7 months old

Francis is turning into more of a little boy every day. He's exploring the world of solid foods, his favorites being carrots, sweet potatoes, and prunes. He especially impressed us last night by eating parsnips for dinner (yes, they make baby food parsnips). He has also tried peas, green beans, peaches, avocados, pears, squash, and bananas. His increased appetite has been helping him to sleep better at night- 3 of the past 4 nights, Francis has slept from at least 8pm to 5am before needing to eat.

Francis is becoming a little wild and has so much energy. While he isn't really crawling, he can wiggle and push to get where he wants to go. He has also started standing up on his toes and hands. We had to remove the mobile from above his crib as he has been plotting how he can pull it down. Francis continues to be very clingy and it can be hard to put him down to do things like cook and eat.

Below are some photos from the past couple of weeks, including our trip to Columbia. Francis can be seen examining some money, trying out his new high chair, getting buried in laundry (in preparation for the beach) and holding a bottle on his own.

Easter in SC

Francis had fun in Columbia, but is glad to be back to his slower-paced routine in Nashville. He's enjoyed several beautiful days of jogging with Will and eating solid foods with Jess. Francis is becoming quite clingy and has to be in a good mood to let you put him down even if you stay in the same room with him. He isn't picking favorites between us, so long as someone is willing to pick him up.

Francis has finally decided that solid foods can be enjoyable and we're pretty sure he actually swallowed some of the sweet potatoes and carrots that didn't end up on his face.

Below are some photos of his first attempts at veggies, along with pictures of our trip to SC for Easter. Francis got an Easter basket filled with books, teething rings, a stuffed rabbit and some clothes.

For the record, Francis put that teeting ring in the fourth picture around his leg by himself.