Michael + Kristen + Kellan + Alden: Kellan is 7 Months Old!

Kellan turned 7 months on Sunday, May 20 and luckily there is no doctor's checkup this month! That means no shots! Unfortunately that means Michael and I have to weigh him and measure him to get his monthly stats the best that we can so I'm not sure how acurate they are but here is what we got:

Height: 28 1/2 inches long

Weight: 20 pounds

Head Circumference: 18 inches

A few more statistics for this month:

Sleeping: Kellan's bed time is still 8:30-9 pm. He typically will wake once between 4:00-5, nurse, and then sleeps until 7:30 am when he's up for the day. He is going through a spell now where he is waking up an extra time or two. I usually turn him back over onto his back, give him back his pacifier (he really doesn't care very much about his pacifier but it does help him get to sleep) and tuck his blanket around him. If that doesn't work I rock him for a few minutes and he goes right back to sleep. We're not sure if its teething or just him trying to get comfortable and moving all over his crib that's waking him up. I am still sticking to the feed-wake-sleep schedule and he usually needs a nap after being awake for 2 hours in the morning and 2 1/2 to 3 hours in the afternoon. Any longer than that and he starts to get cranky. He doesn't usually need a nap in the late afternoon/early evening as long as he has taken good naps earlier in the day.

Eating: I'm still making all of Kellan's food and I have to say I really enjoy it. He is a great eater and has even started eating mango which he did not like before. He still eats twice a day (morning and early evening). In addition to the foods he's already had, now he's also tried canteloupe, parsnips, and homemade chicken soup.

Drinking: Kellan is exclusively breastfed and nurses every 3-3 1/2 hours. He actually drank from a sippy cup for the first time this month! Well he's had a sippy cup before but this was the first time that he drank from it and didn't spit the water back out!

Clothes: Kellan can still wear a few 6 month clothes but is mostly in 6-9 months and 9 months. We even have an outfit or two that is size 12 months that he can wear. He is in size 3 diapers.

Milestones: 1. He can sit unsupported for even longer lengths of time. Now when he does fall over he doesn't usually get upset.

2. Kellan is still babbling and squealing but he's not screaming like he used to, instead he has started growling. He has added some new sounds to his vocabulary...ba, blah, and its official...he says da-da-da ALL THE TIME!

3. Kellan has outgrown his indoor swing. Actually he can still fit in it, he just grabs the bird mobile and it makes this awful clacking noise! I'm afraid he's either going to break it or pull himself out of it so inside swing time is no more!

4. We have added pack-n-play time to our schedule. One reason is because this is where he sleeps when we visit my parents and we want him to be familiar and comfortable with it. Another reason is to work on playing independently and focusing on one or two toys at at time (I switch the toys out everyday). It really has been teaching him to play with the toys that he usually ignores.

Have I mentioned that his hair has gotten out of control?!

6. He is still crazy over the television and stares at any one he can find. He also finds digital camera, iPad, cell phone, and digital picture frame screens equally as fascinating. He was in awe at Best Buy this week!

7. Everything he can get his hands on immediately goes to his mouth and he still loves a good tag! His latest favorite toys are the ones that light up and sing like his glow worm, a bumble bee that talks to him and plays music, his bunny that sings Jesus Loves Me (I don't know what he likes more, the song or chewing on his ears), but his favorite toy that he is absolutely crazy about right now is..his BRUSH! It has a short, fat handle with raised big rubber bumps that he loves to chew on. I'm guessing the soft bristles feel good on his gums because he chews on that side too. Brushing his hair is now an adventure because he cries until we give his brush back!

9. Kellan still isn't crawling yet but he is getting more and more mobile. In a span of a few minutes he will move from one side of his blanket to the other, off the blanket and back on again. When I leave the room I half expect him to be creeping along behind me.

10. He can finally touch the floor in his walker but hasn't learned to manuever it quite yet. He can make himself go backwards but he looks like he's not quite sure what's happening.

11. We used to feed Kellan in his bouncer seat because it slightly reclines. He couldn't sit up long enough or well enough to feed him in his high chair. Now we have officially moved into the high chair. He does such a good job keeping his hands out of the way when we feed him and really doesn't make that big of a mess.

12. I'm working on teaching Kellan basic signs. When we're feeding him we've started teaching him the sign for "please." I'll have to update you next month on his progress.

Here are a few pictures from our 7 month photo shoot...