7 Months Old!

Our little Missy turned a sweet seven months somewhere between Albuquerque, New Mexico and Amarillo, Texas, during our big move from California to the midwest. 

This month was a whirlwind, Charlie Ann.  Looking back, I have no idea how we managed to carry on sleep training (aka, keeping you on a schedule) start solid foods, host two parties, host extended family for two weeks, celebrate Jarod's graduation, say goodbyes to friends, pack up our entire apartment, move across seven states AND keep our sanity through it all! 


I would just like to give you, Little One, a round of applause.  You were a champ through all the transitions (especially the eight consecutive nights of sleeping in different cribs and places).  You truly are a flexible Sickler, Charlie Ann!!


Recapping the last month..  you are interested in EVERYTHING in the big, wide world around you.  In fact, you are as interested in your toys as you are with coffee beans in a bag. 

We are still very big fans of the Bumbo, as you are sitting up, but need a bit of an extra prop up still.  We use it ALL THE TIME... 

during play time...

during bath time...

during pool time...

and

for outdoor lunches.

Which brings us to solid foods...  

This month you are eating, bananas, brown rice cereal, avocados, pears and your absolute favorite, sweet potatoes.  We have some cute videos of your first tastes of bananas and sweet potatoes.  You are an eager eater.  I am so thankful.  We quickly jumped into solid lunches and solid dinners.  

Right now, your food schedule is like this: 

4am-nurse

7am-nurse

9am-nurse

11am-solids

1pm-nurse

3pm-solids

5pm-nurse

6pm-bottle

Basically, its nurse when you go to bed and solids when you wake up.  You are eating and eating and eating these solids.  Its so great.  Although, the output (aka poop) is not so great.  Pew, stinky!  I am now considering using one of those handy diaper genies...

 Well, it finally happened, Charlie Ann!  Dad finished his Master's degree!  Here we are celebrating after the ceremony.

Shortly after Dad's graduation, you got sick.  You had to sleep with your mouth open in order to breathe, you always sleep with your paci otherwise.

It was another sneezing, runny nose, low grade fever, coughing colds.  Enough to keep you up at night, if you werent being held.  So Dad and I alternated every four hours through out the night of holding you upright and rocking.  Then, to put a little icing on the cake.. Mom and Dad got sick too.  So EVERYONE at 851 Citrus Drive was out of sorts and a bit crabby.  

While sick, packing was still in order.  You helped Mom pack by playing with toys and clean clothes in the laundry basket.  You staying in there for almost two hours, busy as a bee, while I packed ALL your things.  Thank you!

This is about thirty minutes before our walk through with our apt manager.  You are sitting really well by yourself, Little Girl!  Good job.   You also stayed with a dear friend ALL DAY while we packed up every last bit and loaded the truck.  What a blessing it was to have you taken care while we tied up all the loose ends.  

And off we go!

You did SO SO SO well during our four day journey across the United States.  You played and slept and even ate in your carseat like a champ.  No one would have had a clue how much you hated this seat about five short months ago.  You are growing up :)

Grandpa flew into LA to help us drive the long drive.  Grandpa, me and you had a fun time in the Pilot, while Dad managed the moving truck.  You were such a trooper during all those hours in the car.

About one week prior to the move, I started supplementing nursing with formula.  When it's time, it's time.  And we definitely knew it was TIME.  :)  You are a rather impatient little girl when it comes to meal time.  So the bottle worked best.  And now, with premixed up formula, we just screwed on the top and bam!  Perfect for a road trip :)  And it was nice for you to get to eat with Grandpa.

 This is the day you turned seven months.  Mom and you celebrated the occasion by taking your first swim at the Holiday Inn Express in Amarillo, Texas.  It was a bit cold, but you had a VERY fun time.

We love you little Missy, and look forward to many new things ahead :)

This is it, folks.

We load the truck at 9:30am tomorrow morning.  Cant believe our California chapter closes in less than 24 hours, so bittersweet.  

---------

Also, one of the "sweet" parts of the bittersweet included our good friends, Patrick and Anne and Baby Hudson bringing us dinner tonite.  We sat by the pool and a fun last visit.  

The guys and the babies.