Beulah, 7 Months!

My Boo is 7 months old today! Everyday Andy and I say to each other, "She is awesome!" We are overwhelmed by the blessing of having Beulah in our lives. There is not much more exciting than watching a human being accomplish something she couldn't the day before. She has grown into such a happy and delightful little girl.

Many people have said that Beulah looks more and more like me the older she gets. I love it that she crinkles her nose when she smiles, because I do that too (see pictures below). She also loves to stretch her body like me when she wakes up. Andy loves to watch the two of us do our morning stretches together. The crazy thing is, she naturally stretches the exact same way I do! She's growing like a weed, so we had to raise her jumper because her legs have gotten so long. When she stands on my lap, her head is higher than mine!

Beulah's sleeping continues to get better and better. She's now taking at least two 2 + hour naps a day. And, even better, she sleeps for 11 hour stretches at night, only waking once or twice! Several nights she has slept seven hours straight before waking up, and then went right back to sleep! Praise the Lord! We are ALL doing SO much better these days!

NEW THINGS BEULAH CAN DO
*She's crawling!! (see video below) Andy's mom said Andy crawled the exact same way when he was a baby. This morning she crawled all the way across the living room to get to me! My heart was so full!
*She babbles M's, D's, and B's. If she wants something, all she has to do is babble a "Ma ma", and I'll do whatever she wants. :)
*She can pull up half-way (to her knees)!

FIRSTS
*solid foods: sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, squash and corn. Carrots are her favorite.
*She had her first cold. Fortunately it was a short, two day cold.

CUTE THINGS BEULAH DOES
*She gives me kisses! Well, actually, she puts her wide-open mouth to mine, smiles, and licks my mouth. Oh well...it's sweet and I love it!
*She raises both her arms above her head, and we say, "so big!"
*She lays on her back, holding her feet in her hands, and opens her legs straight out to each side.
*She sits on her bottom and leans forward to suck her toes. (see video below) Hilarious!
*Sometimes she'll play while her legs are in a straddle split. (see picture below)
*She'll look at her hand while opening and closing it repeatedly.

THINGS THAT MAKE BEULAH SMILE/LAUGH
*She always smiles when mama blows her kisses or makes kissey faces across the room.
*Our amateur beat boxing always makes her happy.
*Her best laughs come when we munch her belly or her neck. (see video)
*She loves to go places and steals the show when she flashes her smiles and blue eyes at passers-by.

It seems that Beulah will have a pretty strong personality. She can be very feisty and determined. She'll throw a toy when she's finished playing with it. And, if she doesn't want you to do something, she will PUSH you away from her. Sometimes I feel like I'm wrestling with her when I put her shirt on. Often I just have to pin her arms down! But, if she wants something, she's going to go for it, and you better be ready. Last Wednesday I wasn't ready. I was standing while holding her when she turned and threw her weight back. She fell back against the arm of the chair and because I was still holding her legs, she continued to fall until her HEAD stopped on the floor. I immediately dropped to my knees while holding her close and started praying that God would protect her, heal her, spare her... When she calmed down, I nursed her and saw that her mouth was bleeding. That was the greatest moment of horror I've ever experienced. Andy and I checked her out and couldn't find the source of the blood. But, by then she was smiling and acting normal. We're guessing her gums smacked together and that's what caused the blood. That or something was really wrong and God had mercy and healed her on the spot! I wouldn't doubt it! People keep saying, "It happens to everybody!" But, I can't say that makes me feel any better.

Since I dropped her, I've been much more cautious. But, unfortunately, that doesn't keep things from happening to a mobile baby. The next morning she leaned forward in the tub and sucked water up her nose and mouth. That afternoon she was sitting in the floor and leaned forward to reach for something and hit her head on a door frame. She constantly crawls towards cords, and is not afraid to throw herself towards whatever she wants. Yesterday she was sitting with me on the bed, and Andy came over to sit with us while he was brushing his teeth. In a matter of a split second, she "leapt" out of my arms and across the bed, reaching for his tooth brush. We were both in shock. Thankfully she didn't get hurt because she was on the bed. Whew! The ol' ticker can't take it! Andy said, "Honey, you better get used to this." I told him that I think she's trying to kill herself!

Despite the bumps and bruises, it is such a joy to parent this child and watch her grow. Thank you, God, for allowing me to be her mama.