Stats

Brees Elizabeth is 6 months old!

Our little lamb is growing so much and it's hard to believe six months have gone by!
Every day brings a new milestone, a brighter smile, a stronger sense of who she is.
These days are so busy and fly by faster than I could have ever imagined.  I find
myself willing them to slow down, reminding myself to enjoy every precious moment.
Six blissful months of love and light with this sweet girl!

Here are her stats:

15 pounds 8 ounces, 26 1/2 inches long

Feeding:  Still exclusively breast feeding, averaging every 3-4 hours.  She was a 

hungry little lamb this month and ate more than ever, even waking up for a 2 am 

feeding most nights.  We are thrilled that we met our goal of exclusive breast feeding 

for the first 6 months!  As a working mama, I didn't know if this would be possible and 

had prepared myself for the possibility of having to supplement with formula.  

But, thankfully, my employers have gone above and beyond to ensure that my 

pumping schedule is well accommodated.  Now that she is 6 months old, we are going 

to start solid foods as recommended by our pediatrician.  Maybe having heavier content

 in her little belly will help tide her over at night?  One can only hope...

Sleeping:  Her sleeping habits this month were terrible, to be perfectly honest.  

She takes wonderful naps throughout the day, staying awake for a maximum of two 

hours before falling asleep for naps ranging from 2-3 hours long each.  At night, however, 

she is waking every 3-4 hours, wanting to nurse and cuddle with Mama and Daddy in the 

big bed.  She is still sleeping in her bassinet right next to our bed and I bring her in the 

bed with us to nurse her.  We both fall right back to sleep, which is in itself a blessing.  

It's hard to feel rested, though, when your sleep is so broken.  I have tried soothing her 

back to sleep rather than feeding her but it just hasn't worked out.  I just can't bring 

myself to let her "cry it out", which is the main advice people give me.  We have to be 

patient with her and know that she will eventually get into a better sleep pattern.  She
falls asleep on her own: we lay her down in her bassinet, give her a lovie she has become
quite attached to, and turn on her Soothe and Glow Seahorse.  I still enjoy rocking her
to sleep, though, and do so most nights at bedtime.  There is just something so special
about rocking a baby to sleep at night.

Health:  Brees is the picture of health, no illnesses to speak of.  She is in the 50th

 percentile for her weight and the 90th for her height.  We suspect her top teeth are 

not far behind the two she has on the bottom as she is constantly drooling and chewing 

on anything she can get her hands on.  She is a big thumb sucker, no matter how much 

we offer her a pacifier.

Play: Brees starting scooting this month!  She raises herself on all fours, rocks back and 

forth a few times, and then scoots herself wounded soldier style all around the house.  She

 has also become quite attached to her lovie, a soft little lamb blankie.  She likes to press

 it up against her nose when she falls asleep, exactly how Isabelle did with hers.  We call 

her "Nosie Rosie" because she is always looking around, investigating every noise and 

motion.  She is so curious and active, a very social baby.  She, like the rest of our family, 

loves being outdoors, especially in her swing.  She enjoys petting the animals and 

watching her sister run like a pixie across the yard.

Personality:  I could not ask for a sweeter, more calm and mellow baby.  Besides the
fact that she wakes me up all hours of the night, she is a very easy baby.  I can take 

her anywhere, she is rarely fussy, and her signs are all very clear and easy to read.  I 

really have abandoned most of the mommy rules I put on myself for my first child and 

have just enjoyed this second wonder.  We are scheduled people who thrive on routine, but

I have learned not to stress if things don't go exactly as planned, to be patient, to enjoy

being a mother rather than striving to follow the books and meet tons of expectations.

And I believe that has made all the difference in her demeanor.  She is very giggly and

smiles constantly.  This month, we discovered that she is super ticklish, especially 
in the crook of her neck.  She laughs a deep belly laugh any time we tickle her there. 

She loves being held and burying her face in my neck.  I wear her a lot and she really

enjoys cruising around in my Ergo.  She is very vocal and babbles constantly.      

This month we:

• Celebrated Mother's Day
• Enjoyed a whole week with our Nana who came to visit all the way from Arizona
• Proudly showed off two teeth, even biting a few people 
• Enjoyed lots of picnics in the back yard
• Spent a lot of time in Mommy's Ergo carrier
• Began reaching for toys and crying when you take them away, especially big sister's Barbie dolls

What a wonderful, fun-filled month this has been!