7 months

Wow, I can't believe 7 months has already passed since I had Brooke. I remember this time last year, I was just getting settled with the fact that I was pregnant and wondering what it would be like to have a child. I could not have imagined what a wonderful blessing it is to have a beautiful healthy daughter. She has such an enjoyable positive disposition. It is such a delight to watch her grow and learn new things. I can't help but smile when I think of all that Brooke has been able to do and learn. I am excited to teach her new stuff and show her this beautiful world where we live. I want to teach her about God's love and show her the beautiful Earth He has given us. It is truly amazing to look at Brooke's inquisitive face when I show her something new. It can be as simple as letting her feel the grass or swirling her fingers in her oatmeal. She is so curious about everything and I try to let her explore most things, even if it means I have to clean up a mess. I can only hope that we am doing a good job raising her and I try to enjoy each moment to its fullest potential. I know that she will not remember any of this part of her life, but I hope that we are instilling a strong foundation of trust and love.

She is not crawling yet, but everyday it seems that she gets a little closer. Part of me wants, so bad, for her to crawl because I hate seeing her get frustrated. The other part of me wants her to stay put just where I sit her. She tries so hard, but she hasn't figured out that she has to move her legs and arms at the same time. In the mean time, she is going from sitting to all fours almost immediately when I set her down and will eventually end up on her stomach and just spinning circles.

Last weekend, we went home to Longview. She was playing in the jumper at my parent's house while they were watching her and I was talking to Ryan on the phone in the bedroom. When I came out, my mom said, " You didn't tell us she was talking." I said, "That's because she isn't." Well, her and my dad both witnessed her first words, Baby and dada. I still haven't heard her repeat either one, but they both say it was plain as day when she said it. I believe them, I just wish she would repeat it to us.

Other new stuff...
I introduced carrots and that is now her new favorite food.
She is sleeping most nights 8-10hrs.
She still doesn't take naps regularly. I was informed that her great-granny is not a napper either, so I guess that is where she gets it from. I told Ryan I hope that our next child is a sleeper like me, I could sleep all that Brooke does and then some.
She loves raggedy Andy. Ryan's mom brought down from the attic all of his old toys and several raggedy Andy dolls. The past two weekends she has gotten a kick out of those dolls. She looks for them every time we enter that room where they are kept. Her granny is making her a raggedy Ann, but in the mean time Ryan' s mom let her take his old doll home.

I have started baby proofing. So far, I have taken down all the glass Coca-Cola bottles and beer bottles we have collected. I have removed all chemicals from underneath the sink in her bathroom. I have located all the extra shampoo/lotion/stain remover to one cabinet in her room, so I only have to put a lock on that door. We are going to buy a baby gate to protect all the wi-fi and other electrical things that have to be located in the nursery so she will not have access to it.
For now, her room (except for the baby gate) is completely baby proof. I need to buy a gate for the top of the stairs and then practice closing the other bedroom doors and then the upstairs will be baby proof. We are also going to buy a high chair this weekend. I have been using the bumbo seat with a tray. She is getting more active and bending over the sides and trying to get anything that is out-of-reach. I think an actual high chair would be safer. We also are going to buy a couple of gates that can connect together so that she could have a bigger area to play when we are downstairs that is dog/cat safe. So, now we are off to make a couple more major purchases for our precious baby.