Sophia's 7 Month Update
Sophia,
At the start of 6 months you were 2 feet 1/2 inch (5th percentile) and 15 pounds 7 ounces (35th percentile). We will weigh you again when we get to grandma and grandpa’s house this next week. It is so fun watching you grow little-by-little and day-by-day.
When you were first born, I read the “Baby-Led Weaning” book and the principles of this feeding method really resonated with me. As someone who struggled with accepting myself when I was growing up and looked to diets to find my fulfillment, teaching you the importance of food autonomy and letting you be in control was really important to me. With BLW, you are feeding yourself the same foods that daddy and I eat. You eat as much as you want, without us telling you how much you “should” eat. We trust that your body will tell you when you are hungry and when you are full and we do not have to force feed you a few more bites, just because some guideline said you should be eating xx amount of food at this age. I love that you’re getting to explore new tastes, textures, and temperatures.
A few days after you turned 6 months old, we started BLW weaning with a bang. Our goal is to feed you at least 2 meals of solid food a day and work up from there. The mess is the hardest part, but your dad and I have decided that whoever cleans you up doesn’t have to do the dishes. You’re doing so well! Even after only a few weeks, you’re getting so much better at picking up your food, even small pieces like corn. There hasn’t been anything that you haven’t liked! You also started drinking water (and smoothies) from my cup and you love it!
At the start of the month we had your 6 month doctor’s visit. Jericho also had his annual vet visit on the same day. Don’t tell Jericho, but you were much calmer getting your shots than he was just getting a physical exam. ;) He clawed all over me, poor guy.
Additionally, we had a virtual visit for the research study we are in and you did so well. They observed us playing peek-a-boo and hiding a toy under a washcloth. We also had to collect a bunch of samples, such as: both of our saliva, breast milk, your nail clippings, and our tap water. It is fun knowing we are contributing to maternal / child health research.
We took a spontaneous trip to the beach and enjoyed watching you touch the ocean for the first time. I wouldn’t say you loved the water, but you didn’t hate it either. The water was freezing so we didn’t let you stand there for too long. Our way of protecting you from the sun was by putting our masks on your head as a makeshift hat (#parentfail. We forgot the sunscreen and your hat). That didn’t last very long.
You’ve started taking more of an interest in Jericho, as you will reach out to touch him. I try and help you be gentle, because his claws are definitely sharp. You are also fascinated with his toys, specifically the scratch pad that has a ball that can move around it and his jingle ball that you love to suck on. It’s fine if you both slobber on it, right? You also are loving containers like plastic food bins and gift boxes. You tip them over so all of your toys fall out. We bought you a few new toys this month because they were on clearance: colorful stacking bowls and a fidget block. You are obsessed with the fidget block and we plan to take this on our next airplane trip.
Towards the end of your 6 months you started being able to (mostly) sit up unassisted and play. It is so fun seeing you become independent in some ways and not so much in others. When you see me leave the room, you often start to cry, despite being content seconds before. Maybe that’s how you show me you love me? ;) Our favorite thing that you currently do is light up when you first hear music. You make noise, flail your arms and legs, and have the biggest grin. You are getting better at recognizing where sounds are coming from and you’ve started making new sounds. It kind of sounds like you’re saying mama, albeit, unintentionally. Lastly you recognize when I’m getting your food ready as you reach towards your tray in excitement.
Your daddy and I were both exposed to COVID-19 this month so, as a precautionary measure, we got tested. It was an uncomfortable experience, but praise the Lord we were negative.
You got to see quite a few of your friends this month. First up was tacos with Nyla, who is 2 months older than you. I hope you guys grow up being the best of friends.
Next was homemade Egyptian food with Maged. You loved him so much you fell asleep in his arms.
Also on our social calendar for the month was dinner with Romelia, Kenny, and Rafael. You thoroughly enjoyed the chicken and mashed potatoes you got to eat and playing with Rafa’s toys.
Lastly, you had 2 playdates with Leo. Something your dad and I have been debating for a while is taking you to a babysitter so we can have some focused work time. We’ve gone back and forth on this decision because we have been able to
manage (not very ideal) caring for you on top of working. It has been nice to be able to put the money that would have been spent on daycare into our house purchase envelope, but we knew it would also be beneficial to have some uninterrupted work time and the ability to relax after work before jumping in to our parent role. Our good friend Stephanie has offered to watch you and we did our first trial run this month. Aside from not drinking a whole lot from the bottle (you sure do love the boob), you did FANTASTIC! It made my mama heart so happy seeing pictures of you and Leo hanging out together. We are taking it week-by-week, but we think that this will be such a good thing for all of us!
Grandma Karen and I arranged for her to make a surprise visit for daddy’s birthday weekend. I wish you could have seen his face, he was so surprised! We had a wonderful weekend partaking all the Portland birthday freebies and enjoying our time with Karen.
To kick off the weekend, we ordered Black Bear Diner and had a breakfast picnic at Mt. Tabor, went birthday shopping, and ordered a pizza from Old Chicago Pizza. Saturday, we went on a short hike up Marquam HiIl and you were conked out by the time we finished. Despite it being hot, we made sure to get outside. While I ran, you three walked along Spring Water Corridor. It was such a beautiful weekend!
On Colton’s actual birthday, most importantly, he got all the free coffee drinks (Starbucks, Black Rock, and Dutch Bros) and a free 32 oz beer from Rogue Brewery, plus a sprinkle of other free items. As much as we love hanging out with you, we really enjoyed playing card/board games after you went to bed; Bears vs. Babies was all of our favorite choice. It is always hard saying goodbye to family, but it helps knowing we will see them in August.
On the day you turned 7 months, I ran a 10k with some of our friends. A few months ago, I set a goal to run a 10k by my birthday. It was so much fun having other friends training at the same time and completing it together. Daddy and you were the best cheerleaders a girl could ask for. I hope you know that I will always be there to cheer you on, no matter what life throws at you. I love you lots!
Celebrating my birthday was very similar to Colton’s in that the weekend prior, I started getting the local freebies, like Old Chicago Pizza, Red Robin, and Black Bear Diner. On my actual birthday we went to: Starbucks, Dutch Bros, Black Rock, Waffle Window, Cloud City Ice Cream, and shopping at Ikea. You specifically gave me a 2 hour morning nap where I was able to have some uninterrupted work time! It was a lovely day spent with the people I love the most.
Love,
mom & dad
