Happy 7 months baby Riyu!

Right about now is the time when your growth and development is really starting to pick up and go so fast! You are everything you were at 6 months and so much more! 

What has not changed: 
You are still enamored with everything your brother does, giggling at all his silly antics in front of you and your eyes following his every move. You still love wobbling around in your little Skip Hop activity center. And you still easily have the best rolly cheeks, thighs, and tummy in the world.

What you’re saying:
Your giggles, squeals, and cooing are going strong, even more loud and frequent now. But there is now a funny new sound that is some combination of “lalala” and “nanana” so that it sounds like “nlanlanla.” Why you chose that instead of a normal and easier “mamama” or “bababa” is a mystery to us. But the tongue movements you do to produce that sound are hilarious and so adorable.

What you’re doing:
The biggest change in the last month is how much more stable and mobile you’ve become. You can now stay sitting upright and play with your toys for long periods of time. And you’ve figured out ways of getting from one side of the room to the other through some complex series of movements, from sitting to lying on your belly, to rolling back and forth between belly and back, to rotating 180 degrees on your belly, to army-crawling backwards. That’s how you end up getting your legs stuck underneath a sofa, in case anyone was wondering.

What you’re eating:
While solids are still not your strong suit, you are getting more used to them little by little. You’ve gotten to taste avocado, cucumber, black beans, pasta, applesauce, Once Upon a Farm pouches, and sweet potato fries. And you’re getting the hang of feeding yourself teething crackers and Yogis. Of course there’s still nothing quite like Mama’s dudu, which remains at your disposal day and night.

Where you’ve been:
You got to travel by plane again, this time to Orlando. This means you’ve been to a total of 3 states already! Thanks to having Dadi and Babaji on the flight there, your Mama and Papa got to hand you off and enjoy some relaxing conversation and yummy beverages. While you’re pretty good in the plane, you still HATE HATE HATE being in the car, especially at night or when the sun shines in your eyes. We can tell you’re growing up to be a city kid, but also a homebody like your Papa.

Whom you’ve chosen:
In a friendly competition between Mama and Papa, Mama is the clear winner here. We often engage in a funny little game to see whose godi you prefer. When you’re in Papa’s arms, you without hesitation throw your whole body towards Mama when you see her coming. But when it’s the other way around? No thanks Papa, I’m staying with Mama. But that’s okay, Papa doesn’t hold it against you because we still get to have lots of fun hanging out together when Mama needs a break.

What’s to come:
We can tell that you don’t want to stop with some of your new skills – you’re going to keep talking and moving and eating your way to 8 months. You’ll be taking yet another plane ride in a week, this time to Nani’s and Nanu’s house.

Most of all, you will continue to stay right in the middle of our little family. You will continue to get hugs and kisses from your brother hard enough to topple you over. You complete us and your tight grip on all our hearts will only grow stronger in your chubby little fingers. We’re so lucky we get to have someone so special to call our own, and we love you to the moon and back, our little baby Riyu!

**Special thanks to Riyu’s papa for writing such a sweet post!