7 Months Old!

One night several weeks ago, as Boomer and I were side-by-side at the sink, washing the bottles and pump parts from the day, Boomer said: "It's already been 5 months. Only 7 months left." In that moment, we were both counting down to 12 months, when I would presumably stop breastfeeding and pumping. When he said it, I know he meant for it to be encouraging, but gosh, that sounded so long! I gave a little laugh, would I make it that long? Could I really do another 7 months of pumping? That was 2 months longer that what I had already done. Somehow, and I don't know how it happened, but the time has flipped, and Em is now 7 months old, with her 1st birthday only 5 months away. While I am looking forward to that milestone for some [of the above listed] reasons, I'm not sure I want it to get here too quickly. It is hard to believe that we are already celebrating another month! Here are a few things about our little girl:

Likes: jumping in her exersaucer, stretching for objects just out of reach, beards (yes, the hair on a man's face), 'flying', evening walks around the neighborhood, sleeping on her back, rice cereal, standing, mirrors, chewing on her toys, the crinkly sound of her foxy, being outside, falling asleep in Daddy's arms, tags, scratching and gripping things, springing off of someone's lap, Mommy's hair, and sticking out her tongue

Dislikes: changing into her pajamas, bananas, saline nose spray (but what baby likes this!), napping at the church nursery, and Daddy's loud voice when he is cheering for the Deacs

At 7 months, Em fits perfectly in size 2 diapers and 6-9 month clothing. Blowouts aren't quite as common anymore, although the car seat tends to be a popular place for them to happen. We continue to do two baths a week, usually on Wednesdays and Saturdays. She has two teeth on the bottom and a third one that is starting to peek through on the top. Bedtime is around 7:30PM, and Em likes to wake up around 5:45AM. These pictures are just shortly after 7AM, and Em has the best smiles then!

...well, except for this outtake!

We had one other milestone this past week: Boomer completed his first year as a high school principal! Forbush HS held their graduation ceremony this past Tuesday in Wait Chapel on Wake Forest's campus. As Boomer was addressing the Class of 2017, I couldn't help but think of the many other things we have celebrated in this place: graduations, engagement photos, and now picnics in the Quad. A little over 13 years ago, Boomer started his college journey as a freshman here, and about 9 years ago, I started as a graduate student. I don't want to call it 'irony'...I just have to credit God for the path that brought us together at this special place and then directed Boomer's career as an administrator. I was so proud as I watched him speak to the crowd and give out diplomas. Grammy came along to help with Emmy (and to watch her son-in-law!), and afterwards, we celebrated with dinner at Olive Garden. The summer will be a welcomed break from the hustle and bustle of the school year, but I know Boomer is already looking forward to more years at Forbush. 

After Boomer's busy week of graduation and wrapping up the school year, he and my dad made the spontaneous decision to go to Gainesville for the Wake Forest vs. Florida NCAA Super Regional games. They left early on Saturday morning (4:30AM!) to make the eight-hour drive. They are crazy! Even though I was shaking my head when they came up with their plans, I am glad that they would want to spend that much time together. Talk about a lot of father/son-in-law bonding! They spent two nights down in Hawthorne (about 30 minutes from Gainesville) with Gma and Gpa Hebebrand. Unfortunately the weather interfered with the games on both days, and they had to leave Rainsville without knowing the outcome of the series. With all of the guys gone, Em, Granny, Grammy, and I spent the day together on Saturday in Star. The Kennedys have a beautiful pool, and Em went 'swimming' for the first time. She loved floating around in the water and splashing with her hands. Even though her float kept her safely suspended in the water, we noticed that she was kicking her feet like a real swimmer. We might have to do swim lessons next summer for our little fish! 

On Sunday, we visited Great Gma and Great Gpa, where Em showed off how she can sit up on her own, and then we met the Houstons and Grammy for lunch. 

To wrap up this post, I was solo at the sink this weekend as I washed up those same pump parts and bottles from a few months ago. Boomer always helps with this chore, so I especially missed him as I stared down a big pile of plastic. Em and I enjoyed our time together this weekend, but we are looking forward to Daddy being home!