Seven months

The months, they fly by. Our little peanut is seven months old, and just as happy as ever.

Now that Mary Clare has a whole host of firsts under her belt -- laughing, smiling, standing, rolling over, sitting up and eating solids -- we delight in watching her little personality develop. Last week she started laughing on her own. Just laughing. For no reason. I'm sure you can imagine how terribly adorable that is. She lights up when Chip walks into the room and chortles at the funny noises he makes. When she's really tired, her little lip will tremble as crocodile tears well in her eyes. Sometimes Mary Clare reaches her arms out to me, with an expression that says "Get me out of here!" or "You! I know you! And I love you!" Both make me melt.

She is still a skinny minnie, but at the same time she is getting so big. It is hard to hold her cradle-style when I nurse her, and I'm shocked when I see how she fills out her car seat. And my mom will dispute this, but there is, in fact, some chub on her thighs. Her hair has taken on a lovely Donald Trump quality, and by the end of the day it is a crazy mess of loose curls. The jury is still out on if she will stay brunette, and if her eyes will stay blue. You just never know what the next month will bring.

Click here for the full seventh-month set.