6 months today

Annie is 6 months old today- it is amazing! She has grown so much, but is still such a little thing- I think she seems so little because I have Riley to compare her to…she has her 6 month well-baby check on Wednesday, so I will have her stats then, but I want to get some thoughts down today for me to remember!

Miss Annie….

LIKES:
Nursing! She really, really likes to nurse, and I just love it…except in the middle of the night of course. After my c-section, my biggest concern was not being able to nurse her. It was quite a long time after she was born before I was even able to try- they wouldn’t let me the first day at all, so it was in the afternoon of the second day before I even got her to my breast, but she took right to it and we have been going strong since then. Of course, I am starting to think that part of our sleeping problems might be because she likes it so much, but I am not ready to stop, so on we go! Six months was my first goal…now I would like to be able to nurse her until she is a year. We will see how it goes!

Her big sister! It is amazing to me to watch them together- I think they will be great friends...I am not naïve to think that they will always like each other, but I really think that the bond that has already formed between them will last forever. I think I have said this before, but Annie often only has eyes for Riley. When we pick her up from school together, it is Riley she smiles for, laughs for, looks for.

Playing! When she is in a good mood, she will play by herself for long periods of time- in her exersaucer, in her play gym, just on a blanket on the floor. She loves toys that make noise, like all babies, and really doesn’t have a favorite toy. But she just loves them all! She has really good hand control, I think, for a baby her age, and she loves to grab at things.

Her daddy! He can always make her laugh- and has a really calming effect to help her get to sleep. I call him the Baby Whisperer!! He did the same thing with Riley! Since her sleep has been really, really bad lately (see Dislikes!), Todd has been helping a lot at night. At dinner, I get to coax her into eating in between the fusses (she is usually tired at dinner and sometimes cranky), but as soon as she looks at her daddy, she is ALL smiles.

Baths! Oh, how she loves her baths! Now that she can sit up pretty well, she has been so interested in looking around and playing with toys in the bathtub. And she especially likes to look in the big mirror at herself and me. And she loves to splash! The only thing she does not like about her bath is getting her neck washed- she even doesn’t mind water in her eyes!
More likes: Angel, the cat, especially pulling her fur; butternut squash and sweet potatoes and peaches; chewing on everything; riding in the car; being nosy; her stroller; her paci


DISLIKES:
Sleeping! Definitely number one on this list! She often falls asleep very well at night, but she usually fights her naps and now she is just taking little short ones. And lately at night, she is up at least 2-3 times to nurse, and then several times in between that just fussing. Sometimes I can soothe her with her paci and SleepSheep, sometimes I have to pick her up and rock her. Sometimes Todd can get her back to sleep, unless she wants to nurse and then she wants nothing to do with him, of course. There is just NO consistency, and I am really starting to feel the effect of 6+ months of sleep deprivation- my memory is shot, as is my patience. Sometimes I can’t even find words- it is so frustrating….we need to make some changes now that she is a little older, I just don’t really know what to do….

Her snowsuit! She fusses every single time I put her in it, I have no idea why! And then never mind trying to buckle her into her car seat with it- she is all wiggly and impossible….

Being sick! Of course, this is kind of a no-brainer, but she was pretty miserable when she was sick. It was sad to hear her cough and cough and really couldn’t do anything about it. And she absolutely HATES having her nose suctioned…can’t blame her though! Thank goodness she is feeling much better now.

Other dislikes: when Roxie the dog licks her face; when I take too long to feed her; being cold after her bath