Another Growth Spurt!

 (froggie pictures are from beg of January)

This past week, Tanner has gone through a major growth spurt. And why shouldn't he? After all, he turned SEVEN months yesterday! His appetite has increased- eating 5-6 ounces at each feeding instead of his usual 4 ounces. He's also been eating wheat or oatmeal cereal at lunch with his babysitter and then a veggie like avocado, green beans & carrots, or peas in the evening with me. I make the baby food fresh for him and he loves it. We also let him try a lot of what we eat from our own plates (thanks to the ideas that Chelsea has shared with us!). He has tried mashed potatoes, stuffing, cereal, string cheese, baby cracker things, and the yogurt melts. (I personally love the yogurt melts!) Now he opens his mouth really good when we feed him and he is getting more and more coordinated at putting things in his mouth on his own. It's really fun to watch him try putting smaller pieces of food in his mouth cuz it gets lots inside those chubby fingers!

 (these pictures are the 2nd week of January... we don't take down xmas stuff until Valentine's Day) 

Speaking of chubby, he's gaining lots of it! The rolls in his wrist and arms are more prominent and his hands look so thick now! His baby boobs are also bigger. And he is getting stronger every day. Last Saturday Tanner finally figured out how to roll from his back to his tummy. By Monday, he was rolling all over the family room floor.

Now that he can get around, he is finding anything and everything to grab and explore. It's so funny how even while we're holding him and walking around the kitchen or the bathroom, he somehow manages to grab random things that I didn't even realize were there! As adults, we get so used to the mundane objects around the house, that we stop paying attention to them all together. But Tanner notices everything. In our bedroom, it's the decorative handle on the hope chest. In the bathroom, it's the shower curtain and the holder to the toilet paper roll. In the grocery store, it's the stray bag of chips leaning slightly off the shelf. He grabs it all.

 (look at that belly! This was taken this week)

Tanner is even stretching outside his comfort zone during bath time. The rubber duckies and deep end of the baby tub are too boring for him now. He leans over the side of the baby tub and rubs his hands along the edge of the real tub. He's also getting better with his bath toys. Just a few baths ago, he had to slowly follow rubber duckie with his eyes and fingers. Then he would carefully scoop up ducky, and it was a game of probability if it actually stayed in his hand. Now, he has become a pro with attacking his rubber duckies. He lunges his hands forward and clamps his fingers over the ducks, and then slams them up into his mouth. Yum!!

(Also taken this week. Notice the rolls on his wrist?)

Tanner also said "bah" for the first time on Thursday. We've been waiting for months to hear a consonant other than "g". It's so funny how he sounds more intelligent now that he can say "b". He has finally gotten bored of making strained screeches, and is now laughing and squealing more. He loves buzzing his tongue, making spit go all over the place when he is excited. Tanner also puts his whole fist, sometimes both fists, in his mouth while cooing. He must love to feel his own vibrations while he talks.

 We are enjoying our Tan Man so much! One of my favorite times is our mornings together. I nurse him in bed and then we cuddle and talk before getting ready for the day. It's the best!

 What a stinkin' cutie patootie!!!