I feel like Claire grew up this month. I know, I know, she’s still my baby. But, she went from a can’t move-middle of the floor- baby, to an almost mobile person.
This month, Claire:
- really started solids – purees
- went on a beach vacation
- went to a playground and went on a swing for the first time!
- went into a grocery store for the first time
- started spinning on her belly and rolling to travel
Now, if you remember from last month, Claire’s “first solid” was black chalk… This month, we introduced her to more traditional foods. Her favorites are sweet potatoes and peanut butter oatmeal. However, she’s not a big fan of any foods, especially the first bite. Doesn’t matter how many times she’s eaten something, she has a look of utter disgust every single time you feed her something. Also, she cannot figure out how to eat from a spoon and not drink it. I have a feeling we’ll be working on this for a while.
Again, I have to mention, we’re still in the COVID-19 global pandemic. In NC, we’re not doing great. Cases are still rising, lots of people are sick, things are still closed. Honestly, I’m still scared. Every single day, I have to make decisions based on risk level for our health and safety. We found out Bennett’s preschool will not be opening this fall – no, I’m not doing okay with this information. I am 100% wanting him back in preschool and 100% wanting him to stay home. That shows how confusing and tough this time is, especially for mothers.
As a mother of young littles, one clearly a baby, I am under immense pressure to keep my children safe and healthy now. At the same time, we are more isolated than ever before. We see a handful of neighbors to play outside, the employee who loads groceries into my trunk at Walmart, and our immediate family. That’s it. On a regular basis. Jimmy and I don’t have dates. There is no preschool. There are not playdates with new friends. No going into a restaurant. No going to the children’s museum. Nothing. We are expected to raise our children 100% on our own with no support and no time off. It is exhausting. It is beyond exhausting when you add in the stress from making decisions nonstop about risk levels and cleaning and washing masks and hands and everything.
I haven’t written much about COVID, mainly because I want these posts to be about Claire, but I need to remember what these months were really like. Yes, I am celebrating every milestone Claire hits and sharing all the cute and funny things she does here, but I need to show what life was like during her first year. I pray the world is never in this challenge again.
Monthly Questionnaire
Age: 7 months
Weight: 20 lbs give or take. My scale broke last month so…
Length: bigger than 27″ but probably less than 28″ – I failed!
Size: 9 months for clothes and 12 months for footie pajamas
Eyes: blue
Hair: brunette
Sleeping: She sleeps from 7 pm to 6:30 am in her crib with a dream feed from Mama at 10 pm. This month she transitioned from the Magic Merlin sleep suit to a sleep sac and did so great!
Eating: she eats 7 four oz bottles a day + one 6 oz bottle. She eats a puree and her favorite baby Mum Mums too
Milestones: she can move to get where she wants through a combo of spinning and rolling
Memorable outings: Beach vacation; first time in a grocery store; first time to a playground
Likes: eating, bubble baths, her brother, her mama, sleeping, swinging
Dislikes: running out of food
Words/sounds: she squawks and says “aaaaahhhhhh”
Nicknames: “Chickaletta,” “Claire Bear,” “Sweet Thing,” “Claireaboo,” “Ginger Snap”
Interesting Facts:
Funny moments: every time she takes the first bite of food, she makes this face:
Looking forward to: first word
