Catching up - 7 months and counting!

Baby Bird is an unbelievable 7 months old. Actually, he is 7.5 months old now.

• He is getting smilier and gigglier with each passing day. He is just a joy to watch. He'll sit in his jumperoo and alternate bouncing with grinning at me. 
• He can't crawl yet, but he is trying! He gets on all fours and rocks. He also lays on his belly and moves his limbs in the crawling motion, and he's squirming around to get what he wants. 
• He loves when I stand him up against things his height that he'll soon pull up on and let him stand there.
• He is such a charmer with strangers, although he seems to be getting shy from time to time. 
• Turns out he is rather enjoying the world of food. So far he enjoys just about everything he's tried, except he really hates carrots.
• His daytime sleep has really improved. His naps are typically 1-2 hours now

Other Baby Bird news:

• Things with the acid reflux are improving. He still has the occasional flare up, but over all he is happier and less bothered as time goes on. Chances are he will outgrow it in the coming months.
• I have been taking him to an osteopath, which seems to have helped. I recommend researching and asking about alternative therapies such as osteopathy and chiropractic for babies with acid reflex. Sometimes birth trauma such as caesarean birth or traumatic vaginal births can cause alignment issues with baby's body, which can press on the esophageal nerve and cause reflux symptoms.
• We had a specialist appointment with a Paediatric Gastroenterologist today.  He said that Baby Bird's reflux is not severe, and there are no red flags that lead him to do further investigation. He is thriving, meeting milestones, and is relatively happy. The doctor believes that he will very likely outgrow it in the near future.  So, while this has been a terribly big stressor in our lives and continues to be a pain to deal with, it is not serious and will pass.
• I have wondered for a long time how much of the reflux-related fussiness was a problem mostly because of my coping skills. I am trying again to focus on my self-care by quitting facebook (a time-sucking addiction for me), writing in my journal, etc.