Six Months, Already?!

Sweet Lilly-Belle, you are the happiest baby I have ever known!  You were sick for the first time over Christmas, and you barely cried...and still smiled at everyone when they smiled at you.  Your personality really starting to show!  You smile at everything, and it doesn't take much to really get you giggling.  The only times you cry are when you are hungry, tired, or your sister does something that makes you mad.  And when you get adjusted by Dr. Walker - you are not a fan of him!  You went to Colorado for the first time this month, and got to experience "playing" in the snow.  Just this past week you started sitting unassisted, which has opened up a whole new world of toys and playing!  You really like your exersaucer and the jumparoo at Grammie and Grandad's house (we'll get yours out soon!).  You have also started babbling like crazy.  Mostly squeals and grunts at this point, but you like to "talk" to whomever will listen!  I think one of my favorite things that you do is the reaction you give to us when we come to get you out of the crib.  You can be crying out for us, and as soon as the door opens - you stop.  You then peer up at the crib edge just waiting - then flail your arms and legs and give us the biggest smile!  It's fun to watch you on the video monitor when Daddy goes in to get you because you can really see how you turn your head and wait for whoever opened the door, then get so excited when you see them!  Makes my day (and nights) every time.  Speaking of nights, you still are not sleeping through it.  You still get up 2-3 times per night most nights.  We've tried letting you cry it out, but you outlast us every time!  I thought that starting solids might help, but so far it has not!  That is probably your biggest milestone this month - solid foods!  You had zero problems swallowing it and never really went through a phase of pushing food back out of your mouth with your tongue.  So far you had had rice cereal, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, bananas, green beans, and apples.  You haven't really shown distaste for any of them.  You have started to have a little bit of stranger anxiety, mostly if you can't see Mommy or Daddy.  Most of the time in the church nursery you do alright because your sister is in there with you!  We were able to enjoy being outside some this month - both on jogs in the jogging stroller and in our yard.  Daddy hooked the swing up to the tree branch so that you can swing on it - which you love.  You have finally warmed up more to tummy time, and you'll sit on your tummy - reaching for things - for longer periods of time.  While you can roll both front to back and back to front, you haven't really started using that as a means of locomotion, yet!  You are such a joy to watch grow and develop, and you smile lights up the room.  You have such a sweet spirit that is evident in your smile, I can't wait to watch it develop!  Happy 6 months, sweet girl!