Seven Months Old.

C did a great job with this photo yesterday. I have been a bit recalcitrant in posting monthly updates and have 5 month professional family portraits still waiting to be posted.

Kate is 7 months old today. At her 6.5 month check-up, she was 19 lbs, 11 ozs (94th percentile) and 27 1/4" long (88th percentile). She started cutting her first tooth (bottom front) last week, which explained her recent night owl activities.

She is attending a bi-weekly play group in Lansing with her Daddy and other stay at home parents we met on the Lansing Moms Like Me site. We also signed up for a weekly swimming lesson at the local YMCA, but she has not been enjoying it (possibly due to the cooler water temperature than expected.) We left after 5 minutes last week during "Simon Says" in complete meltdown mode.

She is not yet crawling but pivoting and rolling around the room rapidly like a chubby bowling pin. She also pulls herself to a standing position with assistance and is able to briefly stand on her own while holding onto furniture. The nurses guessed that she would be walking by 9 months.

She now takes her baths in the big tub surrounded by toys and has eaten carrots (loves), green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, peaches, applesauce (loves), and prunes (loves--great!) She is not a fan of sweet peas.

In comparing her growth and activities to my own (thanks, Mom, for maintaining a baby calendar), we grew at about the same pace, but I was startled to see that the pediatrician back then had my Mom starting me on solids at 1 month old! I did not respond well, so that was delayed for a few more months, thankfully.

Gettin' Lucky.

This article from The O Magazine really got me thinking about re-training your mind to unravel your own happiness. I am certainly no expert on cognitive psychology, but I have had life experiences to back up its recommendations. There really do seem to be folks in our lives who seem inordinately burdened with misfortune or blessed with good luck. Most of it appears out of their control, but is it?

It sounds cliche, but the saying "your attitude affects your altitude" could not be more true. Folding your arms across your chest, avoiding eye contact and standing in the corner during a social event does not attract interesting conversation or new friendship. Something as simple as a friendly smile and eye contact can make all the difference. Being a joiner and keeping an open and aware mind also helps increase the chances of positive interactions with others.

I recall admiring extroverted people in my life who invite others into their circle everywhere they go. At the extreme end of the spectrum are people like my Aunt Linda who strike up conversations with bank tellers, grocery store cashiers and passengers on planes, even though they will likely never meet again. Most people decline to make the social investment in such situations when the investment could actually reap unimagined dividends. The more people you know, the more opportunities for happiness and connection (professionally and personally) you create. See--Facebook, LinkedIn and its ilk really do have a positive purpose!

I also took to heart my Dad's advice that you can learn something from everyone--from the uneducated farm hand to the Harvard-educated Wall Street maverick. Everyone has a story to tell and a lesson to teach, which is perhaps best personified by the StoryCorps oral history project. Featured on National Public Radio (NPR) broadcasts, since 2003, it has recorded conversations between two people who are important to each other connecting and talking about things that matter. Sometimes it is a Grandson interviewing his Grandfather about an important or life changing event or an older couple reminiscing about their years together. This called to mind my audiotaped interview with my Papa about his experiences during WWII and the recordings my Aunt Elaine made of my Great-Grandmother about her experiences as a child during the Armenian Genocide, which occurred contemporaneously with WWI.

My good friend, Nobuko, also gave me a book (newest version here) that compiled written essays from the This I Believe national media project. It is based on a popular 1950s radio series hosted by Edward R. Murrow. The essays, read by the author, are often broadcast on NPR and share personal philosophies and core values of writers from all walks of life. One of my personal goals is to some day write something worthy of this project. Would you?

Child Safety Seats

C and I have been navigating the complicated market for convertible child car seats, since Kate is nearing her infant car seat's height limit, and we want to keep her in the safer rear facing position beyond the 20 lbs and 12 months old recommendations. Note: At 6 months old, Kate, my petite flower, is already 20 lbs. She is also tall with long legs that are reaching the end of her infant seat.

Like my search for the best initial car seat, there is a dizzying array of options on the market catering to different heights, weights, uses and budgets. So far, I mentioned Baby Bargains as a good resource for buying all things baby. I also stumbled upon this resource from the American Academy of Pediatricians. Thank goodness for charts with height and weight comparisons as well as some guidelines for when a child can transition to a forward facing seat, a booster seat with harnesses, a booster seat without harnesses and finally just a seat belt in the back seat.

So far, I think we are buying the Graco ComfortSport (up to 40" and 40 lbs for about $80 at Target), unless we decide to spring for a model that will last beyond 3-4 years, like the First Years True Fit Convertible Car Seat (up to 50" and 65 lbs for about $180) or the Evenflo Symphony Convertible Car Seat (all-in-one rear & forward facing plus converts to a booster seat up to 100 lbs for about $200.) We are trying to avoid the ultra expensive but well reviewed Britax models that cost $300+. Hmmm....how big will you be at 3 years old, Kate?

Most states now have a child safety seat and booster seat law that requires all children to be restrained until they reach a certain height or weight and/or age. In Michigan, all children must remain in a safety seat until they are 4'9" and 8 years old, effective July 1, 2008. See MCL 257.710e.