Six Months!

Dear Lila,

Somehow, half a year has already passed by and the tiny, nearly 7-pound newborn that Daddy and I brought home from the hospital back in December has grown into a big, healthy, almost 19-pound 6-month-old!

Here are a few things about you at 6 months:

-You are such a happy baby (see evidence in above photo) and love to smile and giggle. One of the best things in the world is seeing your beautiful face when it lights up!

-The most random things make you laugh. They include: me nibbling on your fingers, me saying the word "doof," when you knock over a toy and I exclaim, "Ai yah!", when someone coughs, when someone sneezes and when your brother laughs.

-You drool. A lot. On everything.

-You really enjoy sucking on your fingers. You also love to stick your toes in your mouth and suck on them. You are quite flexible.

-Sometimes when you're babbling, you sound like a loud, squawking pterodactyl. (By the way, I totally didn't know how to spell "pterodactyl.")

-You're at the stage where you try to grab everything and shove it in your mouth. You especially like to try to grab my food if you are on my lap while I'm eating. I guess you're ready to start solids!

-Your brother is incredibly active and you seem to be following in his footsteps. You are constantly waving your arms, grabbing at things, kicking your feet or wiggling your entire body. You love rolling over onto your tummy and when I leave you in your crib or playpen, you are never in the same spot when I come back to get you!

-I thought you were going to be Daddy's little girl--and you may be when you get older--but right now, you are a total mama's girl. Your face absolutely beams when you see me and there are many times when you want me and only me. This happens especially at night when Daddy is holding you. You scream and cry and sob if I leave you in a room with Daddy but instantly start smiling and cooing as soon as I come back and hold you. This makes me feel good, but Daddy--not so much.

-You are already wearing size 18 months clothing. Everyone keeps asking me the same question: What the heck is in my breast milk? Steroids, apparently.

Happy 6 months to you!

Love,

Mom

Face Plant

Dear Lila,

It's great that you are so good at rolling over now. It's not so great that you often roll over in your sleep and end up face down on your mattress. I can't even tell you how many times I've woken up in the middle of the night, sleepily checked your video monitor, saw your face plant and then bolted out of bed to run to your room, flip you back over onto your back (sometimes a little too hard) and make sure you're still breathing. Oh my god.

Love,
Mom

Morning Cuddles

Dear Lila,

I am not a morning person. I am not the type who bounces out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off. I am more of the hit-the-snooze-button-multiple-times-and-bury-my-face-in-my-pillow type. But I love our early morning cuddles. I usually nurse you around 5am and then we snuggle in my bed until 7am (at which point your brother gets up, runs into the room and hurls himself onto the bed next to us, oof). I love laying next to you with your face just inches away from mine, watching you smile at me, listening to you coo and feeling your fingers graze my nose and cheeks as you gently bat my face. I can't think of a better way to start the day.

Love,

Mom

Glittery Girl

Dear Lila,

You know you're the mom of a little girl when your dryer's lint trap is always full of glitter after you dry a load of laundry.

Love,
Mom

Baby Masseuse

Dear Lila,

You love kicking your little feet in the air. I love getting back massages. This morning, I laid you in my bed so that your feet could kick right against my back. Brilliant!

Love,
Mom