7 Months Old

It's that time again - Hayes has turned yet another month older!  And I have to say, this past month has been one of my favorites when it comes to his growth and development.  (Okay, okay...I know I say that every month...but I'm serious this time!)  Hayes's cute little personality is really starting to emerge, and Cody and I feel like we are finally getting to know this little person that we have brought into the world.  And boy, are we proud of the job that we have done!  Our little guy is pretty much the perfect package - smart as a whip, sweet as pie, and absolutely hilarious!  Who cares if his major organs hang out of his body and he has a helmet on his head?!?  Not us!  Here are some of the fun new milestones our sweet boy is meeting these days...

• Hayes has kind of had to relearn the whole independent sitting thing now that he has gotten his helmet, but I am proud to report that he is doing great!  Sitting for longer and longer periods of time...and now his head is completely safe when he comes crashing down on it.
• When he is not sitting, he loves to stand up tall and hold onto our hands.  (Especially right before bath time when he is standing naked on the bathroom counter in front of the mirror.  Gotta love boys and their nakedness!!)
• Although our house is covered with baby toys, Hayes has discovered that he can play with almost everything - tupperware, paper, phones, remote controls, etc, etc, etc...  He will reach for pretty much anything that looks interesting to him, pick it up, play with it, pass it back and forth between his hands, and eventually drop it.  Then, he looks all over to see where the fun new toy has gone and grunt loudly until someone is gracious enough to pick it up and give it back to him.
• Another item that Hayes loves to grab for is food!  So, we found some fun new baby foods that Hayes can actually hold onto and feed himself.  The whole process is very similar to the scenario mentioned above - reach for the food, gnaw on it, pass it between his hands, drop it in the cracks of the highchair, then grunt until someone finds it and returns it to him.  This happens over and over and over again until it is all gone or he decides to move onto something else.  Whichever comes first.
• Speaking of grunts, Hayes is developing a strong sense of communication lately!  Although he does not yet have the words to express his emotions, he has definitely found a way to get his point across.  He now has a complex system of grunts and squeals to go along with his sweet coos and babble.
• I am excited to say that Hayes has already surpassed his daddy when it comes to one important skill - listening!  (Just joking...well, kind of.)  Hayes is so observant when it comes to voices and sounds, and he will stop everything that he is doing when he hears something new - from the front door opening to the Sesame Street theme song starting.  "Sunny day..."
• All of these milestones continue to amaze us, but I have to say that there is one skill that has really blown me away this month.  His receptive language.  Hayes is beyond his months when it comes to this very important skill, and all of his specialists are in awe of how bright our little guy is!  One day reports will be written that Thomas Edison was dyslexic, Ludwig van Beethoven was deaf, and Hayes Davis was born with a giant omphalocele!

 Hayes Robert Davis

7 Months

Weight - 15  pounds 13 ounces (9%)

Height - 25.5 inches (6%)

Head Circumference - 16.5 inches (3%)

Sooo...I know I typically don't add any extra pictures or videos to my monthly updates, but I just cannot help it with this one.  This shot was taken today in mid-grunt as Hayes was trying to sit up and reach for the dangling lens cover.  It just about sums up half of the bullets written above and NEEDED to be included on this post.  Oh, how I adore this face!!