Teething bites!

We made it through the arrival of Amelia's first tooth. It was a miserable process but we survived. I assumed (or hoped!) that the next one wouldn't be so terrible. I was wrong. Tooth #2 seems to be a more painful for all of us.

Amelia was little Miss Laughter & Squeals until about 10pm last night. Finally she settled down and nursed. When I went to put her in her crib she FLIPPED OUT. She was bucking around her crib and screaming. You would have thought I laid her down on a bed of hot nails. She just wanted to be snuggled. We tried a bottle but she had NO interest in it. She just wanted to be snuggled. We tried to lay her down with her lullabies playing but that just pissed her off more. She just wanted to be snuggled. Finally we got it, she just wanted to be snuggled.

Eventually I got her into bed with us and we got little stretches of sleep here and there. Like with the first tooth, she tossed and turned and moaned in her sleep so when she wasn't crying and/or nursing, she was still keeping me awake. It was a long night. And unlike with Tooth #1, Tooth #2 was not showing it's beautiful pearly white tip through the top of her gums this morning. Hopefully it will break-through today at daycare because I might shoot myself if we go through all of this again tonight.

Amelia's Stool

Amelia got a beautiful gift last week. A hand-burned stool.

My Shirt Says It All

Swinging In New York

We went to New York this weekend to see Lauren, Chris, Gracie and Andrew. We had a FABULOUS time and Amelia LOVED her new friends. After the Pumpkin Festival on Saturday we went to Lauren's parent's house to visit. Grace and Andrew shared one of their swings with Amelia. She LOVED the swing and I think there was a smile on her face the entire time she was in the swing.

Andrew loves to swing too!

And so does Gracie!

The whole time we were there Lauren and I didn't take a single picture together until about 3 minutes before we got in the car to leave. SO SAD! Thankfully her husband Chris was thinking and snapped this shot of Lauren and I with our newest additions! I love that both babies are incredibly interested in the toys in the playpen instead of the camera! LOL!

Starting Good Dental Habits Early

On September 21st we had a TERRIBLE night. Amelia was unusually fussy and inconsolable. I finally gave up and brought her into bed. She tossed and turned all night, moaning in her sleep and just appeared to be uncomfortable. The next morning, the culprit became apparent. Amelia's first tooth came in.

Now that those pearly whites are making appearances we're starting to brush her teeth and gums. She does a great job and lets us brush both her top and bottom gum lines. Such a good girl!

Veggie Lover

Amelia might not have been crazy about rice cereal or oatmeal but veggies have been a success! Here she shows off her love of sweet potatoes. We've had great success with peas, sweet potatoes, squash and carrots.

Since she did so well with the veggies we've also introduced apples and pears. The apples were a HUGE hit. The pears were liked but not to the same degree. Next up, bananas!

Happy Half-Birthday!

Dear Amelia,

I can't believe you're 6 months old! I still remember the day you came into this world like it was just yesterday. I remember your daddy holding you and looking at me with proud tears of joy in his eyes. I remember thinking that you were so perfect that you couldn't be real. I remember feeling like the luckiest mommy in the world because you're MY daughter.

These last 6 months have flown by and I can't believe what a big girl you've become. You are growing like a weed. It's amazing how you went from such a tiny little baby to this little person. You really are like a doll and trust me, I get my fair share of dress-up time dressing you each day. :)

Besides growing, you've come so far in your development. You mastered rolling as if it were nothing. You sit up like a little princess holding court. You have your first tooth. You stand (with me supporting you) so well that I hold my breath wondering when you'll walk right out of my hands.

Your laugh is sweet music to my ears. Your smile is infectious. I love watching you in social situations. We'll be in the grocery store and you'll stare people down until they look at you and then give them the biggest smile. You're also the nosiest little thing. You have to have a look at EVERYTHING! The more there is to see, the better. :) I love that you're so curious. I hope that you'll always love to learn.

When people ask me if you're a good baby, I tell them you're a perfect baby. And you are. You sleep well (except recently since that silly thing called teething started). You have the best temperament. You're a generally happy little girl who is content to watch the world around you. Crying is reserved for when you're super tired or something is wrong. Since you cry so rarely, when you do, I know there is something really bothering you. For the most part you're a smiley, happy baby.

Now that you've reached 6 months we've started you on solid foods. We started with rice cereal and the first time you tried it, you seemed to like it. It was beginner's luck. The next two times we tried you would have nothing to do with it. And you never took to oatmeal. But sweet potatoes, peas, squash and carrots? You LOVE them! Seeing the joy on your face as you gobble them down is one of my favorite parts of the day. Of course you're still breast feeding and I love our snuggle time together. I think you do too. I never thought I would enjoy breast feeding this much. I secretly rolled my eyes when other people said that they would breast feed longer if they could. Now I get it. We won't do this past the one year mark but I get it. It's our time. It's part of the day when just you and I get to be a part of each other like no one else can be a part of us. It really is a beautiful bond and one day when you have a little one, I hope you'll understand what I'm saying.

With so much that these 6 months have brought about, I can only imagine what's to come before your first birthday. You're thinking so hard about crawling and the way you babble, maybe we'll get a "mama" or "dada" from you. I don't know what's to come but I do know this - the next 6 months will provide your daddy and I many, many, many more opportunities to fall deeper and deeper in love with you.

All my love,

Mommy

p.s. If you're reading this and your nickname is still Moo-Moo, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean for that nickname to stick but you love to eat and it just came about. Forgive me but in some ways you really did bring it upon yourself.