SIX months!!!

It is so hard to believe that it has been a full six months since I had our little girl!

Grace had her six month checkup Wednesday and Dr Sackett says she's doing great! We're still fighting the eczema, but he says that she will most likely grow out of that at some point. She is 14lbs 14oz. She stayed in the same percentiles as she was at her four month appointment, so she's growing at a steady rate. 25th percentile for weight and 10th percentile for hight.
Her first food was avocado, which she loved! She now eats rice cereal and sweet potatoes. She loves eating at the table with Seth and I! She really enjoys flipping onto her belly when she's playing on the floor. She can get her knees under her, but hasn't figured the crawling thing out yet. Her most recent thing is spitting and just last night she was able to get her big toe into her mouth (everything else goes into her mouth, so why wouldn't that?!). She still sleeps on her side with fingers in her mouth, but every now and then in the middle of the nap or night she flips herself onto her belly and puts her head to the side so she can still get her fingers in her mouth. She is never, ever in the same spot that we put her when we lay her down...she likes to travel in circles in her crib. My favorite thing she does is when I pick her up, she gets so excited and 'hugs' me...meaning she grabs both sides of my face and squeezes.
She seems to be a bit jealous that I have hair and she doesn't...because she keeps trying to pull all mine out! Ouch!

Here are some of the things I have learned over the past six months (in no particular order) :
1. Seth is a fabulous father! I couldn't ask for a better husband :)
2. Grace has a lot of special people in her life who love her lots, but she doesn't get to see them enough.
3. An infant, full time job, FPU and two grad school classes are a lot to handle.
4. We are totally blessed! Not every baby sleeps through the night from two months on :)
5. If at first you don't succeed...try, try again. Grace didn't seem to like pureed sweet potatoes at first, but now I can't shovel them in fast enough for her!
6. Laying her down for a nap at the first sign of sleepiness is essential in order to avoid a meltdown.
7. When she rubs her ear, she is tired. She does not have an ear infection. Confirmed twice by Dr. Sackett.
8. Diapers are expensive.
9. Parenting is tough, but it is so rewarding!

I'm looking forward to the next six months...and the next six months...and the next six months...etc.

Sneaky...

Every morning Grace plays on her play mat right outside the bathroom (right by our bed) where I am getting ready so that I can keep an eye on her. On occasion, she attempts to make herself disappear. I caught her in the act this time! She heard the noise the camera makes when it turns on and started to inch her way back out from under the bedskirt.

She looks like she's up to no good in this picture! Ha!

There's a technique to scooting while lying on your back...you must raise your shoulders like this...

...and drop them again an inch over in the direction you wish to go by pushing off with the opposite arm...

...and then repeat.

Grace has this technique down pat :) Such a sweetie!