Time for Katy's 7mnth update!

Ok, so I am 2 days ahead of Katy turning 7mnths old, but since I'm on a blogging spree today... close enough! Katy weighed in 2 days ago at 14lbs, 5oz... after staying about the same weight for about 3 wks, she suddenly jumped over 6oz in a week! I guess all that solid food is finally beginning to stick. Katy LOVES food. Since starting with bananas just 4 wks ago, she now also devours carrots, Trader Joes organic applesauce with blackberries, avocado, prunes, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. In the morning I also give her either rice cereal, or more often, oatmeal, mixed with her bananas. We have been making all our own baby food, rather than buying the baby food jars. Katy goes bananas... :) ... whenever she sees the little cup I put her food into, or her spoon, or sees us beginning to eat something. She wants it all!

Since early February she started sitting on her own. At first of course it was just for a brief moment before beginning to tip. But now she can sit for long, extended periods, and is pretty comfortable with it. Still very occasionally she will suddenly tip over... and now because she is so good at sitting it surprises me so I fail to catch her and she goes BONK! When this happens, she usually cries for a very brief moment, but recovers quickly.

If you happen to call, you may have trouble hearing Benji or I if Katy is awake, because she babbles away almost non-stop at times! It's definitely fun to hear all the new sounds, which more and more are starting to sound like real words. I often wonder, does she think she is speaking English? Spanish? Spanglish???

Which reminds me... in addition to Spanish and English, Katy is now adding a 3rd language to her repertoire... Sign language! We signed up for a "Sign with your baby" 6 wk class, which uses real ASL signs. We've had two classes so far, and Katy seems enthralled by it. It's the perfect time to start, because usually between 8-10 mnths babies are able to begin signing back to you in appropriate situations... showing that they understand even though they are yet too young to say words. It can be really helpful to bridge that gap until they can start talking... so they can let you know when they are hungry or tired or hurt or whatever they want you to know. And we had not thought about another benefit the instructor mentioned... sign will act as a bridge for Katy between the Spanish Daddy speaks with her and the English I speak with her, since we will both be doing the same sign but giving the English or Spanish word for it. Neat!

I can hear Katy awake from her nap - she is talking in her crib, so I better wrap this up. But I'll end with a few pics of Katy playing in the bath... sitting up now! :)