Asher: 7 months

My baby is huge! Seriously! I can't believe it! Not only is he very big for his age, in weight and height, he is growing and developing so quickly that I can hardly blink and he's changed before my eyes!

Asher boy, you are the sweetest babe and I love you so much.

Growth/development: as of last month, Asher weighed 18.5 pounds and was 29.5 inches long. He's bigger than that, now, of course. I would guess maybe 19.5 pounds...? In terms of percentile, he is in the 95th for weight and off the charts for height. Big boy! 

Asher wears some 9 month clothing, but 12 month clothes fit him better, especially with a cloth diaper. He is almost too big for size 3 disposable diapers, and should wear a 4 during the day soon. Crazily, Charlotte  wears size 4 diapers, too!! Two kids in the same size diaper-- my life is so bizarre. 

He mastered sitting for long periods of time this month, and can turn in circles in his belly. He also got a tooth! And started sleeping in a real crib (not a pack N play!!). 

Schedule/ sleep: Naps were good this month! He transitioned to the crib with no problems... didn't even seem to notice a difference. He consistently takes three naps, with the last one being pretty short (maybe 35-50 minutes), except on Sundays when he is so worn out after playing in the nursery at church that he sleeps for a long time and then isn't tired enough to nap again before bedtime. Ha! 

He goes to bed between 6:45 and 7:15 pm. He wakes up at least once at night, usually between 2 and 3 am. Sometimes he wakes up before that, but if I'm feeling feisty, I go in and tell him it's a rest time, and let him cry for a few minutes before he falls back to sleep. Mostly, though, I don't feel feisty at night. I feel too tired to listen to him cry, so I snuggle up in the chair in his room and close my eyes while he nurses and falls back to sleep. Then I stumble drowsily back to bed and instantly fall asleep. :) Charlotte was sleeping 12 hours straight at this age, but he isn't Charlotte. And I'm not the same momma I was two years ago. And that's fine. 

Asher likes: Charlotte. And Momma. And Dad. And strangers who smile at him in passing. And anyone who makes eye contact for a single second. :) People comment on how happy Asher is, and they are right. He is so happy!! And sweet, and snuggly, and vocal! 

Asher also likes eating real food at dinner, and playing with things that aren't toys (water bottles, spatulas, cups, keys, etc.). He puts everything in his mouth. He loves to be outside, and to swing on the swing, and to ride in the stroller. He loves nursing, though I noticed he wasn't that thrilled with it when that first tooth was popping through. 

Asher doesn't like: being alone, watching us leave the room, and drinking from a bottle (BUT!! I may have figured out something related to that issue. For some reason, I decided to taste some milk that I had pumped and stored in the fridge... It was terrible!! After a bit of research, I think my breastmilk has excess lipase activity which causes it to get a really bad taste after being stored, even though it hasn't technically gone bad or spoiled. I'm going to try a couple of things to see if I can deal with that, then try a bottle again. We shall see!).