Happy 6 Months Ella!

That's right...time has actually flown by and Ella Katherine is now (gasp)...half a year old! Sometimes I feel that within 6 months, I have learned so much and feel that I know so much about having a baby and then at the same time, every day I face something new that I know nothing about and feel just as new (inadequate?)at this as I did on Day 1. I guess that will just keep me on my toes, right?

Lee and I are learning really well together how to figure things out for ourselves on what is best for our little princess. Whenever we have a question about something, I immediately run to my books or ask my mom or sister about things. At the same time, Lee is running to the internet and when we get the answer that we each think is best...you guessed it...it usually isn't the same answer. But we figure things out by trial and error and so far Ella is still alive and doing well! That's the objective right...to take it day by day and just make sure that she is living by the end of it. (I'm sure you all remember the Sex and the City episode where Miranda tells Steve, "During the week, it's my job to keep the baby alive...during the weekend, it's your job."

Here is her official 6 month picture...

Here are Months 2 and 1, respectively, to compare her size and looks...

There are so many changes in such a short time - her eye opening and face coloring are obviously different, her hair has changed from black to a really light brown, almost blonde, her eyes have gone from just dark (blue or dark gray at birth) to almost a light green or hazel, and she has definitely filled out!

Our sassy little munkchin probably weighs right at 18 pounds, possibly more. We go for her 6 month check-up this coming Monday, but she was 17 lbs, 12 oz with her clothes on at a doctor's appointment 2 weeks ago. She has gone from 19 inches at birth to 25 inches now (possibly more). She is currently wearing 6 to 9 month clothing and size 3 diapers. Hopefully we can stay in these sizes for a few weeks!

We have started feeding her solid foods along with rice cereal that she is enjoying every night! I always knew this girl would love to eat and have no problem with it at all. She watches us so intently while we eat that I think if I gave her the spoon right now, she could probably do it herself. We tried out a sippy cup today, but she mostly just wanted to bang it on her high chair tray and then throw it to the ground. But did we pick it up over and over again for her to just throw it back to the floor each time? You betcha!

Ella has rolled over just once from her belly to her back, but I can't get much more out of her at this point. Every time I lay her on her belly, she just cries as if you just told her there would never be another bottle again...ever. She hates it! So, we figured...what will it hurt that she doesn't roll over? Does that mean that she will one day be 25 years old and still not be able to roll over...I think not and therefore am not too worried about it!

She can however sit up and play with toys independently and loves to stand up in your lap. My mother thinks that she will probably just bypass crawling and go straight to walking (that's what I did as a child, so it's possible)!

Our girl loves to grab at anything and everything now! Her favorites are my cell phone and the remote. She loves to watch other kids play and absolutely loves it when her dog Maggie does anything. Maggie could just be sitting there falling asleep and Ella would think it is funny. Of course, Maggie will still not have anything to do with her. I did let Ella try to pet her today and while Ella was grabbing the top of Maggie's head so hard it was pulling up her eyelid...Maggie just sat there and endured it. Maybe she can handle a kid after all!

Our punkin still loves daycare, but she loves it so much that she wants to see what goes on all the time! You guessed it...that means no naps during the day, except for maybe a tiny baby one for 30 minutes or so. Her teachers say that she hardly gets fussy, but when she does, they know to go lay her down in her crib. But she just looks around at the other kids and won't go to sleep. No nap during the day = really cranky when she gets home at night. So, most nights are just spent trying to calm her down, but then we eat and get a bath and she is good again.

Her schedule is pretty much the same every night. Bottle at 6pm, some food after the bottle, a little play time with Mommy and Daddy (if she is in the mood), and then bath, book, and bed by 7pm. She is usually asleep before we even get downstairs and will usually sleep until 7am the next day. If she wakes up in the middle of the night, she can usually talk herself back to sleep, but occassionaly we are still getting up with her to change a diaper or sometimes have a small bottle to help her get back to sleep. Thank goodness though, she can usually make the whole night!

She is talking up a storm with Da Da this and Da Da that. At school though, they said she is the only one in the room that has even come close to saying Ma Ma, and she is the youngest one
there! What a proud Ma Ma I was to hear that!

Favorite books now are the books that have the textures of the animals in it that you can touch and feel and also the books with the photographs of real children making different kinds of faces. She usually can't make it for too long sitting and looking at a book, but those seem to capture her attention the best right now!

Ella Kate has definitely brought a lot of smiles and laughs in our household and I know this is just the beginning. Lee and I have definitely been blessed and are so thankful for a healthy, happy child!