Declan at 7 1/2 months

I have some mom guilt setting in. I was looking back at old posts to compare stats and pictures of Tatum and Declan and I realized just how much more thorough I was at documenting Tatum's growth and development. This is bound to happen, I am fully aware. But it really is fun to go back and read about it and it definitely brings back memories I wouldn't otherwise think of. So since I have missed several months of updates on Declan I figured it was about time. 

He is 7 1/2 months old but at 6 months (yeah totally missed that post) these were his stats: 

Height: 28.5 in (~50th percentile)

Weight: 17 lbs 8 oz (~99th percentile)

Head circumference: 46.5 cm (100th percentile :))

And completely adorable. 

We started solid foods at 6 months and he hasn't turned his nose up to anything except the canned baby food meat, and who can blame him? That stuff smells nasty. I gave it one try and decided it wasn't worth pushing, just like with Tatum.

He did this weird army crawl-like thing for awhile. But it wasn't really like an army crawl. He would push with the toes of one foot, the other leg in the air and his face in the carpet. It was really strange but oddly efficient. About a week ago he took his first crawling "steps". He still isn't super proficient, but it definitely makes him seem grown up.

Earlier this week he started to clap! I was thrown by this one because I'm pretty sure Tatum didn't do it until much later. He seems to prefer doing it when my dad is around. All my dad has to do is talk to Declan and he will start clapping. It's a bit more of a struggle for the rest of us to get him to do it.

He is a happy little guy but very much a mama's boy. If I sneak off while he is playing he will play contentedly for quite some time, but if he watches me walk away it's a whole different story. He sure can wail when he is upset.

He takes 2 naps a day, sometimes a weird short third one either around lunchtime (he often falls asleep on our way home from wherever we went in the morning) or around dinner time. It's kind of nice when he takes one of those extra ones because then we have a less chaotic meal time.

He loves Tatum and puts up with quite a bit from her. I am excited to watch their relationship grow as he gets older.

He hates to get dressed. In fact he screams the whole time. Every time.

Loves baths but hates cold water. We filled up our little pool in the backyard and he would scream anytime he touched it at all.

Mostly sleeps through the night. He wakes up between 5:30 and 6:30 every single morning. Half the time he is up for the day and half the time he will go back to sleep for another hour or so. So not bad.

Much to my chagrin, he is still a barfer. Only now it tends to be lovely shades of green and orange. Splendid.

Mostly he is a joy and the perfect addition to our family. :)

Just chillin' in the stroller at the children's museum.

 Reading books with his sister.

 Getting sat on by his sister, and still trying to smile. :)

 Rough life this guy lives, I tell you.

 Bike trailer fun. It's a little scary putting them both back there. You never know what kind of trouble Tatum is going to cause. Luckily it hasn't been too bad so far.

 So happy.

 Why can't they stay babies longer??

 Poor guy has some tear duct issues and often wakes up looking a little like this. Tatum always points and says "little eye, little eye!" and tends to be a little alarmed.