This is 6 Months.

Cora-

Most mommy bloggers do this magical thing every month or so.  They write a letter to their little one explaining every precious thing they learned in the past month while exclaiming how they can’t believe how cute they are and how much they are growing while changing their parents lives for the better.  I have sat several times to write these magical posts, so that one day you can look back on them.  Yet, I can’t form all the repetitive and obvious words.

I tried again today but here I am at work, my head nodding as I google “why the hell my baby went from a perfect sleeper to a crazy waker overnight.”  Because you my dear, in the past three nights, have kept me awake every hour.  My Fitbit has said my sleep is shorter than 2 hours every night.

I cuddle you every time you wake, thank God for you, kiss your cheeks, breathe you in and then pray like hell he will let you sleep for just 3 hours tonight.  2 solid hours?  I’ll take anything.  Maybe next week you’ll give sleep a whirl again.

You are forever perfecting your tantrum.  The arched back, the immediate scream, the arms flailing.  You are pissed, I get it. Preview to toddlerhood.   Mental note-more wine.

I’m going to chalk a lot of this new behavior up to possible incoming teeth.  You don’t have anything yet but all signs point to that.  Perhaps they could hurry up and we could get back to a normal state of happy.

Apparently 6 months is the magical number to start trying some food.  Side note, when I was pregnant with you I swore I would make your baby food from scratch.  I pinned recipes and thought it couldn’t be that hard.  Cut to me loading you up on some nice organic, jar food.  I promise you’ll be fine either way.

We have been working on cereal for two months now and you have hated every minute of it.  We thought you would like the food that has some taste to it then! So wrong.  Green beans, carrots, pears and bananas have all been a no go.  As in, I know you still had carrots up your nose one morning last week when I dropped you to daycare.  That orange color will stain everything in a 20 foot radius of your high chair.  Trying to feed you should be an Olympic sport.

But then two nights ago you opened your mouth and ate sweet potatoes.  There was no fit throwing, no look of horror on your face.  You just ate it.  Then demanded I shove the entire jar in your mouth as quick as possible.  And when that was gone, you demanded why you didn’t have more jars to eat so I gave you bananas and you made the horrible face.  I figured it was over but you asked for more until you decided that you were full to the top, thank you.  You followed that all up with a 6 oz bottle.  Girl, we can barely get 4 oz in you at a time.  6oz.  I was waiting for the biggest poop ever last night but that didn’t happen.  Please let it happen at daycare today.

For as much as you fight food, you love your sippy cup.  You’ll stick that in your mouth, kick your feet up on the table and chug that water like mommy chugs her wine some nights.  Whatever lets the rest of us adults eat in peace.

For as much as you have done everything else early, crawling isn’t happening.  Perhaps it is your temper that gets in your way.  You lay on that tummy and kick your legs, flap your arms and wonder why you have no forward momentum.  We pop you up on your hands and knees where you rock back and forth.  Just when we think you may take off you collapse to your tummy.  Honestly, I’m not ready for you to be on the move yet.  I like that you kinda just stay where you are aside from the scooting and rolling.  Once the moving starts, it is all over.  So take your time kiddo.

We took you to your 6 month appointment where they determined at 15lbs 1oz, you are at the 25th percentile for weight and 75th for height.  You once again fought the nurse like hell on your shots and they had to call for backup.

One more thing.  You are amazing.  I love rocking you to sleep at night, once you give in.  I love how you curl into me when I pick you up in the middle of the night.  I love how hard you laugh at your puppy when she follows right behind us.  I love how much you like to be outside, watching the tops of the trees sway back and forth.  I love putting you in the front pack and walking you and your puppy.  You sing at the top of your lungs and laugh as she runs around in front of us.  I love how excited you get for your Sophia the giraffe toy and your Easter bunny rattle.  I love how you like to jump in your activity center and hoot like an owl.  I love how you talk in your crib to your teddy bear but it looks like you are talking into the camera at us.  Actually, that part can be a bit creepy sometimes.

And okay, it is true, I can’t believe how much you have grown and changed in the past month.  I’m just trying to soak up every minute of where we are right now, not where we will be at tomorrow, even in the midst of your classic meltdowns.  You are pretty damn amazing kiddo.  You know, all the obvious words.

We love you.

Mamma