Let The Journey Begin...: I am 30 and I have a 7 month old. How did that happen?

Bryce Davis is 7 months. I know 7 months is not a year...but wow it feels like we are really close to a year old because we have passed the half way mark. I can't believe we have a 7 month old. There are still times when I look around the house at my husband, my dog and my little baby and can't believe that I am an adult. I swear I still feel like I just got my license and now I am taking the commuter train every day to work with the rest of the adults. Its like one day I woke up and was 30 (oobviously, "thirty, flirty and fun", to quote my favorite Jennifer Garner movie), but still 30 nonetheless.

Its going by way too fast. I look at Bryce now and see a little boy instead of a baby. He has such a personality. He knows when you leave and gets excited when you come back. He has favorite things, toys, foods, shows etc. He eats real food. Yesterday, he had macaroni and cheese with us at Whole Foods. How is my little guy old enough to eat macaroni and cheese? He can't even walk yet. It consistently hits me how fast he is growing up and how much he changes from day to day. Before I know it, I will be watching him play sports and drive a car haha.

Here's what has been going on this month...

-While he isn't driving quite yet, he is certainly on the move and keeping very busy. He is crawling, standing, taking steps while holding on to the couch, and getting into everything he isn't supposed to. We took a first pass at baby proofing, though we really have a lot more we should do. Specifically, buy and put up some baby gates.

-More teething, even though they haven't broken through yet. Bryce seems to have a stretch of days here and there where they really bother him. Sometimes it seems to keep him up at night. He also loves standing up and unfortunately loves to practice it in the middle of the night in his crib, which wakes him up. He also seems to have little stretches of separation anxiety at night once in a while. Which apparently is completely normal, though gets tough on us when it takes so long to get him back to sleep. I suppose this is payback for when he would sleep 10 hours at night as an infant.

-He loves to eat everything. He can keep himself busy in the high chair with a sippy cup of water and puffs, or little bites of whatever we are having for dinner. This stage is so nice because we actually get to sit down and have dinner as a family. We have been using this to take advantage of the new deck and beautiful weather alot, and it has also enabled us to go out to dinner with Bryce too. (As long its not too close to his bedtime...when he is tired). We are like the old people taking advantage of the early bird specials!

-Bryce loves playing with toys now, and actually knows how to use them. I know, a baby who plays with toys, who would have thought? ha.... but its just such a change from when all he did was lay there and look at stuff. He is so much more interactive now. Part of me loves it because he has so much fun, but I would be lying if I said I didn't miss the days when he would just sleep in my arms for hours. He loves his fire truck and alligator that pops balls. He can work the toy remote (and the real one too, unfortunately) and all the other little gadgets he has. It is so fun to watch the puzzled look on his face when he is trying to figure out how something works. We are in the process of cleaning out the basement and hopefully having a yard sale so that we can finish the basement and have a playroom for Bryce. Its a long list of things to do to get there, but the hope is to have it all done by next summer.

Here are some pics from Bryce's fun filled first summer including weekends in York, great pool time and lots of time being outside. Can't wait for your first autumn filled with apple picking, pumpkin picking, corn mazing, pie baking, Big E'ing, Halloween decorating, trick or treating and so much more. Mommy's favorite season is right around the corner.