Rowan’s Seventh Month
Besides being almost in November, we just celebrated Rowan turning seven months! WHAT?! I feel like she just had another subtle growth spurt and has grown over the past month. Also so many major milestones!
My little baby is not so little anymore!!! I am actually in shock at how quickly she became a “person” and not a little blob, and now she’s so interactive and fun to hang out with! This is the month she definitely started to understand much more of what’s going on around her, and feels like an active family member and not just a little eating and pooping machine haha!
You can read Rowan’s 6-month update here.
Rowan is obsessed with standing all day long. Yes, that’s right, she now stands up on her own. Crawling, standing, trying to balance without holding anything, that’s her schedule each day. She fits in eating and pooping between those activities and allows mom to catch up on life when she goes for a nap.
We just had her pediatrician appointment, and she was amazed she’s standing already, on her own, and manages to sit back down too plus walk along with the couch. I joked that she’ll be walking into her next checkup in December, but was also crying inside. To say my days have become crazier is an understatement. Between watching her and making sure she doesn’t eat any of my plants or creep up the bookcase, I juggle house duties, work, getting myself ready, eating, and attempting to work out. Do I get all of this done? NOPE.
Rowan is having a blast though! She just loves to explore the house, crawls after me and follows us around the house. She went to her first music class Monday, where a handful of us bring our babies, sing tone deafly and dance. All the babies love it and thankfully have no clue that we are all horrible singers (except the teacher, she’s awesome!). I’m very glad I managed to grab a spot before they all sold out, it’s nice to meet other moms and have Rowan interact with other babies. She really hasn’t played with any this year, we go for walks with our friends but actually haven’t had the babies play on the ground. At first, she was shy and didn’t know to crawl to others until they started to come up to her. It was super sweet but also tugged at my heart.
She is still continuing to eat solids, between purees and chunky bits like small pieces of chicken or fish, fruit etc. We’ve gone through all the potential allergens and have eliminated them (phew!), I wasn’t too nervous since neither of us has food allergies, but I also was afraid we might become a peanut-free home. I would miss my nut butter dearly.
Our home is filled with lots of babbling, what we think is dada, grunts, blowing, and other inaudible sounds haha. I’ll miss those sounds, they’re just too cute! She makes this Ewok noise when she’s really upset, it sounds like Chewbacca is in the house. Rowan still really doesn’t cry unless she has a pee diaper (never cries when it’s poop, puzzling!), or hungry. Still a very, very happy baby! Always smiling, very inquisitive, and aware of her surroundings. She studies us, people, and well everything intently. Even on walks, always looking around, waving at everyone, and babbling to whoever is listening.
And still no teeth, Curtis and I feel nothing along her gums. She does love her teethers or putting everything in her mouth, but no signs of teething. She doesn’t even drool, which puzzles us, but I feel that will come soon enough!
Her schedule lately
7 AM: Wake up for a feed, a diaper change, day time outfit, and playtime while mom showers
8:30 AM Breakfast – oatmeal with nut butter, fruit puree, some breastmilk, and naptime follows.
11 AM: Wakeup, diaper change, playtime on the floor or a walk
12 PM: Lunch, followed by milk, a book, and playtime
1 PM: Nap
2:30-5:30 PM: We try to get outside for a walk, play, feed every couple of hours
5:30 PM: Dinner and milk
7 PM: Bathtime, pajamas, have a pumped bottle, and storytime
7:30 PM: Go down for a 10-11 hour sleep, lights are turned off, white noise machine goes on
Mommy Update
I am now officially in the heart of my busy season, so juggling Rowan and work has been … interesting. Some days I am barely hanging on and always feel like I am one step behind, but I’ve learned to just take things hour by hour, slowly checking off everything on my to-do list which can sometimes be very long between household chores, Rowan’s meals, submitting content for jobs and posting content. Along with just taking time for myself each day. I still struggle with finding time to workout, to be honest, the past month I’ve done nothing. She’s just so active and I’m exhausted that when she naps in the morning, I do the same. My eyelids are heavy and I know if I don’t have a nap, I won’t survive until Curtis gets home.
I’d love time to do a quick workout at home, I think I need to drop that last pump at night and climb into bed earlier. And I have goals that my evenings are just stuck at my laptop but instead a relaxing couple of hours, maybe a tub, maybe watching my favourite reality TV or finish a book. This is why I’ve asked my mom to come over once a week to hang out with Rowan while I get some writing and work done for a couple of hours.
I know that on harder days, I am just so lucky and grateful to be with my baby all the time. I literally quit my job for this 2 years back, so I do not for a second take it for granted.
