6 Months!

We can't believe it! Our little bug is half a year old today. We are amazed at how fast it seems to have gone and how much fun we are having with this whole parenting thing. Fiona makes us incredibly proud and we are very thankful for her every day. We are also glad to have such a momentous day fall on a weekend and have had a delightful time spending the day together.

In the last month, she has added these talents to her expanding repertoire:

• Going to sleep ON HER OWN: this is big. She used to need to be rocked to sleep for every nap and bedtime. Thanks to the two pacifier system designed by A (our day care provider), she can now put herself to sleep. I miss some of the cuddles, but it is a good skill for her to have.
• Touching faces: faces are very cool. She loves to touch and grab lips and noses. We try to keep her fingernails clipped because otherwise this is a painful game.
• Thrill rides: She loves to be tossed in the air, bounced up and down, and pretend dropped. Sure to get a huge smile and if you are really lucky, you get giggles too.
• Sticking out her tongue while concentrating: Like parents, like daughter.
• Sitting: I was going to write "perfectly capable, yet chooses not to," but as of yesterday, she can sit on her own. She loses focus and face plants quite often, but is quite proud to be able to sit and play now.
• Mobility: Fiona rolls across rooms! She showed off this skill at her last physical therapy session. They were impressed at her skills - and so were we ... first time she had ever done it. She'll pivot herself too in order to get the right angle to get to the toy she wants. Baby gate ... here we come.
• Easily distracted while eating: this is a developmental milestone on the list of things babies do. Mike and I would like to return it. Sometimes it is hard work to feed this girl because the world is so cool!
• Sitting in a restaurant high chair: we went out to lunch with our friends E&M today. Fiona sat in the Applebee's high chair all by herself and loved it. She flirted with E, with the people in the booth next to us, and with Daddy. Funny girl.
• Eating solids: she's up to 2 meals a day and thoroughly enjoys eating at the table with the big people. We haven't found a food she doesn't like and she seems happy with the baby food that Mike and I are making. She's even started finger foods with some baby puffs (like cheerios).
• Jumping: She can make the jumperoo rattle like crazy with her enthusiasm. She's even figured out that she can get it bouncing and then pull her feet up to really enjoy the bounce. When we first bought the jumperoo, we needed to put a blanket on the floor so she could reach. I was looking today and I think Mike needs to raise it up a level because it's too low. SLOW down, little girl ;-)

We are all happy that spring is on the way. Can't wait to get out with Fiona and Yogi and enjoy some warm weather and sunshine. She will be a great age for summer and we anticipate much fun!

6 month stats ....

• Clothing size: just getting into 6-9 month clothes. 3-6 mos onesies fit, but all pants have turned into capris (long legs - my girl!)
• Weight: unofficially around 16 lbs. We have our well check in early April
• Eating: 2 meals of solid foods and 20-25 oz of milk/day. I'm still nursing and pumping and we'll continue on that path until it doesn't work anymore.
• Sleeping: Couple short naps in the morning, long afternoon nap, cat nap before dinner, and bed between 8:30-9:30. All of these are "usually"
• Teeth: no shows so far