Sing a Song of SIXpence

I can hardly believe Afton has been with us for half a year! She just keeps getting more fun every day. She is smiley and happy and hilarious. We love watching her personality come to life and getting to see her become her own person.

I was talking to another first-time mother in the mother's room at church last week and we were commenting how easy it is to believe that the way your child does things is the way babies are. However, watching other babies around her age makes me realize that she has her own particular way of doing things. I love that!

At six months Afton....

-Weighs 13lbs 11oz (at her doctor's appointment) and was nearly 25 inches long. She is a petite little thing but is healthy and developing great!

-Eats oatmeal, rice cereal, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, peaches, apples, and bananas. She has tried all of those but she prefers oatmeal and vegetables by far! When she likes something she will come at you with her mouth wide open indicating she wants more. If she doesn't like it she will fake cough and pretend to be gagging. (It isn't a real gag though because I have seen her do that to herself plenty of times while chewing on her fingers).

-Sleeps...less than she used to. We went through a phase of her waking up between 3:30 and 5:30 every morning in which she would scream and want to be fed. I began feeding her thinking that perhaps she needed more nutrients since she wasn't quite getting enough from solids yet and I thought maybe she was ready for them but we were easing slowly into eating more. So I fed her each time she woke up for about two weeks. Then I decided it didn't make sense because even if I fed her later than usual (like 8 pm instead of 6 or 7 pm) she still woke up at the same time. So we had to go through the crying it out all over again and I swear this time was harder because she has stronger lungs or something. She cried hard for over an hour two nights in a row! I just laid on the floor by her door both nights and nearly cried myself. I would comfort her but that would just make her more mad since I wasn't feeding her. So after two nights she slept through the night again. But she still wakes up occasionally but goes back to sleep pretty quick. However, she still does wake up around 6 am every morning and I feed her before she goes back to bed for a couple hours. As long as it is after 6 I can handle it. I am just a way happier mom if I don't have to get up in the middle of the night every single night!
-Is pretty much sitting up on her own although she still tumbles pretty hard when she falls over and so we don't really have her sit unless we are right by her. She also is getting better at standing and supporting her own weight when we hold her hands (before we started working on it with her, she never really wanted to stand. Usually when we stood her feet up she would just buckle them and sit down--I know a lot of children aren't like that, they like to stand and move around.)
-Is mostly content and chill. Right after she wakes up she is smiley and playful but once she has been up for 45 min. or so she is content to just hang out (unless you try to put her down for a nap!)
-Likes to be with crowds and loves being outside. She is fascinated by new places and likes to observe her surroundings.

Enjoying a rainstorm outside!

-Gives kisses! Afton gives the sweetest open-mouth kisses. She has to be in the right mood, but when she does it she pulls back and looks at you like "aren't I so sweet?" And once she gets going it is hard to stop her. She just wants to keep giving kisses over and over. It is so fun until your cheek gets covered in slobber :)
-Is starting to figure out how to get her knees up underneath her. I found her sleeping like that once with her bum in the air. But she moved before I could get a picture.
-Lights up when dad is around. She is still a flirt and will wait for him to look at her and then flash a HUGE smile. She sure loves her dad!
-Sometimes I think she believes she is an adult. When I am with her at Young Womens or when we are with our families she sits and looks around like she is part of the conversation. And if it gets quiet she will usually start to put her two cents in. However, when she sees other babies she really has no interest. I think she really believes her peers are adults :)
-Loves seeing herself in the mirror. She never fails to smile at herself.

Talking to herself (with the phone camera facing her)

Surprised by seeing herself

-Is mesmerized by screens. Whether it is the TV, computer, or cell phone, she loves them all. We don't have a TV in our house so she can't help but stare if she ever sees one.

Watching the BYU football game on TV with Mom

-Gnaws on EVERYTHING! Rather than suck on her binky she often takes it out and holds it while chewing on it. Everyone asks me if she is teething but other than her wanting to chew on everything I haven't seen any other signs. Plus, she has been doing this chewing thing for at least a month or more--which seems like a long time to be teething! But what do I know? This is my first time after all.

Going at Dad's hand