7 months

I never posted Mercy's 7 month update. Here it is:


At 7 months, Mercy:


is really trying to be mobile. She can't crawl yet, but she is desperately trying. She usually leans forward and sometimes flops onto her belly and gets frustrated. She has successfully scooted on her butt a few times to get something she wanted, but no official crawling yet. She also likes to stand. She can't pull up by herself, but if you stand her next to the couch or something, she thinks she's so big and has this proud smile on.

had two more ear infections. She caught two colds, which then developed into two ear infections. She got one pretty close to when we were about to take a trip to Kentucky, but luckily, I got her on antibiotics in time so that it wouldn't be a problem. She then developed another one soon after returning home from our trip. Her second ear infection caused her so much misery. The day I took her to the doctor, she was just the saddest little girl I've ever seen. It seemed like everything would cause her pain. If she burped, she would start screaming. Laying down was out of the question. All she wanted to do was be held. Poor sweetheart. I hope this will be the last ear infection of the winter season.

had her first ride in a baby swing at a playground. She loved it.

got a toy xylophone to play with. It was so adorable watching her figure out how to play it. At first, she could barely hold the hammer well enough to hit the xylophone. But after a couple of days, she figured out how to hold it and hit it. Now, she hits it really hard and confidently and is so proud of herself.


went on her first plane ride. We went to Kentucky with my mom to visit some of my uncles and aunts. I was anxious about the plane ride, but Mercy did exceptionally. I thought that people would scowl when they saw her on my lap as they were boarding, but Mercy charmed them all. As she sat on my lap as people boarded, she looked at each passerby and gave them a huge smile and eye contact. You could tell that people felt sort of special that she lighted up when she saw them (little did they know that she did that with everyone).  She got many comments about her beauty and how social and happy she is. She did cry some, but it wasn't too bad. She fell asleep for a bit.She flirted with some men (she really interacts with men differently. She gives them these coy eyes). She nursed for some of it. But I think she did have some discomfort in her ears.  Lots of people commented on how well she did.

loved my little cousins in Kentucky. She is not used to being around a bunch of people. Since we moved to Rhode Island, we've lived a pretty solitary life since we haven't settled on a church and really have no friends yet. She is mostly just used to hanging out with me all day while Tim is at work, with the occasional visit to my parents. My four little cousins range from age 5 to 12. I thought Mercy would be overwhelmed with all of their attention, but she loved it! They were often sitting in a circle around her trying to get her attention, giving her toys, etc, and Mercy just sat there and basked in their attention. She really comes alive when people are around. Maybe we should try extra hard to make some friends so she can have some playmates soon.

is such a beauty. I know I am biased, but I think she happens to be a striking baby. Her eyes are so blue and the shape of her eyes is so round. Her mouth is pretty sizable, so it makes her smiles seem even happier and vibrant. She is so charming when we're out and about, and people are always stopping us so that they can talk to her and tell me she is beautiful. Anyway, sorry for bragging.

                                              What a face.