Aliyah Rose: 6 months

Aliyah Rose, you are 6 months old!! You were officially 6 months old on January 16 (last Sunday) but I took you to the doctor today for your 6 month well-child exam. What are you up to these days?

• You are 24lbs 4oz and 28 1/2" long. Both are off the charts! Dr Dyk isn't worried though because he says that you are "proportional". We love our sweet chunky baby!
• You are in size 4 diapers and size 18 month clothes. You can still squeeze into a couple of 12 month outfits and sleepers but it won't be long before I'll be packing all of those away!
• You are sleeping through the night (most of the time). There are some nights where you'll get up and need some snuggles from Mommy to help you fall back asleep. It doesn't happen often but it's okay when it does - I don't mind the extra snuggles! You usually take a 2 hour nap starting around 10 or 11am and the another shorter nap (about an hour) in the late afternoon. You've been falling asleep for the night between 9 and 10pm. You'll sleep until around 8am the next morning. Oh - and you sleep on your tummy all of the time now. You love it!
• You can be noisy! You love to squeal and screech. Especially when you want attention. You smile big when all of your noise-making works and we look at you!
• You are still not rolling over. I don't think you've even ever rolled over on accident. You love being on your tummy so when we give you tummy time you have no desire to even try and roll over. If I help you roll over you get upset and start crying because you don't want to be on your back!
• Dr Dyk was concerned at first about you not rolling over until he saw how well you sit up. He was surprised and very pleased at how well you are sitting. He isn't worried about your rolling over anymore. He said he thinks you'll probably go straight to walking without crawling - just like your brother! Time will tell!
• The hemangioma on the inside of your cheek is bigger but it's turning more gray. Dr Dyk said that it probably won't get much bigger but since it is turning gray that it will now start to slowly disappear. It doesn't seem to bother you one bit.
• You absolutely love to watch Samuel. He can make you laugh and you can make him laugh! You already have a special relationship. I love that. Today you were awake in your crib after your nap and he wanted to go in and see you. A few minutes later I peeked into the room to see what you guys were doing and he was holding a book up "reading" it to you. You were up on your elbows looking at the book over the side of your crib. Samuel is usually very gentle with you and very sensitive to your needs. You love Hope too but she can be a little rough. She loves to give you hugs and kisses, she just doesn't know when it's too much!
• You are eating rice cereal around 8pm at night. I've tried fruit but you haven't really enjoyed it. You make a mess eating rice cereal and you aren't too excited about it yet but if I don't give it to you you will often wake up in the night wanting to nurse. You still nurse 4 times a day.
• Stranger anxiety has started. You cried today when the nurse tried to talk to you and you didn't like Dr Dyk at all. You even cried when the receptionist said that you were cute! You are very unsure of people that you don't know. You do well with Grandma and Daddy, thankfully. But then there are times where you just want your Mommy. Don't tell anyone, but I'm okay with that. :)
  
• We started putting you in the Church nursery about 3 or 4 weeks ago. You have done really well. Hope is in the nursery with you and we've been told that she watches out for you. You cry when we hand you to the nursery worker but the tears only last for a few seconds.
• You grab for everything!! Especially things that aren't toys. You have already figured out that things you aren't allowed to have are way more fun than your baby toys! If Samuel or Hope leave anything remotely near where you are playing you find a way to grab it. This has caused your older siblings a lot of distress but I think it's kind of funny! You are super quick with your hands. This morning you grabbed Mommy's cereal bowl and dumped cheerios and milk everywhere!
• You are still very drooly and we go through lots and lots of bibs every day. But since you've been sitting up you don't spit near as much.
  
• You prefer sitting on the floor and playing with toys (or I should say, things that aren't toys) over playing in your exersaucer.
• Your favorite "toys" are: TV remotes, cell phones, the tubing for Mommy's pump, Mommy's soft measuring tape, and whatever you can get your hands on that Samuel and Hope are playing with!
  
• You are still a very happy, smiley, and content baby. I love your little giggles too!
• When you hear music you like to rock back and forth. You get excited when Samuel and Hope watch Boz and you like to "dance" to the music.

Mommy loves you so much, Aliyah Rose!! You are my dream come true. I love your snuggles and your smiles and every little thing about you.