Here we are for the 4th of July. It was bizarrely chilly that day. (It's a pretty memorable occasion for us, not only for Independence Day, but also because nine months after the 4th last year, Graham showed up....)
Graham is figuring out how to move around. He's rolling over from his belly to his back. He's scooting around on his back by pressing his feet down on whatever surface he's laying on and then pushing himself around. He doesn't go very far yet, but we have to be careful about how we lay him on things now, like the couch or our bed or even on the floor--he'll end up squished into a corner if we don't keep an eye on him!
He also talks and talks and talks. He'll lay in his play gym and just babble and talk to himself the entire time. I think he finds it entertaining. While I change his diaper he babbles and coos at me nonstop. When he's nursing, he'll make sounds at me between swallows while staying latched on the whole time. When I sing to him before naptime or bedtime, he'll just stare up at me and make sounds like he's trying to sing along (which I can't help but laugh at and makes it difficult to continue singing). However, every time I get a camera out to try and get a video of any of it, he frequently stops and is intrigued by my camera or phone and just stares at it. But I did get this cute video the other morning:
He loves smiling at other people. If you talk to Graham in a sweet voice, he'll give you a huge smile and coo at you. He does this especially after waking up from a nap. He'll fuss a little bit if he feels like he's alone, but as soon as he sees me he gives me a big, gummy smile. It's the sweetest thing he does and I can't get enough of it!
When Graham first starts eating after napping, he acts like he'll have a nervous breakdown at any moment. He eats like I might remove his source of food at any second--so he desperately latches on and swallows as fast as possible. He grabs the tops of his ears and pulls on them. He grabs his hair around his ears and holds onto it until it breaks off (which subsequently has made the hair around his ears start thinning out). When I stop to burp him in the middle of eating he screams and cries like I'm causing him excruciating pain. It's not until he's finally full that he slows down and relaxes and gets all milk-drunk and happy.
He's also becoming more aware of himself as an individual now. He knows what he wants and what he doesn't want. When we set him down at the wrong moment or hold him in a way he doesn't want, he fusses and cries about it. Here's a good example:
When I wait too long to lay him down for a nap, he cries until he falls asleep, which lasts anywhere from 1 minute to 20 minutes. But if I wait the perfect amount of time to lay him down, he quietly lays there until his eyes close and he dozes off peacefully.
Just look at those perfect little lips! So adorable!
He's growing so fast! I'm so proud of him, but goodness, I wish he'd slow down a little so I could enjoy how little and snuggly he is for longer. <3
