It's Been Six Months

My baby girl,

Today, you are six months old.

It's been six months since you joined us in this world. Half a year, baby.

Look at you, just one day old.

You're well on your way these days.

My, how things have changed in six months.

You sit up unassisted and have been for almost the entire month. It's like all of sudden, you wanted to do it. So you did. And expertly at that. You almost never fall over. It's impressive. If you had your way, you'd sit up all the time. It is far and wide your new favorite thing.

Rocking your Packer diaper in support of your Pop-Pop's favorite team, bringing your total of custom football cloth-diapers to four.

You also, finally, roll over frequently. You always go back to front, even though you know how to do front to back, and it's far easier. Apparently, you like to the road less traveled.

Thanks to the fact that you are strong and proficient on your belly, you also can get yourself up on your hands and knees and rock for a bit before flopping forward. That, along with the fact that you can stand while holding onto us, makes me realize we're basically a seconds away from you crawling away.

Can this really be happening?

I am not ready.

You are an excellent communicator these days, too.

You reach for things you want - which is everything. You hold your hands up when you want to be picked up, and you're able to handle blocks and rattles and teethers with ease these days. Which is lucky for you, because you can now expertly wield anything well enough to get it into your mouth. I adore it, until you try to eat the dog's ear or your own poop, both of which have almost happened this month.

Ella's dreaming of a naked Christmas

You also mimic really well. You'll say "Hi!" in response to my "Hi!" for about four minutes straight. And when I look at you and emphatically pronounce "Ma-ma!" you purse your lips together and sometimes eke out a "Mwa!"

Your daddy is convinced you're saying "Mama" already, as, when you start to fuss, you normally yell, "Ma-ma! Ma!" I'm thinking it's a fluke, but I won't be upset if he's right.

Sleep-wise, you've gotten better and better. Most nights, you're up to nurse only once, for about five minutes. Sometimes, you'll wake up a second time, but all I need to do is cuddle you into me, and you're right back out. You still prefer to be in bed with us, but you start out the night in your own crib. You nap there, too.

When you nap, that is.

Lately, you seem to feel like you're missing out on life, and I have to positively wear you out before you'll fall asleep and so you'll nap longer than 30 minutes these days.

Thanks to your daddy's schedule, it's been just you and I a lot this month. We do everything together, by virtue of that fact. You've been a trooper during Christmas shopping, especially since you can now sit in the cart. You like to ride around Target, for instance, and bounce and swing your legs and smile wide at everyone who stops and gushes over you - you're very popular with the Target set.

You celebrated your first Thanksgiving with a whole host of sailors. Your daddy and I hosted a dinner for all the single sailors here on base we knew who couldn't get home to family. You spent the entire seven hours they were here smiling and cheesing it up with them. Your appeal is amazing; you even get hardened bachelors to fawn over you. And, like I told your daddy, if I'd had a video camera of them all playing with you, I could have them all married off in a second.

Unfortunately, you didn't get any turkey or taters this holiday. You're still only on breast-milk straight from the source. In fact, as of late, thanks to you hitting your six-month growth spurt a week or so ago, you're back at the breast much more than you used to be. I also think you're teething while you grow. So it's made you want to nurse for comfort more, and in general, it makes you way more clingy.

I don't mind holding you, but your face, if I dare to put your down for too long or too late in the day? Well, it's heart-breaking. You already have a flair for the drama. You pout, fuss, and yell on command. Then turn it off as soon as you get what you want.

I can already tell you're going to be a skilled negotiator; you're quite the personality. And stubborn, to boot. Plus, as your great-grandmother said after seeing you via Skype, "You can see the wheels turning on that one."
Oh, yes, baby girl. You're a smarty who is constantly observing, maneuvering, and thinking. In other words, we're in deep, amazingly blessed trouble.

Never has been my heart been so full as when I'm watching you grow and change. When you babble, it's like music to my ears. I still watch you sleep, and I still tear up. This month's been busy and had some rough moments, but you have made every second of it worth it.
I am so honored to be your mommy; when God gave me the ability to bring you into this world half a year ago, I thought it was the best gift I'd ever received. Now, watching you grow and learn and light up over every new discovery has made that gift multiply in ways I never expected.

I love you, my precious one.

Love,
Your mama