Happy 7 Month Birthday, Presley Rose!

 Note:  These pictures were near impossible to take because she is so on the move these days!

Seems like just a few days ago I wrote about what she was up to!  That means I will probably definitely and accidentally repeat myself... so I apologize for boring anyone to tears but I don't want to forget anything.

• We're still breastfeeding... YAY!  Seven months strong and I love it.  I don't think we could have kept this up if I weren't staying home with her.  I am beyond grateful that I've been home with her this long - despite so many days of feeling overwhelmed, under-prepared, and not qualified!  It's important to remember the ways in which I'm fortunate alongside with my daily complaints.  I don't think I have a thing to complain about when it comes to nursing these days.  It has gotten to be much less of a "chore" now that solid foods are in the mix.  It actually seems like I nurse her less than before.  (Which is probably true...)
• Speaking of solid foods, here is what the princess has been introduced to thus far:  Baby Oatmeal, Organic Brown Rice Cereal, Sweet Peas, Green Beans, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Pumpkin, and Sweet Potatoes.  Carrots were an instant favorite but honestly, she has loved each food more and more as we've gone on.  Today she had her first bit of sweet potatoes and she scarfed them down!
• When we started solids, she only ate one "meal" in the late afternoon.  Within the last week or so, I've added another solid meal after we get up in the morning.  She eats about 4 ounces of baby food a day (about 2 ounces per meal) along with some cereal mixed in to thicken it up.
• She is such a good little eater.  Since it was a rainy, overcast morning - we slept in.  This meant skipping over her breakfast meal.  She had it later on in the early afternoon and was bouncing around in the high chair as I was preparing her food!  She's a little foodie just like her mommy!
• We usually lay Presley down on her back/side when she goes to bed, but she normally ends up on her belly these days and seems to be pretty content there.  We've also added her new teddy bear to her nighttime routine and she seems to LOVE it.  The bear sings lullabies or plays nature sounds on a 10 or 20 minute timer and lights up during that time.  It really seems to have a calming affect on Presley and has helped at bedtime.  (Thank you Kelly for her nighttime bear!)  I also read her "Night Night Little Pookie" every night before bed!
• Still wearing size 3 diapers - Pampers Swaddlers being out favorite.  (Although we love Target brand, Pampers Cruisers, and love the Kroger brand of diapers.  Wish we had a Kroger around us for so many reasons!)  The only diapers we've found we don't really like very much are the Huggies with Mickey and friends (the Pooh and friends are pretty good) as well as Pampers Baby Dry - not a fan of those because of the poor quality.
• Just got an ErgoBaby Carrier and I am so excited to start slinging Presley around with me now more comfortably.  I hope we like it as much as everybody else seems to!
• Naps have been a struggle since teething reared it's ugly little head and it's been a tough few weeks in the napping department.  We finally seem to be turning a corner and I hope we keep continuing on in the right direction!
• Presley's still got some cradle cap that is hanging around and I can't wait until that decides to leave her alone so we can tell what her true hair color is.  (It really messes with the shade!)  Speaking of hair, she is started to sprout some additional hair up top!  Still not nearly as much as her cousin - Anne Marie, though!
• Because she had a fever last month at her checkup, we couldn't get her shots then.  I have been  a bad mom and keep putting it off!  I really want to wait until a time that Tony can be there because I don't like being the only one around when she gets her shots... so hopefully we'll make this happen in the upcoming week!
• This child still hugely prefers showers to baths, but we're going to keep giving baths a try in hopes she will get used to them.
• Still hanging out with our buds every week.  Got to love baby interaction!

L to R:  Presley, Molly, and Alli.  (I hope I got that right.  I'm slipping when it comes to telling the twins apart these days!)

•  Presley has started to think "Peek-a-Boo" is HILARIOUS.  She also finds older individuals to be a hoot, as well.  She's started to really laugh and squeal at people who talk to her when we are out and about and it's precious.

• I still have a baby clearance/good deal addiction.  It's bad.
• Still haven't put a pair of shoes on my child yet.  I have a feeling this will change as summer escapes us!
• As you can see from one of the first pictures I posted, Presley is getting pretty good at sitting up on her own.  She still needs a lot of support as she can only sit by herself for a short amount of time, but it's a start!
• Still going back and forth on whether or not to get her ears pierced.  Now that she messes with her ears, I'm not sure if it'd be a good idea at this point to have them pierced.  We'll see!

So that's all I can really think of when it comes to what P's been up to.  Can't believe Halloween is coming up in about a month!!!  So exciting.  I already have a few ideas for Presley's costume - but we aren't really doing anything crazy or over-the-top for her outfit this year.  We plan on going to Boo at the Zoo!  Very excited about that.  And then not long after that, Presley will have a new 2nd cousin then is Thanksgiving and finally... Christmas!!!!  This time of year absolutely ROCKS minus the snow and ice... not looking forward to that very much but all the rest of it will be so exciting.  And then not far from Christmas will be Presley's first birthday!  So much to look forward to in the next five months...