Leah: Six Months Old!

I cannot believe that it is time to write this monthly update already - how can my baby be half a year old already! Time has truly flown by!! Leah continues to be a sweet, delightful baby... how did we get so lucky? For a few days this month though, between an upset tummy and fevers from teething, Leah was cranky and not herself at all. She was clingy, unhappy and cried more often. Tim and I said to each other, "So this is what it would have been like to have a "regular" baby!" She quickly went back to being her sweet, happy self though. I'm sure it isn't the last crankiness we will have from Leah, but it was just such a difference because she is usually so easy going!

Mobility: Leah has made leaps and bounds this month. Not quite literally, but she went from only being able to lay on her tummy or back to being able to sit up unsupported. She figured it out pretty quickly. At the start of the month, we would sit her up with the boppy pillow around her and she would flop forward, bending in half. She gained core strength pretty quickly and could sit up, but needed support on the sides so she didn't tip over. Pretty quickly after that she was able to sit up on her own, with no help. She is a pro now and the only times she tips over is when she is reaching too far to grab something!

She is also getting very good at reaching and grabbing for things. We have a small basket with her toys in it, and she has no problem grabbing the basket, tipping it over and playing with the toys inside. She can bring toys up to her mouth, can pass toys from one hand to another, and can reach and grab for things.

She is figuring out ways to propel herself to get what she needs - pushing a bit with her legs, rolling to get where she wants, or squawking until big brother brings her the object!! She also loves her jumperoo and can jump for quite a long time. She loves it when we pay attention and cheer her on while she jumps, it just makes her smile and jump all the more crazy. Very cute!!

Food: Leah started eating baby food veggies this month. Her first veggie was peas, and she has had green beans and sweet potatoes since then. She is definitely moving more slowly in eating that Cameron did, but that seems to be Leah's way when it comes to real food. She doesn't catch on as quickly and overall isn't taking to actual food very well. She doesn't seem to understand that in order to eat, she needs to OPEN her mouth!! It is pretty funny actually, and she is getting better every time she eats. We are just taking at it her pace, and I am sure she will be fine. She still nurses like a champ and is a chunky monkey, so there is no worry that she is starving!

Leah does not have any teeth yet, but she is definitely teething. She is a drool machine and always has her hands or a toy in her mouth. I put my finger in her mouth every few days and feel for a tooth, but nothing yet! We are thinking in the next month or so we should see the first one pop through.

Sleep: Leah made a major breakthrough in the last week of this month - she slept through the night!!!!! It was so exciting for Tim and I! She doesn't do it every night, but has done it at least once or twice a week, which is a nice break. On the other nights, she tends to wake up once or maybe twice, and just wants to eat and go back to sleep. It isn't too bad. A few nights this month, Leah was not feeling well so she was up quite a bit during the night. That was exhausting! She also went through a few nights where she was pooping every hour or two, so we were up all night changing her diaper so that she wouldn't get a diaper rash.

Leah's six month checkup is on Friday, so we will post her stats after that. She is getting to be so much fun, especially for Cameron who loves to show her how to do things. We love our sweet Leah girl!