7 MONTHS OLD

September 19, 2014

It has been another big month at our house!!

Mommy's Sweetheart!! 

• Garrick is now able to crawl! He woke up with conviction one day and started army crawling towards a pen of all things. He has been unstoppable since. And, yes, he is mostly motivated to move towards things that are at least semi dangerous for babies. Pens, plastic sacks, hair spray, inside a cabinet, lamp cords, outlets, dog toys, up stairs, it's all so interesting. (disclaimer: all things posing even a minor threat to baby have been baby-proofed or moved out of reach months ago. however, with supervision, he is allowed some sensory exploration of various household objects. He seems enthralled by anything he hasn't seen before.)  He also crawls fast when Remmie or Roscoe is around, and he will reach for their faces or tails. Remmie loves this game!! Roscoe, on the other hand, will retreat under the coffee table, and Garrick follows. Garrick is trying hard to crawl "properly" on hands and knees, but more usually, he is doing a sort of army-crawl-pull maneuver. 

• Garrick can now pull himself into a seated position. He utilizes this skill during the day to play with his toys and to observe various parts of the living room. However, he first began practicing this at night time and I would find him crying in his crib in a seated position. 
• Garrick reaches for people when he wants to be picked up. He also reaches for his mom or grandma when he is being held by others. He is quite the ladies man! He is starting to practice waving "bye-bye" and shaking his head no. He has managed to mimic his adults a few times when prompted. He also turns into a giggle monster when you tickle him, especially on the back of the neck, armpits, and knees. 
• Garrick FLIRTS. He has developed a big personality and he seems to know it. He will act shy when Mom or Dad comes into his room when he wakes up from a  nap and bury his head in the covers and then sit up and smile. He will also try to hide his face when women approach him in the grocery store and then give a huge toothy grin. If the cashier isn't paying attention to him, Garrick will stare them down until they look at him and smile! Needless to say, this doesn't happen often. It is hard to take this kid anywhere-strangers come up to him wherever we are and some even tickle his toes (which is kind of weird to me) but Garrick seems to love it!
• Garrick can make a "razzing" sound and there was one week where he did it constantly, even between cries. He has kind of slowed down on the razzing since then, he's probably on to bigger and better things. Occasionally when Garrick eats purees or oatmeal he says "mmmmm" between spoonfuls. He can say "ma-ma-ma," "da-da-da," "ga-ga-ga" and a noise that sounds like "hey!" When he gets stressed he tends to say "ma-maaaa"
• Garrick got his first "hair cut" this month. Most of his newborn hair fell out, but there were some  long dark stragglers that had to go. After the haircut he is looking much more blonde.

  

  Pre-Hair Cut



Look what I can do! (and post-hair cut comparison)

• Garrick seems to try out new skills within the confines of his crib.  Two days in a row we found him sitting up in his crib so we lowered the mattress. On the third day he was found standing! He now tries to pull himself to a standing position by holding onto furniture. 
• Some favorite games of Garrick's include chasing Remmie in his walker, bouncing like a mad-man in Grandma and Papa's bouncer, and playing paddy cake. He also likes to play "got your nose" when being held. Except in Garrick's version, he just grabs a part of your face and tries to rip it off (lol). Daddy's whistle and Mom's singing voice continue to be some of his favorite sounds, and occasionally his babbles will take on a sing-song-like chatter. 
• Still only two teeth have surfaced. We haven't found a food that Garrick seems to dislike. Along with trying new solids, he also took a bite out of his crib railing this month! Bottle Update: Garrick made his mother very happy this month by taking a few bottles in the night. As for pacifiers, he uses them as a chew toy only. 
• It is already evident that Garrick Bernard Guggenmos is a risk-taker/ thrill seeker/ fearless explorer. Despite the fact that Mommy's makeup brushes are his #1 favorite thing to play with when given the chance, Garrick is ALL BOY. Since learning to crawl, he will try to catapult himself off Mom&Dad's bed or the couch, and tries to wriggle loose when being held.  He LOVES to be tossed in the air, held upside-down, or bounced on top of Papa's head!  He zones in on something he is not supposed to have or get into and determinedly goes right for it. We probably have a future Trouble Maker on our hands!

Call me Mister Danger!