7 things at 7 months

As we can all probably see by now, I'm not doing so hot at keeping up this little blog these days. And I'm not sorry about it. I've been spending lots of time playing and snuggling with my baby girl, and when I'm not doing that, I'm either working (usually), or spending time with that handsome husband of mine (not enough)!

So... to switch things up a bit for this month's Marleigh update, I decided to make it a bit more concise (and less of me rambling on and on) with 7 things at 7 months. Without further ado, here are those things, in no particular order.

1. Marleigh has decided that normal crawling is for the birds, and she has since moved on to speed crawling and climbing (legs, suitcases, etc.) over and onto almost everything in sight. She stands up on anything that is raised off the ground, and has had quite a few topples and crashes to show for this newly acquired skill. She is determined, to say the least, and we are constantly kept busy chasing after her crazy little self!

2. We survived our first long (14 hour +) road trip during the week of Easter on our trip to Myrtle Beach! Marleigh was the best little passenger, never crying once (unless for the usual reasons: hungry or wet/dirty diapers) and she took nice long naps in her comfy car seat on the way there and back. She even slept like a champ (sorta)  in the hotels we stayed at along the way (we split up the drive into two 7-hour chunks each way). Needless to say, she exceeded all expectations we had for the trip!

3. She is growing like a weed! We've officially entered the 6/6-9 month clothing stage for everything but onesies (still rockin' the 3 months) and she is still so tall and skinny! At her last doctor's appointment (more on this in #4), she weighed a whopping 16.1 pounds :)

4. We suffered through her first ear infection a couple weeks ago, a double ear infection, actually... and to make matters worse, she had a terrible head cold on top of it! Our poor girl was pretty fussy for a couple of days, and definitely not her smiley, goofy self. It was sad, to say the least, and we got a few sleepless nights out of the ordeal, which wasn't fun for any of us in the Gill household! Luckily, after 7 days of antibiotics twice a day, she seems to be on the mend and she sprung back to normal pretty quick!

5. Still no teeth, but lots of chewing-on-everything-in-sight these days. Hyland's Teething Tablets and baby Tylenol have saved our lives a few times already. We can see her "tooth buds" (such a weird term) through her gums, but those little suckers are being stubborn and don't seem to want to make their way through just yet. I'm taking advantage of those big gummy smiles while they're still here!

6. Marleigh has lots of new tricks these days! Her favorite "words" to say are dada, blablah, and di-did. My dad (her Papa) taught her how to wave hi and bye, and she now knows how to put a toy phone up to her ear! She also walks behind her walker-toy, and loves to play with her tongue in her mouth (daddy taught her that one), in addition to blowing raspberries and clicking her tongue!

7. Last but not least, she is becoming a little bit clingy/attached, which I not-so-secretly love. She's starting to get that baby "shyness," burying her head into my shoulder all flirt-like when someone is talking to her! She had a little phase where she was afraid of men (had a major meltdown in a hotel elevator on the way home from vacation when a man was talking to her), and was even afraid of Luke's dad (grandpa) and our brother in law, Brian for a few days! I felt so guilty about it! She seems to be over it now, for the most part, and I'm hoping that it won't continue going forward!

I could go on and on about my sweet girl all day, but I know that's just the proud mom in me talking ;) so I'll stop there! Time is going so fast, and before we know it, we'll be planning Marleigh's 1st birthday (cue the waterworks just thinking about that)! For now, I'm enjoying 7-month young Marleigh, trying not to miss anything, because these days will be gone before I know it!

Marleigh Jo, 

Your daddy and I are so, so proud of you and the goofy, silly, sweet little girl you are becoming! Your smile lights up a room, and everyone who knows you loves you so very much. You have your daddy's determined spirit (and temper), and mommy's snuggly side (and stubbornness)! I am still so amazed that we made you, and that God has blessed us with you. You are the best baby, with the best personality, and I am incredibly grateful for you each and every day. Happy 7 months, little one! This has been my favorite month yet, and I can't wait to watch you learn and grow in the months and years to come. I love you with all my heart and soul!