6 Month Letter

April 11^th, 2010

My dearest daughter-

Hard to believe you’ve been in our arms for half a year now. I still can remember every detail of the day you were born, and many from those long heavy days when we still wondered what you looked like! It just doesn’t seem that long ago. I guess in one sense, it was just a blink of an eye ago. In Eternity it will certainly seem that way.

Tonight as I rocked you, sleeping and eating, in my arms, I marveled at you… it’s put me in a very pensive, quiet mood. A very thankful mood. I realize -as deep-down fully as I am able -just how very blessed your Daddy and I are to have you. Your sweet sleeping rosebud mouth, still working on those last drops of rich milk, led me to worship the Giver of all good things. Maybe the old phrase “out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants You have ordained praise” has more than one meaning… It was a moment made eternity; an instant made timeless. I held you and rocked and rocked and rocked in the soft lamplight, breathing in your smell, feeling your softest skin, kissing your truly downy head, enjoying your warmth, your total trust in me, your Mommy, and I realized at once how fleeting these moments are, and also just how long they will be treasured. I held you a lot longer than I usually do.

You are a sunny, happy baby, smiling at most people before they even smile at you. You definitely prefer observing the world from the comfort of my arms, though! Tears usually follow if I leave you, especially in that hated playpen. I hate hearing you cry, and love when I can stop your tears, although sometimes I just HAVE to get dinner done, and so you have to just cry. This month you’ve really taken off in mobility. Instead of just rocking and rolling, now you scoot around. You grab constantly, making shopping at times a nightmare! You taste everything, especially tags, straps & strings, and chair legs. Your favorite toys are water bottles or shoes, or spoons, even though you gag yourself with them. You’ve started crying in definite anger when they things- like spoons or your mom- are taken away. You’ve become a paci baby lately, too, which is fine by us… though that thumb in your mouth was pretty darn cute. You’ve just learned to sit up without tipping over, and you grin with those two teeth of yours to show just how proud you are when you do that. You are a wonderful eater, enjoying bananas, egg yolk, avocado, and starting to drink from a cup without spilling. One of your biggest discoveries this month has been your tongue—you stick it out all the time, and even blow raspberries and spit bubbles. Very cute except at mealtimes. You’ve had your first baths in the big tub and aren’t a fan. Another first has been swinging; at Grandpa Rob’s you went with me on a tree swing. You did seem to like that!

You interact with us more and more. I finally have gotten you to laugh! You still don’t do it much, but in the right mood, tickles under your chin or the word “Boo!” get some giggles out of you. Usually you just grin bigger and bigger and bigger, until it looks like you’re laughing your heart out inside. Nina calls this your silent laugh. As you’ve gotten better at grabbing (pulling your socks off is very fun) and getting around, we’ve had to introduce the phrase “no touch” (Daddy’s version) or “no toques” (Mommy’s version), and some boundaries—like no touching the coffee table, iPhones, or books. Hmmm. That part of interacting with you hasn’t been so fun, but it is really rewarding to watch you learn and respond!

As far as places you’ve visited and people you’ve seen, you went to the zoo and loved it (especially all those two-legged creatures walking outside the cages), and in the past 3 weeks have seen all your grandparents, as well as your only first cousin, Shyanna. You’ve flown out to Portland, Oregon & back, and went with us across the border into Washington state, too. Not a bad travel record for a peanut!

You continue to grow—at your 6 mos checkup you weighed 15.11 lbs and were 27” long. I can’t wait to see what you learn in this coming month! We love you, Boo.

--Mommy

Photos from her 6-month/Easter Photo Shoot (taken April 1st):