Height + Weight: 26″ (54% percentile) | 17 lbs 3.5 oz (71% percentile)

We had her 6 month appointment this morning, and she is as healthy (and chunky) as can be! We got the go-ahead to move up to Stage 2 baby food, so we’ll start on that soon. 

Milestones: At the beginning of the month, Leighton figured out that she could reach out for things, such as toys, our food, and our phones. While we were cooking dinner one night, she was strapped into her bumbo chair and I saw her reaching toward one of her toys that was sitting on the dinner table. Next thing I knew, she’d managed to pull it down onto her bumbo tray to play with! Her hand/eye coordination seems to be improving every day. It’s also pretty adorable when she reaches out at us with both arms so she can feel our faces.

Likes: Anything she can put in her mouth — she does not discriminate. Rolling over to her tummy AS SOON as she’s laid down on her back — and then looking at us with the biggest smile ever, because of course she is so smart to have rolled over all by herself!

She’s working SO hard to crawl, which scares me a little, but it’s fun to watch. She’s currently pretty frustrated about the fact that her legs won’t cooperate so she can be on the move, but she still manages to scoot and roll in multiple directions. It’s amazing how far she can get in just a few minutes! 

Dislikes: She really does not appreciate having her face and hands wiped off after each baby food meal. Lately, she has also started going crazy on the changing pad (especially when she’s tired or hungry) squirming and trying to flip over to her tummy while being changed or having clothes put on, which makes for a fun situation for everyone involved!

Fun stuff  & firsts: In the solid food journey, she’s continued with trying puréed carrots, bananas, green beans, peaches, peas, and prunes. We’ve been busy this month when it comes to food! We typically feed her in the morning and evening, and she’s eating more and more each time. It’s so nice that she can sit in her bumbo chair at the table with us while we eat dinner now. (And a first for us would be actually eating dinner at the table and not in the basement while watching tv… we’re growing up, too!)

In mid-February, we left her with someone other than my mom for the first time ever! Our sweet neighbor Tiffany (who has a little girl just a few months older than Leighton) offered to watch her so we could have a nice dinner out with my family, and it went well. I’m so glad to have checked that “first” off the list!

She usually sleeps until somewhere between 2:30-4:30am, eats, and then goes right back to sleep till about 7. I’ll be so happy when she’s finally sleeping through the night, but I really don’t mind this little routine we have together, knowing that it won’t last forever. (And oh, how nice it’ll be to finally have a full night’s sleep!) We’re in the process of transitioning her feeding schedule to drop the 5pm feeding now that she’s eating solid foods 2-3 times a day. 

Some funny things right now: She flaps her arms like a little bird trying to fly, kicks her feet in the air and then slams them down into the ground when she’s lying on her back, and has started sticking out her teeny tiny tongue while being fed, which is so cute.

One of my absolute favorite things right now is her sweet, gummy smile, which she shows off all the time, especially when I look at her and make funny faces. She has the softest cheeks ever, and I love holding her next to my face so I can feel her chubby little cheeks.

Our baby girl is 6 months old today! Where in the world has the time gone since September 10th? I guess it’s mostly gone to sleepless nights (which are thankfully a distant memory now), diaper changes, feeding every 3 hours (except at night), and taking 483,790 pictures on our iPhones, right? It’s hard for me to comprehend that our baby is already halfway to being a year old. I’ll share my usual monthly update tomorrow after her 6 month checkup, but for now, I wanted to write Miss LL a 1/2 birthday letter. One day, I hope to print out all of these blog posts to save for her and for us – you know, in case blogs become a thing of the past one day…

LayLay,

I can’t believe you are 6 months old today. It feels like the day you were born was such a short time ago, but it also feels like you’ve been in our family forever. I’ve never been so exhausted in my life, but I’ve also never felt such great purpose and joy. These 6 months have been such a whirlwind for us. At times, we’ve been tired, frustrated, worried, and uncertain. But more importantly, we’ve never felt happier and more complete.

So many times, I catch myself wondering if it’s all a dream, because it certainly sometimes feels like it. Whether I’m sitting on the floor playing with you and watching you grab for toys with such concentration and giving my the biggest smile, or I’m spending the afternoon shopping and having lunch with you and your Grandma (my sweet, amazing mom and the best babysitter ever), or we’re enjoying an afternoon walk with your daddy and Coco when he gets home early from work… so many times, I just want to pinch myself that this is now my everyday. How did I get so lucky?  I count my blessings every single day that God chose us to be your parents and that He chose you to be our daughter. I’m beyond thankful that things fell into place for me to be able to stay home with you and run my business on my own time so that I can soak up every minute with you. As they say, the days are long but the years are short.

There are so many things that I love about you right now, at this age. Your smile, as your Grandma says, truly melts hearts. That gummy, innocent, joyous smile is one of my most favorite things in the world. I don’t care how goofy I have to act, even in public, to get that smile out of you!

You are all of a sudden so fascinated by your puppy sister Coco, and it’s the cutest thing to see you reaching out for her with both hands. She’s been so sweet and gentle with you, and I can only hope that will continue over the years. I have no doubt she’ll be your best friend if you share your food with her (she already loves the special job of licking your baby food-covered hands whenever she gets the chance).

We have a lot of nicknames for you! Some of my favorites: LayLay, LayLay Bear (because we call your puppy sister Coco Bear), Monkey (because you’re proving to be quite the little spider monkey lately), and your daddy’s latest creation, Punky Tootster (hehe, please don’t hate us for that one when you’re older!).

I selfishly kind of love that “nobody does it quite like mommy does” — at least for the time being. You make me feel like a super hero when I’m the only one who is able to calm you or comfort you, even though I don’t do anything differently than anyone else… it’s just because we have a special bond.  I feel like after 10 months of being pregnant with you, I’ve earned that, right?? But seriously, I think your daddy would appreciate you throwing him a bone every once in a while, too. 😉

I love your chubby cheeks, your fuzzy hair, and your puffy little wrists. I love when you grab for our faces with both tiny hands and look at us with those beautiful, big blue eyes. I love your squeals and groans and other funny noises, especially the ones you make when you eat. I love your hilarious obsession with chewing on wet paper towels – I’m pretty sure they’re your favorite food right now.

Your personality is really starting to develop more each week, and we are so excited to watch you grow, learn, and take in this big world around you. As I say to you probably a hundred times a day, I’ll kiss you and love you till the end of time!