Dear Savannah,

Today you are 7 months old. This past month you have grown so much, definitely leaving “newborn” behind and entering babyhood! I can’t believe how alert and interactive you are now.

You love to hold onto things. If we offer anything to you, you will take it and probably put it in your mouth. You like to turn it around with your hands and investigate it. Also, if you see an object out of reach, you will try with all your might to get it. We now have to be careful with what is withing grasping distance. No more having you sit on our laps while we eat! You will try to grab EVERYTHING and ANYTHING you can. :-)

You are very interactive, too! You respond to your name now which is fun. You also recognize people – when Daddy walks in the door after he’s done with work you get SO excited! It’s really cute to see you light up. You are a little shy with new people but warm up quickly. We have discovered that we can make you laugh by tickling your tummy – it’s so cute! You also recognize Mommy and sometimes don’t want to be held by someone else if you can see Mommy. Yesterday we put you in the church nursery and you cried and cried so much that I had to come get you. :-( Poor Savannah!

You not only recognize people, but also animals. You LOVE the kitties! You get really excited every time one of them walks by. Unfortunately, the feeling is not mutual. After a few times of you grabbing their fur, Lewis and Ebony keep their distance.

This month we have been doing a Mommy & Baby water aerobics class. You really like the water! You kick your feet and splash. I’ve dunked you under the water a few times which startles you, but then you’re okay. I’m excited for many more swimming times in the future! You went for a brief period hating your bathtime, and I think I’ve figured out that it’s because you fell over and bonked your head on the side of the tub two different times. You are pretty steady sitting by yourself, but it’s not unusual for you to fall over and the side of the tub is hard. I have started taking a bath with you, and now you’re happy and splashing in the tub again.

You are eating more solid foods, but I’m still nursing you the majority of the time. I keep forgetting to give you food, especially if we’re out! You really like pears and carrots, but you don’t care for peaches and sweet potatoes that much. You also like the rice cereal. You are really good at eating – you will open your mouth for the spoon and swallow most of the food on it. I gave you a banana the other day, and you had so much fun playing with it! I’m not sure how much you actually ate, though. At least it distracted you while I was getting dinner ready. :-)

With this increased alertness also comes a downside – you are more difficult to bring to places. We brought you to a Taylor alumni dessert one evening, and you “sang” the whole time! I think we’re reaching the point where we need to get a babysitter or not attend. We’ll need to figure out a good rhythm that works for us and you. You do pretty well if it’s something where we are moving around, and you don’t have to be quiet. You came along as we helped someone move, and you did awesome riding on my back in the Ergo!

You have some important trips coming up – you are going out of the country for the first time! We got your passport – you look so cute! I hope you travel well. Also, next month it will finally be warm enough to go camping! We look forward to your first camping trip.

This stage you’re in right now is a lot of fun, and I love being your mommy and seeing you as you grow!

Love, Mommy