Matteo is 7 Months!

Still delightful.  Still warming hearts with his gummy smile and dreamy brown eyes.  I adore this boy from head to toe.  My favorite moments with him are in the morning.  I walk into his room and he is fussy and grouchy in his little zipadee zip sleep sack. I shouldn't say this, but I LOVE his grumpy face. Then I nurse him, and he gets all sleepy again, a soft curled up baby in my arms. We spend 10 minutes cuddling in the chair while the rest of the house is still asleep, and he looks around his room with a renewed sense of wonder and amusement. Every day is exciting and new to this little guy.

He is starting to recognize words.  If I say, "Where's Basil and Pesto?" he will scan the floor for the dogs. I say "daddy" and he smiles expectantly. When we're nursing, I say "other side" and he pulls off to switch.  It's amazing what a baby can learn and process at such a young age. 

Matteo at a glance:

• He's a small fry.  He didn't gain any weight between 4 and 6 months.  That's crazy, right? However, because he's nursing well, is so healthy, sleeping well and content between feedings, the pediatrician didn't seem concerned at all.  I'm a teeny bit concerned, so I've increased his nursing sessions during the day and am giving him nutrient dense solids.
• 6 month clothes fit him best, but he can still fit into his 3 month onesies.  Like I said, he's a small fry.
• We have added daily reading to the bedtime routine.  His favorite book by far is "I Love You Through and Through", which Sisi also loved.  The pictures of the boy and his bear are so expressive.  He does a funny grunt of approval, like "hhhhunh" each time he sees the boy's face. 
• No teeth yet! But I see a raw white bump on his bottom gums.  
• Likes to mimic sounds like raspberries, fake coughs and fart sounds.  He LOVES when I fake cough at him. 
• Loving solid foods- especially the more complex combinations of proteins,veggies and herbs.
• The mysterious birth mark above his right eye disappeared this month!  
• Killer tan from daily naked time in the sun and beach trips at least once a week. 
• Sleeping through the night more and more (about 50/50 chance).  I'm now limiting him to one feeding per night so he will eat well during the day.
• Two naps at approximately 9:30 and 2pm.  Bedtime around 7 or 7:30, wakes up around 6:30 or 7am.  
• He is making strides toward mobility, but in a very type-B non-aggressive kind of way.  He is strategically rolling his way toward toys and reaching and pivoting while on his back.  He can cover some decent ground this way. But he's never attempted to crawl or use his arms to scooch, which I'm totally ok with :)  He still seems content to observe the world on his back.  
• I secretly love when he tries to eat my chin or nose or fingers (baby hickies).
  

MVI 2883 from kristin brancaleone on Vimeo.