CROSBY | 7 Months

Yesterday, my Crosby Loren turned seven months old and is officially no longer a newborn. I'm so glad to be out of that sleepless, laborious newborn stage, but I think I'm just now realizing how quickly this sweet boy's first year is flying by! It's so odd because I feel like it's already hard for me to imagine Charlie as a baby. My mind just envisions him as always being the precocious, hilarious, joyful two-year old that he is. I can't ever picture Crosby not being a baby, but I know that before I know it, I'll start to forget his infant months, too. Ah! Babies don't keep, guys.

STAY-AT-HOME MOTHERHOOD

As I mentioned here, we got hit hard with some crazy financial burdens. It's really thrown us for a loop and I'd be lying if I said I felt in control of the situation. But the thing is, if I was working, these things would still be an issue and I'd never see my kids. I just have to trust that things will work themselves out. Chuck is working a second job two-ish evenings per week, and I'm side hustling as much as I can. If we end up throwing in the towel and saying we can't do this anymore, it won't be for lack of effort.

BREASTFEEDING

I will be going back to my old job suuuuper part-time this week, so Crosby will have to remember how to take a bottle. We gave him a little test run a few nights ago when I had an evening meeting and Chuck said he took it like a champ. Hooray! One less thing for Mommy to be anxious about.

BABY FAT

I finally got down to my goal weight of 120 lbs. I'm honestly not someone who attributes much importance to the numbers on the scale, but I know at my healthiest, I've usually hovered around 120, so that's why I went with that number. The day after I hit my goal, I caught Charlie's stomach flu, spent the day throwing up and not eating and lost even more weight. Being the thinnest I've been in a long time feels good, but I want it to be because I'm practicing healthy life habits, and not because I couldn't keep my toast down. Now, I just want to work toward my other two wellness goals: improving my flexibility and increasing my running mileage.

As for Crosby...

LIFE

Crosby is just the cuddliest, sweetest little bundle of love. Six months always seems to be the age when motherhood stops feeling so much like work and starts feeling a little more fun. I know that sounds horrible to say, but being a Mom the second time around has made me realize how not-fun the newborn stage is and how suuuper fun the toddler stage is! I appreciate every stage of my babies' lives, but six months feels like the age when their personality starts to be revealed and it is so stinking wonderful.

Crosby loves to eat and wants to put all the things in his mouth. He also loves watching the TV, Mommy's phone and the computer (which Mommy does not love, so I'm being much more intentional about putting the screens away when he's awake). He is infatuated with his big brother, loves being tickled, and his smile can seriously light up a room. 

MILESTONES

Baby-led weaning has been so wonderful for our family!!! If you're at all curious, I would definitely recommend the book, Baby-Lead Weaning. I'm a little over halfway through right now and it all just makes so much sense to me. Crosby has devoured everything we've given him to try- bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, cucumber, apples, broccoli, toast, cheese, and even some lasagna!

This month he also figured out how to sit up! He hasn't started crawling yet, but man can this kid roll. It's always a surprise which direction he'll be facing when we get him out of his crib in the morning. The other night, I had to go in and help him get unstuck when his legs somehow ended up between the bars of his crib. I remember the same thing happening to Charlie at this age which is what motivated me to get one of those mesh crib liners!

STATS

Crosby won't have another appointment until his 9-month appointment in June. However, our bathroom scale says he's weighing in around 16 lbs 10 oz. We have one more pack of size 2 diapers to finish and then we'll move up to Size 3. He's seemingly blown past the 6-9 mos clothing stage and is already in his brother's 9-mos hand-me-downs!

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Crosby Loren, your Daddy and I like to joke that Charlie is my child and you are your Daddy's. It seems truer each day. You love to cuddle like your Daddy, you love to eat like your Daddy, and you are just filled to the brim with love, joy, and laughter like your Daddy. I hope you continue to model your father's beautiful example and become more and more of a little gentleman each day. I am so thankful for you, our missing puzzle piece. Thank you for being born. I can't imagine our lives without you.