Ansley is now six months old! Yes, the last time I posted she was only 4 months old. It has been a while since I've had a break!
We started back to school at the beginning of August, and Ansley started staying with Ms. Shelly, a wonderful babysitter who also watches her cousin Caroline. Ansley loves it at Ms. Shelly's house, which is good for both of us! I cried the first few days I had to leave her there, but I know she is in good hands and has fun interacting with other babies. It's really the best situation we could ask for right now.
In the weeks since I've posted, Ansley has been busy! She can log roll now (all the way over), and can sit by herself for short periods of time. When Kevin took her to her six month appointment (while I worked! :( ), the pediatrician said that because of her size, she will probably sit, pull up, and walk later than some other babies. What?! I have two friends whose babies are crawling and pulling up now, and they are little tanks! Maybe Ansley will prove them wrong. Speaking of her size, Ansley is now 18 1/2 lbs and 27 in. long. That's 90th percentile for both! Even though she's on the larger end, she still fits in to the clothing for her size. She can still wear a lot of 3-6 month things, but is also wearing 6-9 month clothes, too.
First taste of peas!Ansley also reaches for things easily, and grabs whatever is in her reach. Then she will wave it up and down and bang it on the floor or table, wherever she happens to be! She has successfully grabbed papers I was grading, lettuce leaves from my salad plate, napkins, advertisements- you name it, she's grabbed (and probably taken a bite of!) it. She has shown such an interest in real food in the last two months. When you are eating or drinking something she will watch you like a hawk. She's tried to steal Chick-fil-A waffle fries right out of my hand, so be warned!
Ansley has also shown signs of teething for about three months now, but no teeth yet. She is constantly drooling and chewing, but there is no sign of a little white tooth about to poke through. She is on her way to eating real food, though! Rice cereal was started at 4 months, and at about 5 1/2 months, due to some tummy issues, we got the go-ahead to begin some vegetables. Her first baby food was sweet peas, and she loved them! Sure, the first bite threw her off a little bit, but after she got the hang of it she all but licked the bowl clean! Since then she has tried carrots, green beans, squash, bananas, pears, peaches, and sweet potatoes. She even tried prunes for a short while to help her tummy. It definitely helped, perhaps a little too much! So no more prunes unless absolutely necessary!
Ansley also caught her first cold, not surprising with her being around other kids and me TEACHING kids all day. But it has seemed to last for weeks, something I'm not too excited about! We've had to suction her nose daily, which will send her into a rage. Poor thing screams almost every time!
Our sweet girl smiles and laughs all the time now, especially when you razz on her tummy. Ansley loves to razz, too, and will make all kinds of silly noises when she's in the mood. When she "talks", she is as loud as can be, and seems to enjoy the sounds she makes. She sounds like she is saying "ma-ma-ma-ma-ma" a lot of the time, but others it is all mixed-up babble. She has been "kissing" us for about two months now, offering her sweet kisses when she is feeling lovey. Of course, her kisses are more like big licks and slobbers on your cheek, nose, or mouth, but she is being so sweet that who could care?! In the last six weeks, she has been known to grab my or Kevin's face when she feels the need, and deliberately kiss away! It is the absolute sweetest, and it melts my heart.
At her cousin Caroline's first birthday partyWe are so in love with our little girl and our little family, and are constantly remarking "Isn't she at such a fun age?!" Of course, I think we will continue to be amazed with her progress and personality as the months go on, and be even more in love with her down the road. Doesn't quite seem possible, does it? Love you, little girl.
Six Month StatsBedtime: 9:00pm
Wake Up Time: Between 6:00 and 6:30am
Naps: A short morning nap (never more than 1 hour), and a longer afternoon nap (usually around 1 1/2 - 3 hours)
Bottles: 6 oz bottles 5x/day (when she wakes up in the morning, around noon, around 3, again around 6, and one before bedtime)
Meals/Solids: Eats breakfast at 9 am and dinner at 7 pm
New Foods: (Since began solids at 5 1/2 months) Peas, Carrots, Green Beans, Squash, Bananas, Pears, Apples, Peaches, Sweet Potatoes, Prunes, and Oatmeal
Developmental Milestones & "Firsts": Rolling over from back-tummy-back, sitting up
Favorite Toys: My Pal Violet, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
