Holston at 7 months

He weighs 23 pounds 6 ounces and is 29 inches long! A couple weeks ago he got his first ear infection - the same week he went on his first vacation to the beach! He was a trooper through it all. You would have never known he was sick. In fact, I didn't, really. I had taken him to the doctor the day before we left for the beach for a cough that wouldn't go away. Then I was informed he had an ear infection!

Photo shoots aren't nearly as easy now. He likes to move and will reach for anything that is around. We also decided it was time to lower his crib mattress. You never know when we'll walk in there and he'll be standing up holding onto the side!

Couldn't get him to focus on smiling until I took Mr. McGregor away....

...oh, and by the way.... this adorable outfit he is wearing.... it compliments of my wonderful friend Danielle! She MADE this for him!! I absolutely love it!! I'm hoping to get a chance to sit down with her and let her teach ME how to make these sweet outfits for H-man!

For the next picture, I decided to stand him up and see if he would stand up by himself and hold on to the side of the crib... and you see, he did! He was so proud of himself! He's not pulling up on his own yet, but he can sure stand there by himself!!!

He is such a happy baby....really....he is like this most all the time!

...but every once in awhile he DOES get tired of my calling his name to smile for the camera.... I just won't give the poor little guy a break....

A short break and a couple songs later... and he's good to go again!!!

What he's doing now...

• He can sit up like a champ now
• Can scoot back (slowly), still working on getting his knees underneath him and his chest off the ground at the same time. He would much rather sit up than practice crawling.
• Can stand for a few seconds while holding his hands
• No teeth yet, but he drools all the time!
• Still loves taking a bath, and after bath time each night he LOVES to brush his teeth gums! Our routine after the bath is: dry off, diaper, lotion, brush gums, brush hair, put on pjs. He's not too crazy about the lotion part and usually starts fussing. When I say, "Ready to brush your teeth?", he'll stop fussing and get wide-eyed. And as I put he Gumpaste on the brush, he grins with eager anticipation! Then he cries when we are done!
  
• LOVES to eat his homemade baby food. We have officially graduated from eating in the Bumbo to eating in his highchair . Side note: It takes 2 people to get him OUT of the Bumbo because his legs get stuck in the openings! (See weight at top of post :)
• Absolutely LOVES his Praise Baby DVDs! Whenever a baby is on the screen smiling he starts smiling back at the TV! And don't try to get his attention while he's watching his video.... because its not going to happen!
• Loves books and music. I got him the Leap Frog Learn and Groove table that plays music and has a "book" in the middle with one page to turn - 5 seconds after seeing it for the first time he could turn the page on it!! I was amazed!!
• You can actually make him laugh out loud now! He's been laughing out loud for a while, and smiling since he was days old, but you couldn't really do anything to make him laugh before. He would just laugh at himself or randomly at a toy. Now you can tickle him, blow on his belly, or throw him in the air and he will laugh the cutest laugh. Its so much fun to hear him!!
• LOVES his Daddy! Any time he hears Scott's voice he will immediately start smiling.
• When I pick him up at daycare, he smiles so big when he sees me! Love it!
• He is wearing 24 month clothes now. Yes, mam. My SEVEN month old is wearing TWENTY-FOUR month clothes!!!