6 months???!?

Leah,

How can you POSSIBLY be half a year old already? Where did the time go? Yesterday you were a squishy little ball of sleepy newborn, and now you're a somewhat squishy full-on baby. Yesterday you sighed everytime you exhaled in your sleep; now you roll around in your crib, and usually sleep face down, bottom up in the air. (Oh so cute). I can't believe my eyes, but I LOVE who you are right now.

You continue to be the best sleeper I've ever met; you consistently sleep 11 hours at night, and this week I just stopped waking you for a dream feeding before I go to bed. I admit, I don't think you really needed it for quite a while. The very first night, you slept right through, didn't even make a peep. It was easy for you, but hard for me to give that up. You were so warm and cuddly, and you snuggled right up to me, eyes closed, mouth wide, moving your head around until you found what you're looking for. And then you would just relax and eat. It was such a sweet time. Never fear, though; you are still getting lots of opportunities to snuggle mama, and even breastfeed. You eat milk four times a day (6:00 or so, 11:00 or so, 3:00 or so, and 7:00 or so). During the week two of those times each day are bottles but you seem to be fine with that!

You've also been going strong with solids. Besides cereal, you have now tried green beans (which took getting used to, but now you're sort of ok with); peas (which you eat heartily); carrots (which you gag on every time - you HATE carrots); bananas (which you LOVE); yams (which you tolerate); and apricots (which you initially thought were no good but now you eat very well). We have been making your food; it is so easy and cheap I'm not sure what stopped us doing this for Eden!

Developmentally you are amazing. You are about to crawl. Like, any day. You sit on hands and knees and rock back and forth excitedly; you can pick up your hands (one at a time) and balance on three limbs; and you do this very adorable inchworm move - you pull your knees forward (together) and then flatten out to your stomach. This slowly but surely moves you forward. Who needs an army crawl anyway? This is a better workout!

You've figured out how to get from all fours to sitting and vice versa. It doesn't matter how we put you down now; you will get into the position you want! One of the sweetest things is when you have been working on your hands and knees for a while, you will flatten to your tummy and rest your head and suck that left thumb. You just watch what's going on so peacefully.

You're a pretty quiet baby most of the time. You squeal when you're really happy or when w are not paying you a much attention as you'd like, and you coo gently at times, and you giggle very well, but most of the time you are content to watch the world and explore your space wide-eyed and silent. We were a little worried that you don't really babble, and then two days ago you made the most beautiful sound a mama can hear from her babe: "mmmmmmuh mmmmmmmuh". I take this to be "mama" and of course encourage it as much as possible. It's so sweet to hear your little voice making new sounds!!

Speaking of laughter, here's a list of a few things almost guaranteed to make you laugh out loud:
1. Sneezing (by other people). It was the first thing you giggled at, an for some reason it is still hilarious!
2. Peek-a-boo. Particularly if it is your eyes that get covered, and particularly I'd there is a good "boo!" involved.
3. Tickling your ribs and/or thighs. You crack UP at this.
4. Eden twirling around and dancing. (this makes me giggle too...)
5. Eden playing this xylophone toy we have. It must be the musical tones, I'm not sure.

You are such a good, sweet, precious baby and while I can't believe it's been half a year since you joined our family, you're so integrated into our fabric, we wouldn't be us without you. You've really completed our family. I might have said this before and it's so cliche, but I had no idea how my heart could love another person as much as it loves your daddy and your sister without bursting. Luckily for me God made our hearts expandable. It's surprising and joyful and all so good.

I love you so much my sweet Munchie.

Love,
Mommy

The Other Mother

My mother is in jail. The "other" side of her showed up, left its mark on her youngest child, and someone noticed. And now she's facing charges that could potentially (but almost certainly won't) land her in the state prison for the rest of her life.

My heart is breaking for her other children, the ones I don't know but am forever connected to. I'm thankful that, for now, they are in a stable home filled with lots of love. I pray that they don't ever return to her care, as much as I know they probably want to. I know they can be OK, that they can turn out just fine as my sister and brother and I did, but I know the terrible things they've faced (and to be honest, they probably have faced much more terrible things than I did, given the differences in our situations) and I know the hard road it is to get to a place of "OK".

I'm angry at her for not changing as I had hoped she would.

I am stubbornly determined to do anything I can to help those three children. Whatever that means.

But most of all, my heart is breaking.

Two wiggly girls

Eden, Leah, and I were sitting on the deck (oh how I love our deck) while Bryan was grilling our dinner a few nights ago and Eden asked to hold Leah. I of course obliged and tried to get a picture, because they're so cute together. Here's how it went:

Eden: Look at me Mommy! I am holding Leah! So coooooooooool!

Leah: Hair! I found hair!

Eden: Hi, Leah! I'm holding you!

Leah: HAIR! Watch this!

Eden: OOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW Leah!

Leah: Haha. Hair!! Death Grip!!

Mommy: Girls, look at me!! (Sing-song voice)

Eden: CH (eese)

Leah: I want to eat you Mommy. :)

Leah: OK I'm done now. Let me down.

Eden: WOOOOAH Leah! Be careful!

Daddy: Hey girls be careful!

Eden: Daddy! What you doin?

Leah: Daddy! What you doin?

Mommy: Eden, say cheese! Smile! Look at me!

Eden: CHEEEEEEEEEEEEESE.

Leah: Hmm. (ponders quantum physics or something. She's a genius, you know)

Mommy: Hey girls! Boogaboogabooga!

Eden: CHEEEEEEEEEEEEESE!

Leah: Hey Mommy! I love that noise!

So, not really a good picture of both of them together (although the one looking at Daddy isn't so bad, I just wish they were looking at the camera!), but a good glimpse into our lives. :)

5 Months

Hey Little Munchie,

You're five months old and even though time is flying by, I am doing my best to hang on to each moment with you as you are now. You are such a sweet, sweet baby. Our friends have commented on how perfect you are, so it's clearly not just me. :) Really, though, you sleep well (last night from 7:15-6:30), you rarely cry, and you are quick to smile. You smile with your whole face - a big, gummy, open mouth smile I LOVE!

You started solids this month, and probably could have started sooner but we were getting settled in our new place. We're taking it slow, but so far you've had rice cereal and oatmeal and you are a CHAMP. You know how to lean in for the spoon (and try to grab it from our hands, of course) and you can down some serious cereal. The first day you tried it you ate almost three tablespoons!

We started doing a bedtime routine for you (read a book, pray together, sing a song, and put you down awake) and you do so great with it. You pretty much always go to sleep with minimal fussing (maybe 1-2 minutes) and you're out for the night! You suck on your left thumb and roll over to your tummy to sleep. I still feed you one last time before I go to bed, but I think it's getting to be more about me than you; I don't think you really need it because you don't usually nurse very long. But I am not ready to stop, especially because I am hyper protective of my milk supply (you're still on breastmilk only (no formula), and I'd like to keep it that way as long as possible!).

Developmentally, you're doing great. You roll both ways, changing position and rolling across the floor; you can pick up toys and bring them to your mouth or shake them; you can babble some sounds ("ba ba" this morning - I'm trying to get a "Mamamamama" out of you but Daddy is of course sabatoging my efforts by flooding you with "Dadadadada"). Best of all, you can sit up! Unassisted! For significant periods of time! You still have to concentrate really hard to play with a toy and sit up, but you can do it. And when we lay you on your tummy, you've started pulling yourself all the way up to hands and knees.

Your favorite person is still Eden, by a long shot. If she is anywhere near, you are smiling and squealing and trying to get her to pay attention to you. And then grabbing a fistful of her hair and trying to eat it. Thankfully she's being very patient so far!

You're such an easygoing baby. This month you've been fighting a slight fever and the only way we can tell is that you're hot - you are just perfectly content. Turns out you have a UTI, poor baby, and you're not even really bothered by it! (Except the medicine - you like to spit it out. You have to stop that, seriously.)

All in all, you're pretty awesome and Daddy and I (and Eden) love you so much! We are so, so happy you've joined our family and made it complete.

Love,

Mommy