Featuring Cecily

Can somebody tell me where the last 7 months have gone please? I have some major major catching up to do on this little one, and it seems like every day brings something new. We'll start with some milestones. She had her first fever on July 5th :( Thankfully it didn't last long at all and she hasn't had one since. Her first word has been the same as Beans': "Hi". I can't pin-point the first time she did it because I didn't think it was necessarily intentional, more coincidental at the time but she has done it in context several times since. I'd say it was about a month ago that she started that. She waved for the first time on August 11th, she started saying "la la la" like a part in one one her books about 2 weeks ago. We say, "A cow says 'Moo', a sheep says 'Baa', three singing pigs say.....and she says "la la la". She started saying "uh-oh" just about 3 days ago and sometimes just gets stuck on the "uhh" part and says it over and over. Now, granted she does all of these things, however it is still all hit and miss. You never know what you'll get ;) she also just pulled up onto her knees in the crawling position for the first time on August 16th.

The week after we took her 6 month photos in mid-July, she became so much sturdier in her sitting up, but does still fall on occasion and boy does she hate to fall! I don't think it often hurts her but it sure does upset her. And her hair grew and thickened like crazy just in that week. I could tell mostly because there's so much now that it doesn't stay in that cute little curl on the top of her head when I brush it anymore.

Back in July she began sleeping fully un-swaddled and has done great with it. She usually instantly rolls to her side when I lay her down on her back and then typically ends up on her tummy. She is still a snuggle bug so she likes to hold onto her "Bandit" or her blanket. She sleeps great, about 12 hours each night and always wakes up with the sweetest smile, I am so so blessed that I get to begin my day with that smile. At the end of July she began putting her paci back in her mouth all by herself (video to follow).

I call her my "crinkle freak" as she loooves anything that makes a crinkly noise. One of her favorite toys is her wipes package and it was the first thing she ever got truly truly upset about when I took it from her.

Being a family who makes up a million weird nicknames all of the time, Cecily's most frequent ones are "Francy Pants", "Cecila-boot" or "Cecila-booty" or just plain "Boots" because, you know, you have to have a nickname for the nickname.

She is a really good eater and still prefers veggies over fruits most times, no complaints here! The only thing she really doesn't like is bananas or anything really tart.

She is a lot more fidgety than Evangeline ever was. Trying to get this girl to finish her bottle is work. Her feet kick, her hands flail, she grabs at things. Definitely a new experience (and a trait I suspect she gets from Papa) and inevitably she nearly always wants to be done before she's really done. She is also a MAJOR grabber. Girl's got quick reflexes so good luck to you if you're ever holding her on your lap and trying to eat or type on your phone. Before you even know what's happened your plate is on the floor and the message you didn't finish typing has been sent.

Another way in which she differs from Evangeline in personality is that she is a lot more needy of time and attention than Evangeline was as a baby. Evangeline now is a different story but as a baby, she was pretty laid back. Cecily on the other hand would be completely and totally content if you carried her around all day. And she is a really easy-going baby but she just likes to be with you. The best example I can give is when she is in her jumperoo or her exersaucer in the living room and I'm in the kitchen. If I leave the kitchen to go to the bedroom without fully acknowledging her, she will cry....every time. If I get in her face and smile and kiss her she is usually fine. I am so curious what this will look like in her as she grows. I do love it about her though. And it has never played out in any separation anxiety or anything thus far.

There is no one Cecily loves more than her big sister. No one can get a bigger smile or louder laughs out of Cecily than Evangeline does. The other day we drove to church and for the first 20 minutes of the drive, I kept looking back in my mirror and Cecily was sitting up (as much as her seat belts would allow her to) and staring at Evangeline. Holding that position for 20 minutes, just enamored with her big sis. Little else in this world makes me happier than to see how much they love each other and I pray it continues forever.