I had my daughter 6 months go today. WOW! Just… wow! Already I have found myself several times over looking at pics from the day (night) she was born. She changed, grown so much. Will it always be this fast? My heart might not be able to take this.  I love this kid so much! It’s intense. It keeps my heart so full, grateful, scared, yet content and happy.

She is full of energy. I can’t imagine how much more rough she’ll be as a toddler. She surprises everyone with how “big” she behaves. No rest for me. She wants me on the ground with her 90% of the time so she can crawl all over me, damage me or use me as a brace to stand. The other 10% of the time, I’m chasing her lightning reflexes putting everything into her mouth or climbing over her safe-zone.

Baby Update

Shiv is such a champ, I kid you not! She is not staying down. She is just go, go, go and ready to take on the world.

DIET

She’s through being exclusively breastfed. We made it and I’m so excited! However, as she has started to bite and watch (guage) my reaction, she hasn’t long left on here. I’ve just started supplementing her diet in the past week or so. The breast milk on its own just doesn’t hold her for very long anymore and there were days when she would nurse every hour and a half. She wakes much more at nights for feedings than the once or twice she used to. Now it’s more like three or four. But once she get’s her milk, she rolls over and off back to sleep.

New Foods

I’ve fed her apple sauce (Mott’s) and she loves it. Gobbles it up! She is thoroughly excited to be eating from a spoon and plate. She has had a jar of Heinz mixed fruits but, to me that is syrup, so no more of that. She didn’t especially like it anyway. She’s also had homemade pumpkin and gravy and loved it. What she isn’t loving is carrots. I won’t force her to have what she doesn’t want as long as the balance of her diet isn’t compromised. I remember as a child how vehemently I despised it when my parent did it. I won’t do that to her.

She’s betrayed us both and is a porridge lover. Yikes!

After delaying it for as long as I possibly could, I have thus far attempted to introduce formula two days in a row. She isn’t having it. She spits it out and every bottle I’ve made thus far ends up tossed. (I’m not about to dink that foul-tasting milk, please don’t suggest that I do, lol). Truth be told, I know she still needs milk so I’m not sure about what to do yet. Though she hasn’t has a whole lot of experience drinking from a bottle, she consumes breast milk from it fine, so I’m sure it’s the milk she doesn’t want. Never the less, I’m wanting to try one of the bottles that mimic the breast, maybe it’ll be helpful, I’ll keep you posted.

WEIGHT

She’s got some weight on her. Born a tiny 6 lbs, 4oz and taken home at 5 lbs, 8oz, her now weighing over 20 lbs is quite humbling. She definitely hurts my hands and back after a while walking with her or just holding her now.

MILESTONES

•  At 4 months, she was sitting up on her own, if a little wobbly.
• At 5 months, she is holding on and standing.
• Now at 6 months, she is attempting to let go.
• She is also attempting to creep. She hasn’t quite figured out how to make a go of it when she gets up on all fours and almost always end up falling over due to tangled legs. So far she gets up on them, builds up momentum swinging and launches herself forward. But she’s dedicated. It won’t be long now.
• She’s been teething a while, but as of today is still my little Gumbella/Gummy bear.

MISCELLANEOUS

• She’s so full of life and personality. One minute, she is all business (baby business) and the next she’ll laugh like a Hyena at some dorky behavior between her father and I. She doesn’t laugh or speak (babble) with strangers and will stare you down.

• Boy, she’s a chatterbox. I love it! It’s just me and her most days and she is loads of company. I can’t wait to hear what she’s thinking. (Or can I?)
• For the last month or so, it’s been invasion of the grown ups bed. After the first week, I attempted to get her back into her own. However, I quickly realized I probably want her in our bed more than she does. I love her cuddles. Boobles endure the occasional face beating during… I guess a dream? But… meh, lol.

Mommy Update

• Tummy. Well, it’s not the almost pancake status I had pre-pregnancy, but I can wear a bikini if I so desire and fell good in it. It will still need me to put in some work to get it down more. We’ll see.
• Stretch Marks. More of the same. They are fading. I would really like them to go a bit faster, but they are going, so I won’t complain.
• Skin. No, my skin has somewhat returned to normal. It is still presenting as dry, and I still have breakouts, though a lot less than I was having at the time of my three month update.
• Postpartum Shedding. It has slowed down, to the point where I think it’s stopped and my hair is just breaking, but I don’t know. As soon as I get myself together following the social and otherwise lock-down my family is experiencing, I’ll be able to treat and all that jazz and find out. In the meantime, I’m just preventing a major disaster.
• Back pain. It’s still there, and is worse with physical labor but I’ll wager that has to do with several hours at a desk working daily and lifting, bending and picking up my now weighty daughter. For the most part, it’s now manageable.
• Sleep. I am still (and probably always will be)perpetually tired. Nothing’s changed there. My baby is a handful period, I’m a stay at home wife and a working mother. Do the math.

I’m just in shock that the time is flying by so fast. I don’t know, mayne. SLOW DOWN!