I cannot believe the munchkin is already six months old. I was looking at pictures of her on my husband's phone and cannot believe how much she's changed since March. It's been another month of milestones for our little family.
Little L is sitting up well without support. I think the big cloth diaper helps her balance a little. She loves her feet so reaching for those is what usually causes her to fall over. She can get her big toe in her mouth which makes diaper changes a little interesting. She's good at scooting herself backwards and still rolls a lot so she gets her way around the living room. Not crawling yet but she does plank pose so I think it's coming soon!
We got an umbrella stroller recently and it's finally cool enough in the mornings to walk so we're spending more time outside. When she's fussy, going out always works. This was the first week to take L to work with me at the zoo. I co-lead a Mommy and Me program two mornings a week with 18 month-3 year olds and so far she likes it. My coworker brings her 10 month old daughter who loves this new live doll to play with!
We introduced pureed foods last week. I've been making it myself which so far has been easy. We started with sweet potatoes and then introduced whole grain oatmeal and bananas. She liked all of them but makes a big mess. She likes to put her hands and her bib in her mouth, reach for the table and pound on her tray and occasionally will get a bite in. I tried avocado a couple times yesterday and she wasn't a fan. Getting in feeding times has definitely been an adjustment in our daily schedule. I'm working on finding times that she's hungry enough to try these new tastes but not so hungry that she's too fussy and won't cooperate. I've got mixed feelings about this new phase. On the one hand, I'm looking forward to not having to pump as much so she has food when I'm away working, but I'm also a little sad that I won't sit and hold her as often. And the diapers smell worse.
It's been a little rough as she goes through teething. Nothing's popped through yet but I can tell she's working on it. She's not as drooly as she was a couple months ago but she chews hard on her (and anyone else's) fingers and her Sophie. We've had bouts of diaper rash and she has more frequent fussy periods. She doesn't cry but yells. To calm her down we have to hold her and move around the room or outside. I haven't used the rocking chair as much as I thought I would; she gets too restless. I think it's affected her sleeping. She isn't sleeping for as long of a stretch as she was a month ago. I do love hearing her when she's awake for the day. L loves the sound of her own voice and just chatters away. She is quite the soprano.
I've been thinking about what my life looks like now in terms of rest. When people ask me how I'm doing, my first response is to talk about the munchkin, but that's not the right answer. Do I even stop to consider how I'm doing? What does Sabbath look like now? I can't just not take care of her, but I could let the dishes stay in the sink or ask my husband to help me with the laundry so I can sit and read or journal for awhile. And in my prayers I need to remember to talk to God about Him and me in addition to praying for everyone else's intentions. I'd love some perspective from those moms that have been there or struggling with me.
