The Latest

Sorry this update is so brief! Since the last update, Miran:
--has eaten egg yolk (ate but didn't love) and green beans (wasn't crazy about).
--has entered a "scream-y" phase, where he enjoys shrieking at the top of his lungs, just for the thrill of it. (It's actually cute, since thankfully his scream is not terribly loud.)
--pulled himself to standing ON HIS OWN and balanced himself that way for long periods of time (while holding on to something, of course).
--seemed to grow more aware and more curious, e.g., he now enjoys truly playing with toys, not just trying to put them into his mouth, and he's interested in different colors and textures.

We Have Teeth!

Miran's first teeth -- the two bottom ones in the front -- have just begun to poke through his gums. You can only really see them when he cries or laughs (i.e., his tongue is out of the way), but they're definitely there -- and if he bites on your finger, you can certainly feel the razor-sharp edge where before was only gummy hardness.

In other news, Miran is 7 months old today. He's been having a good few weeks -- a playdate with his friend, Teddy, yesterday, and lots of happy times with Nana Meej, Granny, Mike, and other adoring fans, plus Mama and Daddy, of course. And he can now stand on his own when holding a crib rail!

Where does time go?

Between working and being with Miran, there's been little time for updates -- but here's a quick one. Miran is doing very well. He's a happy, curious, alert, active baby who brings us such delight every day! This past week, Miran has been seriously "talkative" -- lots of communicative coos, squeals, shrieks, and raspberries (he loves these). Still no distinct consonants, but there are some "luh" and "thuh" sounds, plus the occasional "ma" or "ga" (which seem to happen by accident). Miran's also expanded his diet -- sweet potato was a big hit, and he had his first squash today. (Of course, this means his poop has changed, in color, smell, and consistency, and . . . well, let's just say it's not for the better!) He spends his days playing in his "cushion corner" (a soft, padded area of his nursery with all his toys spread around), going for strolls in the park, singing songs and making rhymes, napping, eating and drinking, and occasionally watching French folksong videos or beatboxing clips on Youtube (they work wonders at calming him down).

As for food, Miran nurses in the morning before I go to work, then gets three 5 oz. bottles of breastmilk, plus 1 or 2 oz. of solids, during the day when I'm gone, then nurses again when I get home and at bedtime. I pump once in the morning (off of whichever side he's not eating from), once at work (both sides), and once before bed (both sides). In total, I generally get 17 - 20 ounces per day from pumping, which is more than enough to cover the hours I'm away -- so we're doing well in that regard. The fridge and freezer are full of milk!

Miran goes to bed between 7 and 8 pm (usually earlier rather than later) and wakes up for good between 5 and 6 am. Some nights he sleeps straight through; other nights, he wakes up once or twice for his pacifier.

We've been taking some videos of him and hope to post some soon, so stay tuned!