Well, it was another 4 lb. gain over the last two months. When the pediatrician came into the room, she said she almost thought this was a one year appointment because Natalie was so big! She also mentioned that Natalie is advanced in her emotional development based on the way she was reacting and expressing herself during the appointment. She had been there a couple of days before and gotten a nose swab (more like brain swab), which she did not enjoy. So she remembered that this was not a place she wanted to be, and she let us know. Onto the stats, tidbits, and photos!
STATS
Length: 27.5" (94%)
Weight: 21 lbs. 3 oz. (98%)
Head: 17.25" (88%)
- Natalie is mobile! She can turn herself all the way around on her tummy now, and she started getting rolling down just before we left to visit our families. Even just a few days in she was spinning and rolling all around the room.
- She took her first flights and did really well. We all know that she's big for her age, so it was pretty hard to keep her contained in our seat space when she really doesn't understand how to obey. She kept trying to grab things from the passengers next to us: magazines, clothes, hair. It was challenging, funny, and embarrassing all at once.
- She met her uncles, aunts, and cousins for the first time.
- She went spelunking. I wore her in the front carrier through a cave at the Craters of the Moon. There was more climbing than I thought, and it was quite a challenge. Natalie seemed to enjoy it, although she grabbed on tight during some of the bigger climbing steps.
- She's making a lot of consonant sounds. She says, "Da da da" a lot. She is very interested in the sounds that can be made with her mouth and watches our mouths a lot.
- She started eating solid foods! She has had rice cereal, applesauce, peas, and sweet potatoes so far. I think she has enjoyed eating solids. She has been opening her mouth for the spoon since we first tried it, and she is getting better at moving the food back for swallowing.
- She got her two bottom teeth only a couple of days apart toward the beginning of the month.
- She loves to be bounced on our knees!
- She still loves for us to sing to her. She doesn't seem to respond to recorded music as enthusiastically. Singing is one of the only things that can calm her when she gets really crabby, but she knows our songs, and she'll take a breath just before the last note so that she can start wailing again as soon as the song cuts off. Clever girl.
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| Sometimes we match on accident. I guess I'm just drawn to a certain set of colors each day. |
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| Haha! Headband in the front...do rag in the back. She kept scratching her ear, which made a scab that got bigger and bigger every time she touched it, even after I clipped her nails. So I tied a pair of tights around her ears. So fashionable. It didn't stay on great, so I had to bust out her old newborn mittens, which were really tight on her 6-month hands. It eventually healed up. |
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| Homemade baby food. Yum, peas. |
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| So cute in the tub! |
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| Just doing some leisurely reading. |
We visited our families over Natalie's six month "birthday," so the pictures with my family are in this post, and the ones with Jake's family will be in the next post.
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| Natalie with my brother, Jason |
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| With my Grandma |
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| With my Grandma and Grandpa, her only living great grandparents |
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| With my brother, Ryan. He was the only one who could get her to sleep that night. We were so grateful for his "Deep Knee Bends" technique! |
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| With my mom. Not a great face, but the best I had. |
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| A kiss with my dad. Hehe. |
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| Love this picture! They are so cute together! |
I just can't believe we've already spent half a year with this girl! She is growing so fast, and although I knew the time would pass too quickly, I didn't realize how sad I would be to see each stage be left behind or how exciting it would be to welcome each new stage. Motherhood is everything I could have dreamed! I am so grateful to have been blessed with a baby, and a pretty great one at that.
