Chiara is 7 months old?

Merciful heaven. We have a seven-month-old. How did that happen? She has grown up into such a delightful little girl ... we just adore her. Saturday mornings Eldon and I bring Chiara to bed with us and we all just giggle and play until we have to start the day. She's gone from being a quiet observer of our conversations during that time to being a very active - even dominant - participant. She grabs noses, twirls around in the sheets, and bats her hands when something makes her happy (or mad, in all honesty). I will desperately miss these days someday.

Here are the current Chiara facts:

• She cries when Daddy leaves for school in the mornings.
• She loves to be sung to sleep. Primary songs are best.
• She doesn't like being left in a room alone. We're working on that.
• She loves playing with kitchen utensils. Plastic spatulas are best.
• She LOVES LOVES LOVES bouncing.
• She loves scratching things. Anything. Walls. Furniture. Bottles. Bare skin. 
• She's getting lots of hair ... so much I don't know what to do with it most of the time.
• She's grown out of her 0-3 month clothes.
• She loves water. If she's in water she's happy. Period.
• She tolerates strangers well.
• She's doing better with church.
• She loves any and all fruit she tries.
• She loves any and all food she tries. :) She's just not very good at swallowing it yet.
• She can scooch around on the floor pretty well. Sometimes she's going after a toy and she goes backward. Her frustration is endearingly fervent in those moments. :)
• She kicks her legs when she's upset. We're hoping that doesn't translate into tantrums later. I've already told her I refuse to tolerate those.
• She gets snuggly before bedtime sometimes and strokes Eldon's and my face as she dozes off. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen her do to date.
• She has a mommy and a daddy who both are head over heels in love with her.
  

Happy birthday, Chiama Llama!! We love you so!