On July 17, 2012 my little boy turned 7 months old!

My little man wasn’t quite himself…I don’t know if he’s getting more teeth or just not feeling well, but he was not as smily as he normally is. He was still a good sport, though!Since turning 6 months old he has gone on two more Big Bear trips, traveled to the river, swam in a pool, had his first cold, and started to eat crunchy cereal! He is growing up so fast!

Let’s start with eating. He is such a great eater! He loves everything I have fed him, and eats it without wasting a bit. He doesn’t really even need a bib except that he will occasionally grab some food and smear it all over. 😉 I decided that he was doing so well with his eating of purees that I would try him with something that is actually solid, and I broke out some “hard” food: watermelon and plain Cheerios. He did so well! It took him a little while to master the concept of grabbing then releasing the pieces into his mouth, but once he did he was on a roll! I’ve read that it is a very complex concept to put something inside of something else (in this case his mouth). For a child to pick something up he needs only aim and the ability to close his fingers like a claw. To deposit something into another container, he needs to be able to pick it up, but then needs the coordination to move his hand to the correct spot, the depth perception to put his hand inside the container, and the timing to know when to open his fingers, move his hand away, and in this case, close his mouth. It’s a really important development milestone! He moves the object around to his two little teeth and crunches it up, or gums it with his jaw. Right now he’s mostly grabbing things into the palm of his hand and then putting his whole hand into his mouth and using his teeth to rake the item onto his tongue. Sometimes he uses his opposite hand to push the Cheerio to the top of his fingers and out of his palm so it’s easier to grab in his mouth. He seems to do this more easily with his right hand now (although it will be years before we’ll truly know which hand he favors as they can alternate) and when he grabs a piece with his left it tends to stay in his palm while his right hand does all the eating. Sometimes, after he’s done, I take him to wash his hands and face and find a Cheerio clenched in his little first – which is adorable!

Another, related milestone is the “pinscher grasp” which is the ability to use the thumb and forefinger to pinch an item and pick it up. This is a big milestone for eating as well. He occasionally picks up food this way, but usually is still raking it into his palm. He does, however, use the pinscher grab on my skin quite often. Yes, it hurts. 🙂

Jacob is always moving. He never stops moving his little hands and feet, and he is so hard to pin down. Changing his diaper or clothes is nearly impossible, time-consuming, and very frustrating. This has resulted in his wearing nothing but a diaper many days (which is great this time of year). When I try to take his clothes or diaper on or off he flips suddenly over to his stomach and starts to squirm away. He is always reaching…grabbing…tasting…throwing…hitting and it’s so hard to keep him still.

On the subject of mobility: as I took these pictures I thought “this could be the last time I photograph him and he can’t just crawl away” – although it doesn’t matter much as he gets around pretty well without officially crawling. He uses a system of rolling, flipping over, and scooting to move all over, and with surprising speed. He also grabs onto items and uses them to propel his feet in any direction he chooses. He can make surprising ground with this method. One day I found him under his crib, tasting the leg of it! 

Everything goes in his mouth. He is learning about objects by touching and tasting them (like a puppy!). I often say that living with him is like living with a velcro octopus. He will snatch up any object he is near, put it in his mouth, or slam it into another object, crush it, or throw it. It is so hard to keep things away from him! He loves anything that makes a crinkly sound, and of course things that are not toys are the MOST interesting. If he gets his hands on a paper napkin he will rip it to shreds, stuffing pieces in his mouth rapidly for me to fish out. He is insatiably curious. He wants to know the cause of every sound. His head is usually whipping from one direction to the next as he takes it all in. He will stick out his tongue and then lean over and “lick” my face…he has chewed on my nose and tasted my arm. Sometimes when I nurse him I try to read, but I have to hide the book from him or he can’t concentrate. If he happens to reach over and feel it, he won’t be able to do anything but try to grab it. If he gets a hold of it for an instant, the page will be smushed in his hand.

He’s cute even when he’s sad!

He is incredibly dexterous. He can maneuver his hands precisely to the item he wants and then he grabs it up in a flash. He uses his hands to explore my face, tries to stick fingers in my nose and mouth, pinches my arm and pulls my hair. I love to watch his crazy eyes as he leans in to grab something he finds interesting. 

My favorite time of day is the morning, when we play and he leans in close to my face and I can hear his breathing, then he giggles loudly in my ear and nuzzles into my neck. I can see his wide, bright eyes as he excitedly reaches for my cheek or hair. He loves to play peek-a-boo, and he laughs so loudly when we do. He really likes when he “hides” – in other words, I cover and then uncover his face. Sometimes I’ll cover his face with a blanket and let him pull it away and laugh. He loves to be held upside-down and to be tickled on his ribs and by squeezing his chubby thighs.He reaches for me now. He beams when I sing to him. He protests loudly when he’s hungry and I’m taking too long. He makes this noise I call the “Chewbacca” noise because he sounds like an angry Wookie. Sometimes he pinches me really hard or hits me right in the face and I’ll grab his hand and say, very firmly, “NO,” to which he smiles and giggles. (Oh help me…)

His first sickness was sad. He got a cold somehow, and after a trip to the doctor, a tiny runny nose, and some miniature sneezes, he was feeling better. We had some sleepless nights, and he was miserable for a time, which made me miserable. Then I caught the cold and had it for way longer than he ever did. I guess he has the better immune system?

He is just so CUTE. Everywhere we go he attracts attention. People want to talk to him, or stop me to tell me how cute he is (you know I agree!). He will smile at them flirtatiously, his dimples flashing, and then people are really in love! The other night, Josh and I went out for Chinese food and the waitresses were bringing one another around to see him and urge him to smile and show his “dents.”

He brings so much joy into the lives of others. Sometimes I look at him , smiling, giggling, eyes alight with happiness, and I think he is 17 pounds of pure joy. He is such a happy baby. He is loved and adored, and I couldn’t be happier. Even if no one notices me anymore, and I am nothing more than Jacob’s mommy, I don’t mind. I think, for all the joy he provides, he deserves to be adored and loved, and I’m happy to take a backseat for this darling boy. 

On the Fourth of July, I received a very nice compliment from Tami (hi, Tami!): she said that she loves to read how much I am enjoying motherhood on this blog. Oh am I ever! I just can’t remember being happier. He is such a source of constant amusement. His giggles make my heart melt…his wide smile when I sing to him, as though nothing makes him happier…I love to watch him see his own reflection in the mirror and light up with excitement. He is so interested in the world. I can’t wait to show it all to him and see it thorough his eyes. For him, life is spread wife and full of possibility and wonder. I finally, truly understand why a new baby is such a blessing.

To guide this little person through life is such an overwhelming and scary prospect, and such an honor! Sometimes I look at him and I wonder how it’s possible that this tiny, ADORABLE human is my child. I work every day and think constantly about how to be the best mother to him that I can. He certainly deserves that.

The adventures never end with my baby boy. He is always learning something new and changing. He is growing so quickly! His latest noise is to sing and move his hand over his mouth to make a percussive sound: “AH-ah-AH-ah-AH-ah!” We are still working on signing, and I can’t wait for the day that he communicates with me so concretely. 

I love watching him experience his world. It is full of new sights, sounds, and tastes. He is so brave and enthusiastic. On July 3rd, we watched fireworks from our yard. They were very nearby and close. He mostly slept through them on his daddy’s chest. He went into the cold water of the river without a sound. His toes curled up, and he looked around and tried to figure it out. He splashes like a fiend in the water, and even though he’s splashing himself in the face and occasionally sputters from water in his mouth and nose, he shrieks with joy and continues. 

I thank God for him everyday.

Well, that’s all for this month. As they say:

time flies when you’re having fun.