Six Month Update

Dear Hazel,
Yesterday, you turned 6 months old. SIX MONTHS! I can't believe that it's been six months already! "They" were right. Time flies and I still remember holding you and watching your eyelashes grow and wondering how in the world I was going to get you past the next feeding, much less get you to 6 months!

This last month has brought a lot of fun and interesting things to your development. For one, you have gotten EXTREMELY difficult to change clothes or diapers. This is because you refuse to hold still and are constantly squirming to get off the changing pad or to just another location on the carpet. It's like you've decided that you're so easy with everything else, Mommy and Daddy are just gonna have to earn their keep by chasing you around the living room or the changing pad to get that stupid diaper on.

Since you roll every which way and we think you're just a few months out from crawling, you Daddy and I decided that something needed to be done about the living room situation so that you were more comfortable. So, we created the High Altitude Training Center. Which is a fancy way of telling you that we bought an area rug for you to roll, squirm, crawl and throw up on (of which you did three out of the four within the first 20 minutes of the Grand Opening).

The High Altitude Training Center also includes your jump-a-roo and a Cozy Corner for after particular tough training sessions. However, your Daddy seems to be using this much more than you do, as you apparently have more stamina than he does and routinely run him into the ground. Thus, the Trainee has become the Trainer.


The High Altitude Training Center has caused some problem in my own training, though. Because, really... would I rather go run, or play with you? I think we all know the answer to that. And I think we all know that the half-marathon in T-Minus 20 days... well, it may just have to run itself. Because there's NO WAY I'm going to be able to run it. For this... yes, I blame the babe.

*Ahem*

As I write this, I'm sitting in your room listening to you squirrel around in your crib... fighting the nap that you are long overdue. You, my dear, have a mind of your own and we're quickly learning that if a nap is to be had, it will be on your own terms. No ifs, ands or cute little butts about it. In fact, I believe you have declared a moratorium on naps that last longer than 30 minutes. You've also declared a moratorium on waking up after 6:32 a.m. Yea... remember when I bragged to people that you routinely slept until 7:30 or 8 a.m. every day?? Not. So. Much. Anymore. And not that 6:32 a.m. is a horrendous time to wake up as I know a lot of people that would yell at me and complain that their child wakes up at 5 a.m. and is ready to go for the day... and honestly 6:32 a.m. isn't a bad time to get up for work on the weekdays. But 6:32 may as well be 4:32 on weekends. I would LURVE to sleep in until 8 on the weekends. Luckily, your Daddy is a morning person and after I feed you, he takes you while I go back to bed. It's heaven.

This month, you've also taken to blowing bubbles and love to make funny sounds with these things called lips. You think it's hilarious to blow bubbles at Mommy and Daddy, and you also stick your tongue out at us if we stick ours out at you. Since you got your two bottom teeth in March, you haven't been drooling quite as much and are instead making chomping motions with your mouth. And you are very interested in what Mommy and Daddy are eating... following the path of the food from our plate to our mouths... and often reaching for it. Which we are taking as a sign that you're ready for solid foods.

You were sick for most of the months of March and April. You had a really stuffy nose and a cough. We tried to let it work itself out of your system, but after three weeks of no improvement, we took you to the doc and got you on antibiotics. After two weeks of medication, you have finally started to feel better. Not that when you were sick you were particularly grumpy or anything. I think that you've just been sick so much since starting day care that you aren't even phased by it and probably don't know what it's like not to have a stuffy nose or a cough. Luckily, we're getting past the cold and flu season, and looking forward to not quite as many colds over the summer. (Knock on wood)

You are, by all accounts, the happiest baby in the world, Hazel-Bird. You love to laugh, but are pretty particular about what is worthy of a laugh from you. In fact, the same thing doesn't work twice with you. Something that had you in laughing fits one day, won't even garner a raised eyebrow the next. This is particularly exhausting for your parents as we would move the moon if we could just get you to laugh, as the sound is like the sweetest drug out there and gives us an elation that should probably be illegal.

In the last month, you've become quite vocal and our house is often filled with the sounds of your happy screeching. You love to make all sorts of sounds... usually while banging something with your hand. The other day you were in your jump-a-roo looking out the open window and screeched at some people walking by. Apparently, it startled them, but it made you soooo happy! Already the social butterfly, Hazel Bird. We're going to have our hands full when you get mobile, I can already tell.

Sadly, this month you've also learned to use your new vocal skills to manipulate. Meaning that even if Mommy is two feet away from you, if she turns her back on you for any reason (like to make sure the house isn't on fire because she's been ignoring the food cooking on the stove so she could play with you)... THERE WILL BE BLOOD. You simply don't like not being the center of attention. It's as if being the center of our world is not enough for you!!! So, you let out a cry that we're beginning to recognize is less of a hunger, tired, or poopy diaper cry, and more of a: "HEY! I'M OVER HERE, COME LOOK AT MY CUTENESS!" cry.

And it WORKS!! We're digging our own grave here, we know. But if you only knew how cute you really are. Do you know that you have started to smile with your eyes? Your eyes are just so expressive and I've actually seen them twinkle when you're particularly content and happy. They're the flame and your Daddy and I are the unsuspecting moths.

One thing that you have continued to love in the last six months has been having me put my hair in your face. You absolutely love it and I find that I can calm you down if you're worked up over something by just letting you snuggle in my hair. I know these days won't last, though, as you're already starting to pull on the hair and I've had more than one occasion where I thought you were trying to pull it out by the root.

Speaking of hair, you got yours cut for the first time this month. It's not like you had a lot of hair to begin with, but it was just soooo patchy that we decided something needed to be done to even it out. You were so sweet and good sitting in the chair while we had it cut. And ever since then, the patchiness has evened out and the bald spot on the back of your head is almost gone!


Developmentally, you made big strides this month. We'd been working with you on sitting up on your own for quite some time and although you'd have a couple of seconds here and there before you fell over on your face. So on Friday when I dropped you off at day care, I sat you on the mat and sat behind you and gave you a toy. I couldn't believe it when I took away my hand and you just sat there. For two minutes. Unassisted. Like you'd been doing it your whole life and really, Mommy.... it's no big deal.

I'm so glad I got to see it! It's always a big bummer when the staff at day care get to witness a first, and not your parents. So, yea... the day before you turned 6 months, you sat up for the first time. You're such a rock star!

This month we also put you in the jogger for the first time. Daddy was the first one to do it, and the next day I got to take you on a little jog along the river. You were asleep within minutes, so I take that as a sign that you don't mind it. But, man! Is that jogger hard to push! Good grief! No wonder all these mommy's that run with joggers all the time are in such great shape!!

You are continuing to grow in leaps and bounds. I'd guesstimate that you're probably about 20 pounds by now and I have no idea how long you are. I suspect that unlike most babies that go through growth spurts at 3 months and 6 months, you've been on a non-stop growth spurt since 6 weeks. It's about time to buy some more clothes for you since all of your six-month-old pants are now fitting like capri pants. So says your Daddy.... he who tried to put you in a green top and orange pants the other day. True story.

Since the sun has been out more and more in Ogden, you've got to experience its warmth and you really love it. The only thing that's a bummer is that we have to put sunblock on you and with the way you squirm, I know it's only a matter of time before I make the mistake of getting some of it in your eyes... and ruin everyone's life.

You're quite the book reader, Hazey. You absolutely love the pictures in books and hearing someone read you a story. Your favorite is The ButterBee book, and you love it when Daddy reads to you. And it turns out? Daddy's a big fan, too.



We can't believe how fast the time has gone by. Six months?? Are you kidding me? Soon you'll be driving!

And in answer to your unasked question about whether or not you finally fell asleep this afternoon while Mommy was blogging? Well, it took me 2 hours to write this, so you do the math.

Love,
Mama