7 Months

Jake Colby,

Mommy can't believe you are seven months old. It seems just like yesterday that we brought you home for the very first time. You are an absolute angel and so much fun! I always wonder if things could get any better than they are right now, but every stage is so different and fun. You continually prove to me how someone so small has made such a huge impact in my life...and daddy's life too!

You are so smart and that makes mommy and daddy so proud. It really is amazing how fast you pick up on things. You are crawling now! It didn't seem like there was any kind of progression...you just went from not crawling to some serious "burning rubber" type of crawling! Here's a little clip, and this is just "casual crawling" speed! :)

You can put yourself into sitting position. But even when you do, you don't stay there long because you want to GO! :) And however you can figure out to "go" then that's what you do! It's so fun to watch you figure things out! Here you are with your car that Grandma and Papa McCloskey got you.

You have decided the past couple of weeks that you do NOT like your highchair! When you even see us getting it out or start to put you in it, you start kicking your feet and fussing. But usually you're just fine...or at least as long as mommy makes sure you have a snack IMMEDIATELY! On the day we took these pictures you had spilled a jar of baby food and there was no way I could keep you out of it, so you got to play with your food! You were a mess but you had so much fun doing it! And needless to say, we went straight from the highchair to the bathtub!

You were so proud of yourself!!!

You can feed yourself small things like cheerios, peas and chopped peaches. And most of the time these days if mommy or daddy tries to give it to you, you grab it from us to do it yourself. You're getting to be such a big boy! You have even started grabbing the spoon and pulling it to your mouth when we feed you.

You are already pulling up onto things like crazy. And it is so obvious that what you want to do is walk! Mommy and daddy feel like that could be happening anytime over the next couple of months. You've gotten the concept of putting one foot in front of the other...so as soon as you learn how to maintain your balance I think you'll have it!

You still love your bath time. You would probably sit in there for hours if mommy would let you! :) You love to splash and play with all your toys! Recently, since you've started pulling up, you like to stand in the tub! (Like the picture above!)

Even though you've pretty much always slept good for mommy and daddy, you still slept in bed with us. (Partly because mommy wasn't ready for you to be anywhere else!) But over the past few weeks you have been sleeping all night long in your crib in your room. I think you sleep better in there. But mommy and daddy still get you when you wake up in the morning and bring you to bed with them! (And you LOVE your long skinny giraffe...you hold onto him just as tight as you can when you're asleep...it's so precious!)

You and daddy love taking naps together when you get a chance. It's so special to daddy.

You love being tickled and having your tummy "got." You just laugh and laugh...it's the best sound in the world. You also love to laugh at our puppy dogs. Sometimes they don't even have to do anything, but they are hilarious to you! This was in the middle of you laughing at Katie...you can't see her in the picture, but all she was doing was sitting there. :)

You are also getting more and more fond of your cartoons! They are usually on when mommy has to get something done and you will just sit and play with your toys and watch. You are so good! I'll hear you in the living room watching, and you will just be "talking" to the t.v. and laughing! You love it!

Jake you will probably never realize how much your mommy and daddy love you. I can't even describe to you how it feels to love so deeply. You are growing and learning so fast and there are times mommy just wants to hold onto you really tight and keep you right here where you are.

When I was pregnant someone told me that they hoped I would have a baby someday with problems because they felt like Colby and I needed to struggle. I can remember feeling absolutely TERRIFIED. All I ever wanted in this life was a happy, healthy family. I would lie in bed, (after I was preggers), awake for hours just waiting to feel him move. And when he didn't for a while my heart would just pound out of my chest. I prayed CONSTANTLY that God would send us a happy, healthy baby. I knew that if God had another plan in mind for us that we could and would handle it, but I would at least know that it was HIS will. But I just hoped and prayed that God would hear my prayers...but it was so hard knowing that there was someone else out there praying for the opposite to happen. In the end, we got our happy, healthy baby boy. And not just kinda happy and kinda healthy...from day one he has been so smiley and friendly and there has never been a thing wrong with him health wise. And we are so thankful. I say all this because I know what it feels like to be a mommy to be and now a mommy and the worries you have for your unborn child/child even without added stress. But God DOES have a plan and He DOES know the desires of our hearts. And for me, it's comforting to know that He does...I'm so glad it's up to Him and not anyone else.

Jake, I pray that God will continue to bless you and watch over you and keep you safe. You are our precious angel God blessed us with and there is nothing more in this life we could ever want. And if it's possible, I love you more and more every day.