I think this past month went even faster than any of the others!! Ryder is growing and hitting mile stone after mile stone! I think I'm ready for him to slow down a bit and just stay at this stage before we hit anymore major mile stones! I'm just not ready for him to grow up so fast, and honestly, I am loving this stage where his little personality is just beginning to develop, and he's not fully mobile yet!
Last month, we had just started trying solid foods, but now we are seasoned pros at eating! Ryder loves veggies! So far he's had sweet potatoes, squash, carrotts, peas, green beans, and broccolli and has gobbled them all up! Fruits, on the other hand, are not really his thing. He eats them (because I make him), but he doesn't seem to like their tangier flavor. He cried when he ate bananas, stuck out his tongue at apples, and cringed with pears. I'm just glad he likes his vegetables, and at least tolerates the fruits, which I'm sure he'll warm up to over time!
Ryder also started sitting up briefly last month but has truly mastered this talent now! He is also working on learning to crawl, but we're pretty sure he's going to skip the crawling and head straight for walking because he's too impatient and curious to bother with being stuck on his hands and knees on the floor. He definitely prefers to be standing so that he can see everything, which isn't a new thing for my curious little man, who used to cry when I made him lie on his back or tummy so he would learn to roll! He's already beginning to stand without anyone holding him for a few seconds at a time as long as he's not overly excited and flapping his arms. And he has finally learned to jump in his jumperoo! Check out my earlier post with a vidoe of him jumping (http://thehardenhousehold.blogspot.com/2012/03/jump-jump-jump-around.html) I don't think it will be much longer before he's totally mobile, and then we're in major trouble with this active and inquisitive little guy!
Other major happenings for this month include Ryder's first tooth popping through the day before he turned 7 months old, and Ryder learning to say, "Mamama" and "bahbahbahbah" while chewing on his lower lip. I was thrilled to see (well, really feel) that first tooth come through! I had thought at one point that it would be such a sad moment because it would mark the end of all those gummy, little smiles, but after three months of teething, I couldn't be happier for Ryder!! Here's hoping we will now sleep better, fuss a little less, and chew on fewer items, including but not limited to mom's shoulder, daddy's toes, Nana's rocking chair, Ryder's crib slats, washcloths, TV remotes, and of course the occassional teething ring! :)
The first time I heard Ryder say "mama" was one morning around 4 a.m. while I was trying to ignore his fussing and praying he would go back to sleep (I know, "mean mommy!"). But the minute I heard him cry "mama," I immediately felt obligated to go pick him up and rock him (amazing how that works!!). I know he doesn't know what it means, but it is a joy to my heart to hear him say my name, and I can't wait until he learns to say it when actually calling for me!
My other favorite new habit is Ryder sucking/chewing on his lower lip! He already has chunky, little cheeks to begin with, but when that bottom lip is tucked in, those cheeks puff out even further, and he looks absolutely adorable! He also smacks his lips and thinks it's the funniest thing if you smack your lips in response to him! He still growls and blows rspberries, but he has also added a high pitched squeak that sounds very similar to an eagle's call. We're enjoying listening to all the sounds Ryder is learning to make, especially his laugh!
He's such a happy baby. He laughs and giggles often, especially when being tickled. Sometimes the strangest things make him laugh too, like when he tries to take the newspaper out of our hands and we pull it away, which results in hysterical giggles. He also laughs when you toss a ball up in the air in front of him or if you say peek-a-boo! But the thing that makes him smile without fail is when I sing, "I Feel Good!" to him and dance with him. I sang it one day when he was about 3 months old and fussy from the acid reflux and for whatever reason his face lit up and he stopped crying, and it's worked like a charm ever since to cheer up a fussy, little Ryder-man!
We have had another fun month with our precious baby boy who is quickly working his way out of being a baby and into a big boy! It's so amazing to see him growing and learning so many new things! Ryder is truly a joy and has added so much happiness to our home!
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