Halfway to One Year!

Lila is 6 months old. She is so much fun. I love this age! And I know I say this every month, but she has changed so much!

Here are her stats from today's appointment:

Weight 16 lb, 15 oz ~ 75th percentile
Length 26.5 inches ~ 75th percentile
Head circumference Don't remember the measurement but nurse said 50th percentile

Sizes: 6-9 months in mostly everything, some 12 month pants and sleepers. Size 3 diapers and she's worn everything from Target brand to Pampers. I like Huggies overnights for nighttime. It's getting harder to change her diaper because she is so wiggly!!

Eating: Lila usually eats around 5 times a day. She nurses in the morning right before Neil takes her to daycare, two feedings of pumped milk at daycare (4-5 oz each around 11am and 2:30pm), nurses around 5:30 when we get home and again around 8:30 or 9. Sometimes she gets a bottle in the evening before bed and does occasionally wake once to eat at night between 3-5am.

I'm still pumping away at work! I've found that pumping twice a day is usually enough for her bottles the next day. I pump anywhere from 3-6 oz a session. If I don't make enough we do supplement with formula. Lila seems to have no problems with the regular Enfamil formula. I'm glad I have no qualms with formula because Lila won't drink frozen then thawed milk. Right now I think I'm going to continue nursing and pumping. I'm so proud to have made it to my goal of 6 months!

We started solids this month. So far she's had sweet potatoes, rice cereal, pears, peaches, rice cracker things (Baby Mum-mums) and banana. She is not very interested in eating purees and really prefers feeding herself. I'm trying to keep it light and fun and never make her eat! The nurse at the pediatrician's office said we can do table foods with her and not worry with purees. I think we'll do a little of both. I may send purees with her to daycare so she can eat some there.

Sleeping: We ditched the swaddle and the bassinet this month and Lila is happily sleeping upstairs in her own room. She was totally ready! She sleeps every which way - on her side, belly and back! She is always in a different position when I peek in at her. She goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:30 and sleeps until 7:30 or 8 with the occasional night waking. She's doing much better at falling asleep on her own. I can tell that she just wants me to put her down sometimes when I'm rocking her or holding her. She loves watching her crib soother (Fisher Price Rainforest) and of course her "friend" the glow seahorse. We are trying to introduce a lovey but she doesn't seem to like to hold on to it for too long.

She is also napping much better at daycare! She was sleeping really poorly in the baby room - like 30-45 minute naps. They moved her upstairs to a darkened quiet room and now she takes two 1-3 hour naps! She is so much more rested now and I think it's helping her nighttime sleep.

Talking: She babbles non stop!! Her favorite thing to say? Da-da-da-da!! All day long! She doesn't say mama at all but says pretty much everything else. I think when she figures out this talking thing she might not stop!

Motion: She's crawling!! She can cover serious ground with her army crawl. We have to baby-proof soon, she is in to everything. The other day I laid her on the ground and then looked back a minute later and she was across the room ripping up a piece of paper. She rolls like crazy too. I'm so not ready for this!

Developmental milestones:

- Crawling (on belly)

- Can sit for as long as she wants but can't get into a seated position on her own yet

- Feeds herself

- Drinks from sippy cup (we have to help a little bit)

- Passes objects from hand to hand

- A lot of other things!

Lila loves:

- Her ball and soft book and piano

- Bath time!

- her own reflection

- peekaboo and "I'm a little teapot"

- banging and throwing things! (toys, food, cups)

- still likes her pacifier for bedtime, but spits it out after she's asleep

Lila doesn't like:

- Doesn't have much patience for books, except for her soft one with teethers!

- Getting her nose wiped! Oh my, that's been a challenge!

- Rice cereal

Firsts:

First time at the beach and lake
First time in sand
First cold!
First solid food.
First night in her crib, first night unswaddled.
Started sitting in high chairs at restaurants and in the front part of shopping carts

It's been a really great month!