Seven Months.

Dear Brooke,

Our gorgeous girl, we've made it to seven months! Time just zooms on by us - you've gone from a baby to a little lady in the blink of an eye. You've gone from stationary to very mobile this month, which means you've also become so much more independent. You are always on the move, rarely sitting still for 2 seconds. You even got your first bruise this month, a reminder that we have to keep a very close eye on your every move. You eat 3 meals a day now, in between nursing, and you love to eat! You've been introduced to some table foods, and while you can't feed yourself little bites, you love to hold onto and chew on big pieces (like biter biscuits, celery, bread, and apples.) Your little world has changed so much in just one month; here's what you are enjoying (and not) this month:

Favorites

Nectarines - This has quickly become one of your favorite fruits! Mommy dices it up for you into little chunks. You quickly learned how to chew it up with your gums and those 2 teeth. You start to get angry is we don't feed it to you fast enough.

Water - You love anything relating to water: bathtime, bottled water, the pool, etc. You love to splash around in the water. You are no longer afraid when Mommy puts you in the pool. And you adore getting in your little blue bathtub. Water bottles are such a fun toy for you; you love to play with them and drink from them!

Your Ball Popper - Oh what fun you have with this toy! Your Aunt Nicole gave this to you for your 1/2 birthday and it so much fun. The balls go flying in the air (and often all around the room - it's a very poorly designed toy, which drives your engineer Daddy crazy!) and this delights you to no end! As soon as we turn it on and the music starts, you start panting, grinning from ear to ear, and waving your arms and legs all around. You also love to pull it down so the air that pushes the balls out blows in your face.

Windows - Anytime Daddy needs to calm you down, he takes you to a window and the 2 of you gaze outside. You have been doing this since you were a brand new baby, so it's no wonder you like windows so much. Your favorite spot in the family room is right by the sliding glass door, where you can watch the birds and pound on the glass. Your tiny little fingerprints are all over the bottom foot of the door :)

Banging stuff together - Apparently being able to bang two things together is an advanced skill for a 7-month-old, but you have mastered it. Balls, celery sticks, toys, Mommy's hands - you love to make noise with whatever you're holding.

Not-so-Favorites

Dogs - It was only a matter of time before you had your first encounter with an animal and it did not go well. Actually, that's an understatement. It was a big fat failure. You were pretty terrified of the medium-sized dog at our neighbor's house that we met this month. You started freaking out in your stroller. Then, you clung on for dear life when Mommy held you, constantly looking around the room looking for the dog. This does not surprise us one bit for one main reason: we are never around animals, as none of our family or close friends have any pets. Daddy's allergic and it's very likely you will be, too, so you won't get much exposure to them in the future either. Mommy was terrified of dogs when she was little - like Mother like Daughter!

Men - Other than Daddy, very few men are met with smiles from you anymore. We're not sure what it is about men vs. women that you are afraid of; perhaps women just have a softer, more maternal nature to them. This is a common phase for little kids that we're sure you'll grow out of soon. We sure do hope so, as you have many, many uncles that love you!

Oddly Textured Food - Avocado is not your thing. Lumpy sweet potatoes did not go over well. So far, any food that has a strange texture to it has been greatly disliked by you. Mommy totally understands, as she also has a problem with weird textures. No guacamole for the Reeder girls!

Anyone other than Mommy - Separation anxiety has reared its ugly head in our house. You are very aware of where Mommy is at all times. When Mommy leaves the room, you get very sad and start to crawl in her direction, getting even more frustrated that you can't get to her fast enough. When we're in public, it's not uncommon for you to flip out if you don't know where she is. This is yet another common phase to be going through (starting now and possibly lasting until 18 months...yikes!), so we're just going to ride it out!

We can't even begin to describe how much fun you are at this age. Your giggle is quite possibly the sweetest sound we've ever heard. You are such an incredibly bright, goofy little girl. Each day with you is a true blessing and we're so thankful to have you in our lives. Lots of love, Big Lady!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

p.s. Our monthly photo shoots are getting more and more difficult as you get more mobile. Although we did end up with a pretty cute 7 Month shot, you made it quite the challenge to get. Here's the proof :)