Will at 7 months

• He's been sitting and crawling awhile now. The world is his oyster. But he likes to stay in a small radius. Only recently has he been toying with the idea of crawling to an adjacent room. Since he's mobile, the head bonks are daily. Ugh. Although he seems to be getting more coordinated now. That just means the head bonks will return once he starts pulling up, which has just started this week.
• He's sleeping in his crib 100% of the time now. Yeah! We started sleep training ala Ferber at 6.5 months and it's been pretty successful, but not without it's fluctuations and trying moments. Sometimes he falls asleep without a peep, sometimes he still cries pretty hard, which I still hate. 
• We go outdoors often. I walk him in the Beco carrier (which I've started using exclusively now) before naps and bedtime. Sometimes I pull a blanket out into the yard and he plays happily and watches cars go by. He is SO peaceful outside compared to inside, where he sometimes has a fussy edge. While the weather is so enjoyable, I'm making the most of it.
• The hardest time for me is the end of the day, that late afternoon timeframe when he gets fussy, bored, and I'm not sure what he wants or needs and I feel rather fussy and tired myself. Sometimes I just have to pop him in the carrier and tote him around the house. I try to get out once a day, even if it's only to go through the drivethrough for a coffee drink or return a library book.
• We're exploring lots of foods! Still purees.  Sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash, zucchini, peas, spinach, broccoli, bananas, pears, apples, nectarines, oatmeal. The only thing he decidedly does not like so far?  Avocado. 
• I've been making my own baby food, which I enjoy. I love seeing the colors and textures of the blended food and smelling it, like rediscovering essential elements of food. But planning seems difficult. Which foods should I combine? Has he had enough variety? Too much variety? etc.
• When we eat, he always grabs the spoon from me to feed himself, which results in food all over the place. He throws the spoon on the floor and the food splatters on the floor and even the curtains. He has food smeared on his face, hands, legs, clothes, all over the high chair and the floor. Cleaning up after a mealtime is such a pain!
• He still has no teeth! I want them to get here just to get it over with. I hear all of these nightmarish stories about teething so I just want to get past the first time. But I still love his toothless smile.
• He's wearing twelve month clothes now, and they're often tight. I call him Chubster.
• He loves to play with toys by banging them on the floor and swinging them around wildly. He gets bored with his toys easily. He goes hogwild whenever we go to another baby's house and he sees new toys. So I'm starting to make up toys household items and empty water bottles and yogurt containers and anything I can think of. I'm also rotating toys in hopes of bringing back the spark of interest! I hate the idea of just having to buy more and more and more toys.
• What he WANTS to play with are wires (like lamp cords, phone cords, chargers, etc) and electronic devices (remote controls, phones, computers, etc.).  Goodie.
• He's been having a horrid neck rash and drool rash. And eczema. He rubs his eyes and his skin gets dry and red and irritated. This really bothers my mother heart, but I do my best to outfit him in an army of bibs to catch the drool and coat him in cream - which he hates. He also hates having his diaper changed and clothes changed now. These are what I call the thankless jobs of motherhood as he screams away and I try to wrangle his diaper on.
• Of course, there are so many bright spots too. When I tickle him and he giggles. When he hugs me. When he smiles that still toothless grin. When I kiss the top of his fuzzy head. Sometimes I still can't believe he's mine.