No Way.

Little Luna

Dear sweet little Princess,

How is it possible you're already 6 months old?  With Seth I felt like the first six months were an eternity.  With you I'm trying to figure out where all the time slipped away to...

That being said, this month has been really, really hard for both of us.  Until three or four days ago, EVERY SINGLE ONE of your naps was 40 minutes or less.  EVERY SINGLE ONE FOR OVER A MONTH.  It was horrible.  You were exhausted, I was exhausted, and Seth was neglected.  I tried literally everything to get you to sleep longer, and nothing worked.  After about a week of this I realized I could either keep frustrating myself (and you) by trying all these techniques, or I could just do nothing and wait for you to grow out of it.  Guess what?  You did.  But the only reason I survived was because I had several moms telling me that there was some magical switch that flipped at around six months.  They were 100% right.

In just the past few days you've taken these amazing morning naps (2.5 hours?  Oh, yes), plus started sleeping better at night.  You're still waking me up twice a night to eat, which is probably too much, but it's much better than it was just a few weeks ago.  I feel guilty letting you cry--you probably are hungry!  You're still just a tiny little thing...

Here's what else you have figured out this month:

-Rolling over (again!).  I make you practice every day so you won't forget (again) like your brother did.

-Grabbing everything in sight.  I have to be careful because you'll try to grab things as I walk past them with you in my arms.  Nothing has been broken yet, but it's not from lack of trying on your end.

-You eat solid food in the morning and evening.  You'll clean out a Stage 1 container mixed with rice cereal, sometimes even a Stage 2.  Your favorites are sweet potatoes and bananas.  You were not a huge fan of applesauce or pears, but they're growing on you.  And your preferred method of eating involves you sticking your hands inside the bowl.  We're both filthy by the time you're done.

The first Mum Mum

You're still not a huge fan...

First drink of water.  

Definitely not a fan.

She's not actually sitting up as well as this picture makes her look.

She's still slumping.

-Teething.  You were in a lot of pain for a couple of weeks, gnawing and making pathetic little gumming motions.  But nothing has popped through yet--you must be like Seth was: it's not the popping through that hurts, it's the growing into the gums.

-Still in 3-6 month clothes, still in size 2 diapers.

-Loved your Jumperoo for about two weeks.  Now you're bored and prefer to be in my arms so you can pull my hair.

Hairstyling by Dad

-Swaddle free!!!  This was a strange transition--I tried to leave one arm unswaddled for about a week.  You were miserable and couldn't sleep.  So I gave up.  You could stay swaddled until you're two for all I cared, as long as you slept.  But then this week you started screaming when I laid you down.  You'd scream, fall asleep, scream again, fall asleep again...awful.  So I finally walked in your room, completely unswaddled you, and put you back down.  And you slept like a dream.  So weird...

-You're having a harder time falling asleep at church.  Expecting some rough Sundays ahead.

Despite your sleep issues, you are still just a mellow, happy little bug.  We love your deep little laugh and your raspberry-blowing smiles.  Thank you for making me smile every day.  Love you so.

(A slight update: her naps are back to being pretty awful, but we just live with it.  But the big news is that she cut her first tooth last week!  And #2 is definitely on the way in).