Dear Emily,
You are 6 months old now! That’s half a year old!! You weigh 12 lbs, 12 oz and are 24.5” long. You are 50th percentile for your length, but only in the 5th percentile for your weight…just a petite little girl. You are petite all over except for your thick, chunk legs, which I just LOVE! I swear half your body weight is in those chunk legs – haha! You've changed so much in just a short amount of time!
We’ve had to take all the padding out of your car seat and bouncy seat this past month – you just don’t need the extra support anymore!
We are STILL nursing - yay for us! You have only had formula for a few days (when mommy had an eye infection and had to take some medicine). But, even then, it was mixed with breast milk. You have also stayed sick free so far! I’m attributing this to nursing you – it’s just SOOO good for you. You’ve avoided RSV from Abby (after she sneezed in your face) and also a cold from me and daddy. I can’t believe you still haven’t gotten sick! 6 months is a good nursing milestone and a lot of people stop after 6 months. Dr. Joe says 6 months is awesome and anything past 6 months is icing on the cake. So, I’m relieved at reaching the 6 month mark. I would love to nurse you for 1 year and that’s my goal, but girl..you have started biting mama! You don’t have any teeth yet, but gums hurt too. I’m trying to teach you not to do that b/c once a tooth gets me, I think that’ll be the end of our nursing time. =( I yell “No” to you and take you off and you give me the strangest look, like “what in the world did I do?!!” It’s so funny, but won’t be funny when teeth are involved!! Ouch!
You have found your feet this past month and love to try to eat your toes. I’ve been showing them to you for a while – just waiting for you to notice them.
You also sat up all by yourself this past month – although, you haven’t fully mastered sitting up on your own. You will sit up for a few seconds before you topple over to the side. We practice sitting up a lot – I sit you up every time I wake you up from your naps. You give me the biggest smile like you are so proud of yourself. Then, you just topple over to the side. Of course, you would rather stand up than sit up. You push with those strong legs of yours to stand up when I try to get you to just sit up. You are ready to get on the move!
You've REALLY started sucking your thumb this past month. You found your thumb a while back and would randomly suck on it, but lately, you suck on it almost every time you go down for a nap or to sleep at night. I'll look at the baby monitor and find that thumb in your mouth!
You also started playing in your jump-a-roo this past month. We borrowed Abby’s jumpie and you LOVE it. Of course, it’s a little big for you, so we have to stuff blankets all around you and put something under your feet, so you can jump big. You even try to jump when we are just holding you. Jumping is your new fav thing to do (besides cuddling with mommy, of course). =)
You had your very 1st Easter this past month. We went to an egg hunt and you met the Easter Bunny. On Easter morning, we went to church and you slept in my arms. Then, we had brunch at Aunt Lisa and Uncle Bo’s house – it was a great day. The Easter Bunny came to see you too – he left you some goodies in your Easter Basket and mommy bought you two swim suites for the summer – a tradition I want to start with you is giving you two swim suits each Easter for the upcoming Summer. They’ll be great for our upcoming swim lessons and beach trip!
Your little personality is really starting to come out now – you just talk and talk and “growl” and talk some more. You are so funny. I think you like to hear yourself talk. Our house will never be quiet again – I love it!
You also love to be tickled – your sweet spot is on your chunk thighs. You will just laugh and laugh when we tickle you there. You also will just look at Mommy or Daddy and smile so big – you are SUCH a happy girl! You love to smile and laugh.
You have started to get specs of brown in your dark gray/blue eyes. I figured they would start turning brown - just wasn't sure when it would happen.
You had your 1st vegetable this past month too – squash. We have been introducing a new vegetable once a week. We are on our last one (sweet potatoes) and will start inducing yummy fruits this coming month (6 months). You are eating veggies twice a day (lunch and supper). I’m trying to teach you to keep your hands by your side while you eat, so you won’t make a mess. I’m also trying to teach you some sign language (please and more). I know you have the ability to understand things long before you have the ability to vocally communicate. We’ll see how quickly you can pick up these signs. I’m hoping to teach you some others after you master these – hopefully, it will help alleviate some of the frustration you might feel when you can’t tell vocally tell Mommy what you want. =)
Random – my nickname for you is “punk” and “punky.” I have called you this since you were born. I know it came from me calling you “pumkin head” b/c you had a hat in the shape of a pumpkin when you were a newborn (since a Fall baby). It got shortened into “punk” and “punky.” It just fits you so well…you are my little punky. =) Some other nick names I have for you: Emmie, Emmie Wimmie, Em, Miss Em. I have really tried to call you Emily more lately b/c I have noticed I hardly ever call you by your actual name. You are going to think your name is Punky. =) My mama use to call me Jenny Penny, Jenn or Jenn Jenn. I guess nicknaming comes from her. I bet she would call you Emmie Wimmie.
Sweet girl, you just have no idea how much mama loves you! I literally love you more every single day. I love watching you learn new things – seeing the look on your face when hear a new noise or see something new. It’s like I get to live my life all over again through your sweet, innocent little eyes. I want so much to bottle up this time I’m having with you and keep if forever and ever, but I know that’s impossible and it makes me a little sad. I’m trying to soak it all in as much as I can. I want you to grow up big and strong, but wish you could stay my baby girl forever. Well, you WILL be my baby forever – you’ll be my 50 year old sweet, baby girl punky punk. =) You just remember that!
Love,
Mama
