SEVEN months!

Leah is SEVEN months old!

Oh, Leah.  You were a stinker when I was trying to take that rocking chair picture!  Attempting to eat your dress and laughing about it were far more important to you than holding still and looking photogenic.

  This was a month full of more fun firsts.  

You took your first swim and loved it.

The water was cool and your little lips were trembling at first, but you shook it off and just kept swimming so happily.

Swimming and Daddy.  You couldn't be happier.

 You and I have our own sweetness together, but you completely light up when you see him.

Your legs kick and you squeal with excitement when you get some time with Dad.

Just a few days ago another first occurred: your bottom two teeth came in.

 Hopefully teething will get a little easier as you get used to it, but wow, those two teeth wore both of us out in the middle of the night!

I have a feeling we won't be seeing you like this for much longer.

 You are close to being an independent sitter.  And crawling isn't too far off.  Crawling! Oh, my you just want to do big girl things so much!

I looked over one day and there you were in a high plank, discovering what your strong body can do.

I'm glad I caught a picture of that, because it only lasted for a day.  By the next day you had figured out how to get your knees underneath you.

Doing that for the first time gave you a little scare, but you love it now.  You are scooting backwards, which frustrates you, because without realizing it you scoot away from all of your toys. 

 You are a great eater.  You prefer the sweet stuff like apples and pears over anything else, but you'll eat just about anything.  You prefer 'real' food over the pureed stuff, and if you had your way you'd do all of the feeding yourself.  Soon, I promise.

You are talking (and screaming) all the time. 
We hear you say, "Heyyyyy," a lot.  It makes me smile when the phone rings or a new person walks into the room, and you let out a , "Heyyyy." 

 We have a little bedtime routine that consists of a few books, a song and then off to bed.  Lately you scream with frustration when I get to the last page of every book we're reading, because you just don't want book time to end.  As long as I grab another book and keep going, we're good, but eventually that song time comes around and you protest.

 I love you.  I love the way you grab my face and pull it close.  I love putting you to bed and sneaking in a few uninterrupted snuggles.  You have brought love into our family in the best ways.  Your brothers are having experiences every day teaching them to be helpful and tender and so, so sweet, that they never would have had without you.  You are our sunshine girl!