6 Months

I have been thinking about this post for quite some time now. I often thought to myself, "It will be so weird when she is 6 months old, that is soooo old!" And, alas, here we are... 6 months! Half a year! Really clock, time to slow down a bit...

Here are the 6 month stats:
Weight: 13 lbs 8 oz (8th percentile)
Length: 24.5 inches (5th percentile)
Accomplishments:
Sitting
Rolling from stomach to back
Starting to show interest in solids (Currently enjoying carrots and sweet potatoes)
Reaching well for toys

Pincher grasp established
Recognizing familiar faces
Saying, "yayaya and dadada"
Sleeping: 6:30 PM-6:30 AM
Naps: 3 per day
Nursing: every 2-3 hours

Isn't God incredible? Sometimes I think about the fact that I single-handedly sustained another human life for 15 months and I am just awe-struck. She went from a single cell to a 13 pound person in less than a year and a half just on the nutrition and support I provided. How lucky are we, as mothers, that we get to experience this relationship?

Here are some other numbers I worked up, just for fun: (All estimates, of course)
Weeks Old: 26
Days Old: 182
Diapers Changed: 1460
Poopy Diapers: 25
Loads of Diapers Washed: 80
Hours Spent Nursing: 728
Trips to the Dr: 5 (all well-baby checks)
Teeth: 0
Clothing: 3-6 months


(I look at those numbers and I can't help but think about Michelle Duggar. Those numbers relate to 6 months, with one baby. Times that by 23 years and 19 babies.)

mmmm...Carrots!

Naked play time after bath

Ready to show-off how big I am!

See! 

A New Perspective

Last week I reported a lack of exciting milestones or accomplishments; Charlotte must have read the blog. This week she has exploded with major accomplishments. Most notably: sitting and rolling! I believe she has a personal coach living in her crib that spends all night teaching her how to do these things so in the morning she can amaze us with her newly acquired skills. One day she couldn't sit or roll, and the next day she could! She has yet to roll from her back to her stomach, but she is a pro at getting from her tummy to her back.  As our Dr. put it, "It's harder to be a turtle than a lion." My thoughts exactly...
Tackling these feats came as a great relief for Jeremy. I told him, per "standards" she should be rolling by 6 months. She made it just in time! Good thing too, he was researching rolling schools and getting ready to sign her up for intensive roll-training. That would have been expensive...
Not much change in the solid food department. I have over the past week offered every delectable fruit and vegetable I can find and she continues to turn her nose. Even the idea of food in her mouth is offensive. I'm throwing in the towel.  If she wants to eat, she can just say so. I can guarantee she won't go to kindergarten exclusively breastfed.  I kid... But really, I'm going to take a break for a few weeks and then try again. No point in trying to force the issue.
I failed as a mother and did not purchase Charlotte an Easter dress. I will go hunting tomorrow, but might be out of luck.  I did get her a basket (well a bucket actually) and am hoping the Easter Bunny comes by to fill it up. I won't tell her if he doesn't. I will send him a strongly worded letter inquiring why my daughter was left out of his circulation and ensuring it doesn't happen again next year.

Happy Easter everyone! 

I didn't really know where to go with this blog. This week hasn't been full of exciting milestones, or wondrous achievements. I read a lot of other blogs where the women post witty observations about day-to-day events, often turning the otherwise mundane into hilarity and irony. I thought, maybe I have something to write about that doesn't involve an update on Charlotte.  But then I got real with myself. Everything in my world involves Charlotte right now. Why fight it?  And, if my goal for this blog is to have an accurate, detailed record of her first year, I should probably stick with the happenings of her world.
As I mentioned last week, I have been wrestling with the issue of introducing solids for quite some time now. I know a few years down the road I will think to myself, "why did you care so much about that?" Seeing as how it is really not that big of a deal whether she eats at 4 months or 6; but for right now, it has become a big decision for this mommy-brain. After I had decided to wait until 6 months, I stumbled across an aggravating article that told me I was actually doing her harm by not starting at 4 months. Why must I torture myself with research? Anyway, taking it all into consideration, I decided to give it a go this week, starting with banana. Fail. At first, I handed her a piece and let her gnaw on it. Every time it entered her mouth, she made the most pitiful, disgusted face I have ever seen. I thought I would mash it up and help her out, that was even more offensive! Okay, how about pear? Fail. Same reaction.  I am forgoing rice due to its propensity to cause constipation. The last thing this once a week pooper needs is something slowing down her tortoise-paced bowels. After seeing other babies reaching out for their food, opening their mouth to the approaching spoon, crying when the food is gone,  it is clear that Charlotte is not ready/wanting to start eating regularly yet. Phew! I wasn't really wanting to start yet either :)  So, 2 more weeks and we will try again.

Slow and steady may be the motto of this little girl's life.

In a similarly slow fashion, she is taking her sweet time with the whole rolling conquest. I just hope she doesn't figure it out while unattended on the changing table or bed. Wait, I would never do that...Pretty sure she will be rolling before her first day of kindergarten.

Jer and I did have the extreme pleasure of going on our second date in 6 months. We went to a fabulous dinner at Olive Garden (on Santa) and a $3 movie.  I love spending less than $10 on a whole evening out! We almost missed our movie because we were so deep in conversation at dinner, we lost track of time. I even forgot we had a baby at home for like 35 seconds! Charlotte was in the wonderfully loving arms of her Grammy and Pop and was a complete angel.

The house is really coming together. The playroom was completed this weekend and is fabulous! Now, we just need some toys, and a baby that can move and we're all set! I'd say a few more weeks and things will be back to normal. Nay, better than normal!

Darlin' Reach Out....Reach Out...

No item in this household is safe. No plate, glass, nose, eyeball, hair, pen, cell phone. The once immobile, unaware infant is actively reaching and grabbing at anything and everything that comes within eye shot of her now voluntarily controlled arms.  What a big change! No longer can my dinner plate be at the edge of the table, no longer can my glass of water sit on the desk. In the mornings, after Charlotte has chatted happily with herself for 15 minutes, I go into her room and find her, arms outstretched with a giant smile on her face. Could a day start any better? 

We were overjoyed to spend last week with our brother and sister-in-law and our incredibly handsome little nephew (who happens to be 2 days younger than Charlotte). Unfortunately they live too far away, and it took 5 months for us to finally get to meet the little guy! We had a blast, and the babies, of course, love each other already! David did his best to teach Charlotte how to roll over, to no avail. Though she was utterly impressed with his gross motor skills. We miss them dearly and are looking forward to our visit this summer. I am so excited for Charlotte to have 2 cousins her same age! I wasn't so lucky, so I had to marry Jer, because he has some pretty great cousins and I needed a few. 

As always, Charlotte continues to brighten our every day. And so has this sunshine. What a welcome and drastic change in weather! We have spent every possible moment outside and I think Charlotte is taking after her sun-loving Mama. 

Also, I finally threw in the point-and-shoot towel and upgraded to a digital SLR. Of course, I have no idea how to use it, but I have a very kind man waiting on an instructional DVD to tell me how. I just couldn't stand to miss one more smile while my camera took 5 seconds to focus. And this baby is way too cute to not have good pictures of her. See...