Seven Months

You’re seven months old today. I’d heard the first three months, or the first six, might be the hardest, but as I’ve mentioned before you’ve been remarkably easy so far. This last month, your seventh, has been the hardest by far. You’ve been crankier than ever. The reason: Apparently you don’t like the feeling of sharp shards of bone thrusting their way through your tender flesh. Go figure. You now have three fully erupted teeth, and there’s more on the way. And now for the first time I am experiencing the weariness and sleep deprivation that so many people warned me about.

You still don’t sit up on your own. You’re not crawling yet either. Personally I think you’re just being a little lazy. I think you’re strong enough — you can do a full-body push-up — but you’re just not sufficiently motivated. Of course I’m more interested in your cognitive development. Your eyes will now lock on something that interests you, and then you’ll reach out and grab it.

You seem to be taking an interest in the books we read you. The Little Bee finger puppet book is one of your favorites.

Most of your nutrition still comes from your mother’s milk, but you’ve been on solid food for a month now. You seem to like applesauce, pears and carrots. Bananas and sweet potatoes — not so much. The folks at the daycare said you enjoyed your bananas Friday, but you sure didn’t seem to want them from me. I find the very notion that you might have likes and dislikes odd. I thought taste was a learned behavior.

Also in your seventh month of life, you experienced your first evacuation. I hope we don’t have to do that again any time soon. I hope we don’t have to do it ever again, but I suppose it’s inevitable. With any luck, by that time you will master the phrase, “Are we there yet?”