Harper - 7 Months

These posts are getting harder and harder to keep up with.  Aye.  So, Harper is now 7.5 months!  She has gotten really funny and cute and has soooo much personality.  She has her grumpy days, but most of the time she is just this little jabbering ball of happy.  She has become a champ of an eater.  She'll eat almost anything in finger food form (not so keen on purees), especially if you let her pick it up herself (which she can now do with many things).  She has about a bajillion toys, but still gets tired of all of them.  She is now pretty good at staying up for 2 - 2.5 hours between naps (and longer if needed).  While she still doesn't have a real rigid schedule, it more closely resembles one than it did before.  She at least take the same amount of naps everyday now - 3.  She still wakes up once in the middle of the night, then usually is up for the day sometime from 6 - 7am (though I leave her in her bassinet until sometime after 7am).  She has a little more stranger anxiety, but is still pretty social and fearless.  She loves to go to the park and watch the kids play, loves to be outside and still looooves the water.  Her new favorite trick is blowing razzberries and it is REALLY cute.  Another cute thing is that if we're in a spot (like the hallway or something) where I've made her laugh recently and I glance at her I've noticed she'll already be smiling and have this look on her face like, "here it cooooomes!!!"  Then, of course, I can't help but oblige.  She's still not mobile in aaaaany way, but sits like a champ.  What else?  Oh yeah, and she still HATES tummy time.  I think we're done with it.  I read that it's not needed after they've learned to sit, so yay - no more torture (for both of us)!!!  

On to the pictures:

At the park - our second home.

Rare tummy time smile.

Book Baby at the library.

"Helping" me put away clothes.

Discovering the bookshelf: http://youtu.be/yulanzJBvgs

You may have heard, but we started planting at a community garden (and went to a lot of work to do so) and it was suddenly shut down.  So bitter.  Someone we know graciously offered up their yard though, so we will still have a garden!

Our poor strawberries that were massacred by the evil Wasatch Community Gardens people.

For a while she was doing this funny head shake thing.  She'd always do it when I was swaddling her, but she did it when she was playing too.  So funny.  We'd sometimes ask her questions and she'd do this and it looked like she was saying, "no."  Just one of the ways she sometimes reminds me of my orphanage kids and makes me feel like she's institutionalized:  http://youtu.be/dXTH3ZKsiY0

We got really bored and desperate one day, so I made her this pasta bowl.  Don't worry, I make sure she doesn't eat anything:  http://youtu.be/worYIsdxX1Q

I hope her love of looking at herself in the mirror doesn't go away as she gets older.

On that same day when we were super bored, I sat her in her highchair, stripped her down and let her play with some carrot puree...

Then hosed her down in the shower (which she loved).  Also, here you can see what happens when she sits in the tub by herself: http://youtu.be/V239WUpjXaY

She discovered her toy bin one day and I was super proud of her because she sat there trying to get toys out for like 15 minutes.  Usually she gives up way easier!  http://youtu.be/YHP2vM4F5eY

Baby Mary

Her crazy feet when she wakes up in the morning: http://youtu.be/_aVZ6XohzsI

Blur of happy

Trying to get the phone

Found her shadow: http://youtu.be/58H3EuHtv3Q

You can see the cute head shake at the veeeery beginning: http://youtu.be/jzpZdUuYVlg

Loooooooves to swing.

Swinging and laughing: http://youtu.be/g_sAQNh-DEo

Temple!

Always happy in her towel.

Attempted to have her wear sunglasses:  http://youtu.be/A5SERfKgT84

The zoo!!!  Don't think she noticed a single animal.  When I was trying to take the lion's mouth pic literally everyone within viewing distance (like 20 people) were like, "oh my gosh that's SOOO cute!"

Her fave spot - watching the kids at the park.

At her fave spot: http://youtu.be/GkuLlLRnFnU

Enjoying her mirror image, nakey, at the doctor's office: http://youtu.be/HaLFOj6NrhU

Cute morning feet: http://youtu.be/3EngnMEH73Y

Isn't our mantle lovely?

This:

Reminds me of....

This:

Cute bouncing head: http://youtu.be/8fFzMa3voXs

One of my FAVORITE videos.  I always use this as evidence to show people how loud she usually is: http://youtu.be/SNp4h2HGP_0

Garden helper:

Harper and her dolly

Harper and her dolly (so cute!): http://youtu.be/ytS0ggmMAok

Trying to get the phone: http://youtu.be/L3fAmaQ0I6k

The sound (and later sights) of eating broccoli: http://youtu.be/HT3sxlXAhc4

Being cute in her cute jacket that is cleeeeearly mis-sized at 3-6 mo: http://youtu.be/i-iEv-Lzv68

Wouldn't be happy unless she was sitting next to me on the couch eating my food (like a little, baby bird)

Sometimes hats go down over our face.

Went on a family hike and Harper let us get just high enough for a view.  The end.

Meeting her first Easter basket: http://youtu.be/z6KuqTpRKAs

Enjoying her loot: http://youtu.be/qIsNnChseq8

Easter glamour shots:

My deeeeear friend Alyse came for an unexpected visit and it was THE BEST.  She also took these lovely pics of my girl and I:

The End!