Letters to Aden: Seven Months

Aden,

You're seven months old now and my, how much you've grown in the last few weeks! It's as if you suddenly realized there's a big world out there and you're doing everything you can to be apart of it. I love seeing the person you are start to blossom as you do your best to communicate through sounds and movements.

You, Tory and I flew to Nebraska at the beginning of the month (your 3rd flight!) to visit family and on our first night there, I joked to Nana you're content to lay wherever I put you. Up to this point, you hadn't been one to scoot or roll, or even to reach for a toy too far out of reach. Why would you do that when you have a big sister to retrieve anything at your heart's desire? Anyway, of course you proved me wrong the minute I mentioned this to Nana and started scooting upward like a little turtle! You now scoot all over the place while lying on your back, using your feet to push you forward. I have to laugh because your pediatrician stresses the importance of "tummy time" saying kids can't learn to crawl from their backs, and you've figured out a way to move around doing just that. As I type this, I'm watching you on the baby monitor turn a full circle in your crib at nap time. Silly boy!

Lest you think I leave you laying on your back all day, we do practice "tummy time" regularly and this month you started to really push up on your arms from your belly. You'll also lay comfortably on your stomach which is not a position you loved to be in before now.

The introduction of food has been an interesting journey with you. Said plainly: you don't love it. I've tried a variety of things to gain appeal and honestly, I just don't think you're ready yet. During your first experience with food, I fed you rice cereal mixed with formula and you broke out with hives all over your face and neck. I quickly discovered you have an allergy to the protein found in milk (and reacted to the kind of formula I'd used). The pediatrician recommends you now drink breast milk or soy formula only.

I've slowly begun to offer you basic foods in both puree and mushed-up form, and none of it seems to float your boat. You've tried bananas, avocado, squash, sweet potatoes, apples, pears and peas. At first, the minute a bite of food hit your lips you'd immediately gag and begin to cry. So, I resorted back to the most bland food for babies - rice cereal - and this time, mixed the rice with breast milk. Now you will eat rice, although I wouldn't say you love it, and recently I began to mix purees into it. Slowly but surely we're getting there. Someday, I'll probably look back on this time and smile when you're a growing teenage boy eating us out of house and home!

I've recently noticed a drop in my milk supply, so I now offer you formula after every nursing session. You'll typically drink 3-6 ounces of formula each feeding. I know you must not be getting much milk from me because you're less and less interested in nursing and often pull away from me in frustration. Unfortunately I foresee our nursing relationship ending sooner than I'd like, but I find comfort knowing you're getting plenty to eat with the supplementation of formula and addition of solid food into your diet.

In other semi-related news, your first tooth popped into your mouth this month! Teething doesn't seem to affect you too badly thus far. Some days, you're extra drooly and I did notice a bit of diaper rash around the days your tooth came in, but you aren't particularly fussy.

A few other things of note: you've recently mastered the ability to pick up and put your pacifier in your mouth; you've discovered your toes and love to put them in your mouth; and, you've moved up a size in clothes (now wearing size 9-12 months) and diapers (now wearing 4's -- you and Tory wear the same size!).

Likes this month: the activity mat (we are getting some good use out of that toy with you!); pacifiers; taking a bottle (surprisingly, the transition to feedings with a bottle have been easy); your favorite blue blanket; teething toys; baths; and your sister, Tory.

Dislikes: having your clothes changed; tummy time; riding in the double stroller; going for boat rides at the lake cabin; wearing hats and a lifejacket.

You're really such a fun-loving little boy, Aden, and we love you very much. Excited to see what your eighth month brings!

XOXO,
Mommy