A Fine Mess: Half a Year Already

You know that Kenny Chesney song, Don't Blink? He's so right. It feels like just yesterday I was in the hospital having my sweet girl, and now she's 6 months old already.

Age: 6 Months

Weight: 15 lbs 11 oz

Length: 25 inches

Size: in 6-9 month and 9 month clothes. I packed away the 6 month stuff ::sniffle::

Hair: Brown, and starting to get really long on the top too. She still has her side wings. DH wants to cut them but I think they're cute. She is really into shaking her head while she's laying down right now, so she's getting little bald spot in the back. It's so funny to look at her newborn pics. I didn't realize how bald she really was on top until I compare it to now.

Eyes: brown with tiny hint of green (although I'm the only one who seems to see this)
Teeth: None yet. The drooling has slowed a little, or she's just learning to swallow it. A friend from my nursing group has a son who is just a week older than Sadie, and he already has 2 teeth! It's funny how babies are so different.

Sleeping: She is doing okay, but not great. She is in her crib full time and goes to sleep very easily. I nurse her in her room with her Jewel lullaby CD (thanks, Shauna!) and then lay her down drowsy and she will go to sleep. We started putting her down with an A.den and Anais security blanket. It made me nervous at first to put something in her crib with her, but it's just a 16x16 inch piece of breathable gauze bordered with satin. She loves it, and I'm so glad it's breathable because she will chew on it and a couple of times it's been completely over her face! When I was a baby I liked have a small heart shaped pillow over my face to go to sleep (somehow I survived it...lol). She is still waking up 2-3 times a night. I've tried various things, and mostly haven't been consistent with what I've tried, which is my fault. I usually end up nursing her back to sleep. I talked to the pediatrician about it at her 6 month appointment. I know all pedis have different opinions on sleep and sleep training, but he said that since she's not rolling back to belly freely yet, she may not be able to get herself into a comfortable sleeping position on her own. He said she is big enough not to "need" to eat at night, but it's my choice and if I'm comfortable with nursing her than just nurse her. He basically just said make my own plan and stick to it. I'm really hoping that crib gnomes will come help her magically sleep through the night. Until then we will just figure it out.

Eating: still 100% breast milk, but she has started some solids! The pedi wasn't too concerned about all of my allergies, he just said wait a bit between foods. We started with bananas, and she has also tried green beans, sweet potato, carrots, pears, and cucumber. She wasn't too excited about any of it, except the sweet potato puffs she has. She gets excited when she sees the container and opens her mouth wide for them (probably because they taste like sugary cereal!). We are doing a mixture of purees and baby led weaning. I found the BLW book very informative, but I didn't like how it is so against spoon feeding. I think babies need to get used to a spoon too. I dislike anything that says there is a right or wrong way to do things with babies, because they are all so different. Right now I have some apples and squash in the oven to mash for her. She has also had water in a sippy cup. We noticed her becoming very interested in our bottles and cups as we were drinking. If you are holding her and take a drink of something, she tries to grab it! She will hold the sippy and put the spout in her mouth, but she needs some help tipping it up. She will act frantic like she is dying of thirst. It's so funny to watch.

Movement: I have not seen her roll from back to belly, but twice now I've gone to get her out of her crib and found her on her belly. She tolerates tummy time now. She has a little F.isher Price beauty salon and if we put it in front of her when she's only her belly she can see herself in the mirror. DH did a good job picking out that toy. She grabs everything- hair, earrings (no more hoops for mommy for awhile), toys, papers, Shorty. The first time she grabbed Shorty, Shorty turned around and looked at her all bug eyed, then she ran away. She was back about 5 seconds later wagging her tail. If Sadie is laying on the floor, she will reach her hands out so Shorty can lick them. I know it's gross- we tried to keep her from doing it but at this point I'm sure she's had lots of things in her mouth that are dirtier than a little dog drool. I think once Sadie starts crawling Shorty will learn to jump up on things to get away! She has also starting sitting a little on her own. She lasts about 10 seconds before she wobbles over. She loves doing her "Irish dancing" with her feet if you hold her up.

Milestones: Sitting some on her own, her first overnight trip to Uncle Lo's and Aunt Val's (she's been to Boston- so not her first trip, just her first one to Columbus), taking her 6 month shots like a champ (we've been lucky- she hasn't had any issues with shots), starting solids, sitting in a big girl high chair at a restaurant, celebrating her first New Year. She also outgrew some of her cloth diapers (I'm still planning to do a post on those). She celebrated mommy's birthday (my best birthday ever!) and when we were at the restaurant with my family she was very happy until all the food came, so we put her in her seat with a bottle of mommy's milk and she held it herself! DH had to help a little. She just wanted to eat while everyone else was eating!

Favorite Toys/Activities: She still loves listening to daddy and just watching people. She will be a little fussy and DH will start talking and she just lights up. She loves the boys at the babysitter and is very entertained all day. When I come to nurse her at lunch she is super quick now and wants to get right back to watching them. She is really loving her Exersaucer and is big enough to spin and get to all the toys. It's funny to watch her try to pull all of them into her mouth. She loves her beauty salon and is very into books right now. She looks at each page carefully as you read, until she decides to grab the book and put it in her mouth! She still loves baths and has started to kick her feet and splash a lot.

Dislikes: She still isn't a huge fan of tummy time (she tolerates it), but overall there isn't much she doesn't like. She isn't a fan of being strapped in her car seat, but usually once she's in she will be fine. We are very lucky to have such a happy, easygoing baby.

Words & Sounds: She is really into squealing. It's like one day she just figured out that she could do it and then she didn't stop. She does a little fake laugh that cracks us up. She will also giggle if you tickle under her neck.

Now, if I can just figure out a way to slow time down a bit. I'm sure the next 6 months will be just as fast as the past. We are so incredibly blessed.