretch is the longest. After that he will wake up a few more times...often 2 o'clock and again at 5. He nurses very well at 5 and then at 7 when he is up for the day. He'll nurse quickly at 7 and then play in his playpen as I get the kids ready for school. All in all he's at a fairly difficult stage right now, but I'm trying to enjoy every minute becasue I know how quickly he will grow. Soon this will all be a distant memory and he will be walking/running around all over the house...chatting away!
So I've rambled on enough...but I just wanted to make sure I didn't forget anything. Capturing 2 months at once isn't easy! :) It is worth taking the time to do this because I don't want to forget this very special time!!! It is so wonderful having my 1 on 1 time now with Evan while Kaitlyn is at school in the morning...taking walks with him or just playing on the floor. I'm lovin' it!
