Six Months Old

Dear Devyn,

I can't believe it! Today you are six months old.  Time has flown by so fast and already you are half a year old. You weighed 13 pounds, 6 ounces this week and I feel as though, developmentally, you are growing by leaps and bounds. You can sit up unsupported now and scoot all over your play mat.  You hold yourself up on your arms—doing your push ups as your dad likes to say—and it will only be a matter of coordination before you figure out how to get those legs under you and crawl.

You also started eating solid food this month, which was pretty exciting for me.  You've been eating rice cereal, applesauce, pears and avocados for about a month, and today you will try sweet potatoes for the first time.  You've taken to it like a champ, and you've liked everything you've tried so far.

We also got you an exersaucer a couple of weeks ago, which you really like.  You can stand up in it and play with all the toys.  I'm amazed at how much you look like a big kid when you play in it.  Your favorite toys right now are that, Sophie the giraffe, a rattle that spins and a soft book that you love to chew on. Our favorite books to read are "Pajama Time" and "You are my I Love You."

We've been going to story time at the library this month, since the new mom's group is over.  I think you really enjoy it.  You love to look at the other babies, and you grin like crazy whenever we sing "Shake my Sillies Out" now, which is how they end each story time.  We've been going with my friend Tiffany and her son Logan, who is two months younger than you.  We still go walking with the stroller club, and you love to go for long walks when you can look around in your stroller.

Your Gran and Pop came to visit this past month, which was really fun.  We got to go to the pumpkin patch and pick out pumpkins, and you looked at all the animals and people. 

You also got your first cold this past week.  I don't think it made you feel too terrible, but you have had a really stuffy nose and maybe an eye infection.  We thought maybe you were cutting a tooth last weekend, because you were really grumpy, but now I'm pretty sure it was your cold that was making you feel poorly.

In the wider world this month, Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, died.  A large, national protest movement called "Occupy Wall Street" is making news, protesting against big banks and financial firms. And a man in Ohio released dozens of wild animals that he owned, which then ran amok in his small town.

It's hard to imagine that in six more months, you will be a year old.  You grow and change so fast, that every time I feel like I'm getting the hang of things, they change again.  It certainly keeps me on my toes! But I wouldn't trade a second of it, my darling.  You are the shining star in my life, now and always.

With more love than you can imagine,
~Mommy