six months

Lena!  You are six months old!  That is a big deal.  You are a half a year old.  You reached your half-birthday.  We all did.

During the past month, you celebrated me on Mother's Day, you met your Great Grandma Helen, and you also celebrated your Great Aunt Fern's birthday at a party where you met your second cousins or I believe they may be your first cousins once removed and their kids too.  You grew your first two teeth.  You had your first major cold.

You are quite good at sitting up on your own now.  There is the occasional fall but you've got quite the balance and can pretty much dance your little body around without falling over.  Your eye-hand coordination has definitely improved and you are very good at picking things up and putting them where you want - usually your mouth.  You like to pick through bins of toys and find one that is suitable to you.  You have good leg strength and are able to hold onto us and pull your body up to a standing position.  You beam with pride every time you do it.  You also made your first sign - milk!

Speaking of which, you started eating solids a few days ago.  You began with sweet potatoes and were quite pleased with them.  We then tried your second food - avocados - and you were just as enthusiastic.  You never cry for more milk when you finish a bottle yet you have cried on three different evenings when your food was all gone.

You have had been a little rough in the sleep department the past month, probably due to the teething and the cold.  The solids seem to be filling you up more as you've settled down in the past week into your old routine of only getting up once during the night to eat.  We've also just started putting a stuffed animal and a blankie in the crib with you and they seem to do a good job keeping you entertained until you drift off to sleep.  Your cold allowed you to spend a few nights sleeping in our bed and how much we loved having your little body between us.  I think we both secretly want you to get sick again so you need our comfort.

Before having you, I told people that six months and beyond is what it's all about - that I wish I could just give birth to a six month old.  How wrong was I.  I have enjoyed every moment of your life - from when you were a wee newborn to the little person you have become.  I am so grateful for you and for everything I have been able to witness as you have grown up these past six months.  I look forward to what the latter half of your first year will bring.