Ellie is Seven Months

On December 21, Ellie turned seven months old.  She is the first one that I try and take an actual photo at each month because unlike with the other two, I do not have a camera out all the time!  I meant to with her monkey, but it doesn't always happened.  It just so happened on this month-day, she was sitting in her jumpy (doesn't she look like a peanut in it?) and watching the "kids" (and by that I mean Adam, Abbey AND Todd), who were playing with their light sabers and she was so fascinated.  They gave her one and she was in awe!  I ran for the camera, of course...

She took it very seriously as Daddy showed her the ropes and just grinned once she was holding it.  She is very physically able and developmentally on target or ahead.  She CRAWLED at six and a half months...fortunately, I got it on my iphone video :).  Earliest crawler.  She also rolled over very quickly.  It's sometimes easy to forget she's growing up because she's tiny.  Third percentile... the doctor had me bring her back at seven months to check her growth as she is so small.  12 pounds and three ounces and 25 and a half inches.  Small, but steady.  The doctor decided not to focus on her numbers and look at how healthy and happy she is.  I did, too.

She doesn't like to nurse a lot during the day...just short little sessions.  She is losing patience with it.  I've spent over a month getting her to drink anything from the bottle....our goal is four ounces a day but it takes half a day to get her to drink about three.  The fact is, we produced a kid who'd rather do other things than eat somehow!  She has two long nursing sessions in the morning and before bed.  And Ellie LOVES eating baby food for lunch and dinner.  I put rice cereal and formula in it to help fatten her up. Her favorites are applesauce, bananas, carrots and prunes.  She does NOT like peaches and peas.  I've never had a baby with such an adverse reaction to food as she had to peaches.  I tried it two days in a row and she was ticked.

Her hair is definitely Butler brown, though I have no idea if it will curl. It seems mostly straight, but will get curly or stick up when she's hot.  Her eyes still seem to be much like Abbey's....a hazel of some type.

She loathes being on her back.  Ellie's a pretty agreeable kid, but she will cry and scream through a bath.  When she can sit up on her own, I know she will like it.  It makes changing her diaper and clothes hard, too because she doesn't want to be on her back!  I'm pretty sure that's why she rolled over so quickly...to sleep on her belly.

I love this picture.  So cute.  Last week, she started dancing to Jingle Bell Rock/Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree which the other kids love to play in the kitchen ALL the time.  It's so cute.  She was smiling so hard because she saw me smile.  She does it sometimes just to get a reaction out of me.  Smart kid.

People always try and get her to smile and she makes them work for it.  But when she breaks out into a grin, it makes everyone feel better.  But she will always grin for her brother, sister and father.  She is getting attached to me, which is normal at this age.  But there are plenty of times she wants to be down on the floor or go to bed when she's done with eating or being held.  I produced yet another independent child...

When she smiles, sometimes she tucks her lower lip, which Abbey did, too.  It's so cute.  Her nose is the cutest...everyone comments on it.  Did I mention how much she loves Bailey?  If Bailey jumps up next to us or is anywhere in sight, Ellie will not eat and demands to sit up and try and pet her.

She may have inherited this dirty look from me.  I think she resembles me more than the other two.

See the difference before and after smile?  And she gets the Todd Butler twinkle.  Making her laugh isn't always easy.  But if you pretend to eat her neck, she CRACKS UP.  I always worry she is getting enough time, but then I tell myself she'll have all sorts of time when the other two are in school and also when she's a teen and they go off to college :)  I remember starting the New Year last year scared of what a third kid would bring.  Now I can't imagine our life without her smile and patience, her independence and charm.  And her pathetic cry.  Never heard a baby cry so hard to hear.  It works!  We all jump for her :)  When she takes a power nap, I find myself missing her and just wanted a quick cuddle.