7 months!

Wow, I just wrote a super long post and lost it. =(

The abbreviated version: Kaua is 7 months old! We took him to the beach on this day and he enjoyed playing in the tide pools.

Kaua is starting to eat his solids more. Not quite the amounts I would prefer, because one website said I should increase his solids intake to 1/4 to 1/2 cup per day (I'm lucky of I get him to eat 1/2-1 jar per day if that), but at least its not torture for him to eat. We can pretty much get him to open his mouth for the 1st bite, and maybe the next 2 or 3, but that's about it. He eats about 1/3 of a jar per feeding, so just about 1 jar of food per day. We do mix his foods up though, varying it between fruits, vegetables and a meat mixture. He seems to enjoy these mixtures, like sweet potato and turkey, or mixed vegetables, or banana peach and granola. And because he doesn't like his rice cereal as much, i try to mix in a little in his bottle, just to make sure he gets those nutrients as well. And speaking of bottles, I typically supplement his diet with 1 bottle of formula a day. I still have a decent supply of breast milk, but there are times when he just wants a little more, so rather than waste a whole bottle of breast milk, I simply give him 2 oz. of formula. It's good because I am really considering weaning him from me, and I want him to be uber comfortable to the bottle and formula. I still dont know how I'm going to wean him off nursing in order to fall asleep though. He's really content with sucking himself to sleep, and no matter how often I give him the pacifier, he just spits it out and cries until I give him my breast. Ugh! I'm just praying that like with everything, he'll just figure it out on his own....

Still no teeth yet, though he did wake up screaming a ton of times last night which got me to researching on Dr. Google, and most of the concensus is that he is either teething or has an earache. I dont think he has the ear ache, but I'll monitor him just the same.

He' getting more and more coordinated in his reaching for things, figuring things out and movements, but still no crawling. It's amazing to see him grow and mature! Super excited to see him as a little boy, but trying to cherish every moment when he is this young and cuddly. His smiles sure do light up a room though!

He is also becoming a big opihi. always looking for me, wanting to be in my line of sight, and crying for me to hold him when I'm around. I think he's getting to used to me staying home and being around. And speaking of, I've got two job leads, but they both would be a career change for me and a big decrease in pay. DH says I should take one of them (if I'm offered the positions, still just interviewing), because he thinks I'll be happier, but I'm not so sure that I'm ready for a career change. I have been advised that I could always try one of them out, and if I dont like it go back to my old career...and perhaps I'll do just that. I just hate to leave my employer in a bind by letting them hire me, invest their time in me, only for me to quit shortly thereafter. I would, however, on principle, try to stick it out for a minimum time period as well as let them have time to find my replacement....hmmm, decisions, decisions.

Check out this cutie patootie picture of Kaua wearing a Lakers hat!