Seven Months of Tommy

Tommy 7 Months | https://www.roseclearfield.com

This past week our little Tommy turned seven months old.

We didn’t have to go the doctor’s this month. The home weight/height measurements came in at 17 lbs 5 oz and 27 1/4 inches long. I don’t have percentiles. The next scheduled doctor’s visit is at the nine-month mark.

This past month, Tommy has completely taken off with his sitting skills. Once he decided he was ready to start sitting on his own, he went from sitting unsteadily for seconds at a time to sitting confidently for minutes at a time in just a week or so. The more he keeps sitting, the more he keeps building his muscles. He loves sitting at his kick ‘n play piano, in his new Pottery Barn chair, on the floor, and on the bed. He also works on his sitting skills all the time when he’s sitting in his bouncy chairs. Building his core muscles while sitting has made Tommy much more confident in his jumper and Baby Einstein as well.

Tommy 7 Months | https://www.roseclearfield.com

The more Tommy builds his core muscles, the better he does with tummy time, too. At his four-month doctor’s appointment, he flipped out about doing tummy time with the doctor more than getting his shots. At his six-month appointment, he rocked tummy time with no issues. Encouragement and distractions (watching the kitties, seeing the TV, etc.) almost always help Tommy go longer with tummy time. He is able to roll over during tummy time pretty consistently now but still doesn’t have a lot of interest in it.

When Tommy’s sitting on the floor, he’ll reach for anything and everything. He loves to play with his favorite toys while sitting, including his rattles, small stuffed animals, and “baby paper” (non-destructible crinkly paper). Of course, he also loves to play with non-baby toys, mainly items the cats love, such as small empty boxes and pieces of Styrofoam. He’ll also reach for anything we have from books to food to phones.

Tommy 7 Months | https://www.roseclearfield.com

Tommy talks all the time with lots of animation, continuing to make new noises every month. Lately he’s started blowing, like he’s trying to whistle. He most talks to us around the house or to himself while he’s playing. When he’s in the right mood, he’ll talk to pretty much anyone who will listen (which, of course, is basically everyone). Tommy also laughs frequently. He laughs along with us and laughs completely on his own. Sometimes we know why he’s laughing, and sometimes we really don’t. It’s pretty great either way.

Tommy continues to be a happy baby. He is content to go with the flow most of time, both at home and when we’re out and about. We don’t take Tommy out to eat with us too often, at most once or twice a month. But he does so well when we do take him. He’s been with us now to several St. Rita’s dinner club dinners with fellow members of our parish, which everyone enjoys. Tommy also enjoys socialization with other mamas and kiddos at play/prayer groups once a week or so.

Tommy 7 Months | https://www.roseclearfield.com

Tommy’s sleeping and eating routines remain largely unchanged from last month. Sometimes he wakes up once or twice during the night and just needs his pacifier to go back to sleep. He takes at least one 1-2 hour nap in his crib per day and at least one shorter nap, sometimes in his crib. Generally, he’s taking one morning and one afternoon nap. The timing isn’t very consistent.

The past week or so, Tommy has pushed to a consistent 7 ounces for his bottles, eating 3-4 hours for a total of 4-5 bottles daily. He will take his bottle sitting up sometimes but still prefers to lay down while eating. We do small stints in the high chair, which he enjoys more for playing with his toys and watching everyone else than eating. We offer rice cereal, baby puffs, and small tastes of soft foods a few times a week, mostly to keep getting him comfortable trying food. Tasting anything besides formula remains pretty overwhelming. Tommy’s still getting the vast majority of his nutrition from formula.

Tommy 7 Months | https://www.roseclearfield.com

Except for a few pairs of three-month pants and a handful of 3-6 month clothes, Tommy has fully transitioned to six-month and 6-9 month clothing. He’s still rocking size 2 diapers. You see Tommy wearing his footed pants in many of the photos from the past couple of months because they are the easiest way to keep his feet covered when we’re out in the cold. At home, he often wears regular pants with no socks and isn’t cold.

Jake and Tommy at the Milwaukee Art Museum January 2018 | https://www.roseclearfield.com

The biggest milestone of the past month was Tommy’s adoption finalization. I have a full finalization post coming later this month. January outings have included Tommy’s first visit to the Milwaukee Art Museum, so we could catch the tail end of the Degas to Picasso exhibit, and the Domes for the annual train exhibit. I have a train post coming later this month, too.

The last few months with Tommy have been so much fun. We have gotten into such a good routine and love watching his personality grow. I’m really looking forward to the next few months.

 

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