Dear Caroline,

Today you are seven months old! You are getting SO big, and you continue to be adorable and charming all of us. This month you had some big things – your baptism, starting solid foods, and your first Valentine’s Day.

You have really continued to come alive this month, responding to your name and recognizing us when we come into view. You usually flash big grins when seeing your Daddy, your sister, or me. You LOVE getting your sister from school – I think you miss her! Now that you’re sitting up, you often join your sister in the shopping cart which both of you think is pretty awesome.

This month, we had you baptized at our church. Your Grandma and Aunt Mamie drove up from Orlando for that. You wore the dress your Grandma made, that Savannah also wore. You looked so pretty! It was a very special day. Our church is small, so everyone knows you, which made the ceremony even more meaningful. The other members of the congregation promised to pray for you and help us raise you! You are so lucky to have so many people who love you.

You are such a happy, wiggly baby. You want to go, go, go. You aren’t crawling yet, but you love to move and bounce. It is difficult to get you to sit because you would rather stand! You even will stand for a very short bit while holding on to something. You aren’t completely steady while sitting, but the amount you fall is getting less and less frequent. You don’t particularly love to be on your tummy, but there are times when you’re okay with it, and generally you scoot yourself around in circles, trying to find something to reach and investigate. You really love to sit and investigate things, reaching out to get a toy. I’m sure you will be crawling in no time!

Speaking of reaching, you are ALL about holding anything you can get your hands on! When I’m holding you (which is still your favorite place to be), you search around with your hand until you find something. Sometimes it’s my phone, or a toy, or if all else fails – my hair. It immediately goes into your mouth. You are a pretty happy baby, though you don’t like to remain in one spot for any length of time. You really love the doorway jumper, which has been a great place to put you while I shower or cook dinner. You like the exersaucer when I’m sitting down checking my email. You don’t care for the swing anymore; you want to be entertained!

This month, you started solid foods. I wasn’t going to push it, but you have been watching us eagerly as we ate, making chewing motions with your mouth. You are VERY interested in food, even though you don’t have any teeth yet! We started you off with mashed bananas, which you loved and got everywhere – all over your outfit, your hair, and the couch. You also have tried carrots, avocado, peas, pretzels, and bread. Those last two were not my intention, but your sister loves to hand you food and you are happy to take it. You eat pretty well, considering it is all new to you. We need to expand your list of foods a bit – those are just the easiest for now.

I am so excited to see you growing and look forward to watching you explore and learn in the months to come!
Love, Mommy