Madelyn's 6th Month

My sweet baby is 6 months old already.  I know I say this every month but it is killing me that she is growing up so fast.  This was a month of many milestones and lumping them all into one really makes me realize how time just slips away from you and before you know it, you've got a toddler on your hands.

Big Moments for Madelyn -

1. Rolling over - this girl can really get around!  We've started "baby proofing" some aspects of our house, ie: moved the fireplace tools to the basement and constantly keeping the basement door closed.  She seems to stay in the same room you start in but can definitely move around.  This as posed a challenge when it comes to combining baby drool, grabby hands and four pets with shedding coats.  I am constantly wiping her hands and face trying to keep the amount of pet hair ingested to a minimum.  Every diaper change turns into a mini wipedown before using the cloth wipe on her booty.  Madelyn is capable of rolling both directions and doesn't seem to favor one over the other.  However, once she's decided which way she's rolling on any particular jaunt across the floor, she can't seem to roll back which creates a problem once she gets to the various obstacles that are in her way.  Like I said, this seems to keep her at least contained to one room for the time being, so I am a-okay with it.

Right after her first roll - I'd show the video but true to form, Madelyn isn't wearing pants

2. Solid foods - me oh my, sweet potato pie, Madelyn loves solids!  We started about a week and a half before she hit the 6 month mark but she was exhibiting all the "signs of readiness" and I figured, why not.  We had been giving her raw carrots or peppers to chomp on in an effort to keep her entertained at the dinner table but her lack of teeth meant she wasn't ingesting any of it. 

Miss. Madelyn's first "real solid" was avocado on Cinco de Mayo.  I cut the avocado into strips which made it easier for her to grab but once she mushed it around and her hands got slippery she ended up smushing it all over her tray, face and belly.  Since then she's tried various fruits and veggies as I have made them for dinner.  I usually pull the food out of the big pot before salting and give her the unsalted portion.  Seeing as Nick and I have no food allergies and she hasn't had any issues with the fact that I haven't eliminated anything from my diet while she's breastfeeding, we aren't really following the "1 new food every week" rule.  She's not trying that many new foods at a time, and I figure if she were to have a reaction, we could reasonable figure out what caused it.

Her favorites seem to be sweet potatoes and she is pretty indifferent to bananas.

For now, we've been stripping Madelyn down to her diaper and feeding her in the bumbo because, man alive does she make a mess.  It is usually straight into the tub after eating, bumbo and all.  It's been working so far, but we may need a new strategy once she starts eating more than 1 meal a day.

3. Unassisted sitting - Madelyn managed to squeak this one in just a mere 2 day before hitting the 6 month mark.  She had decided late Saturday night that it was party time.  Nick brought the little lady into bed with us and she was sitting between us.  We figured the cushiness of the bed was cradling her slightly and allowing her to sit.  Once we woke up Sunday morning, she wasn't able to continue her skill on the floor but lo and behold, later that day she was sitting for 10 minutes or so all by herself.  Of all the milestones, this one makes me sad(ish).  It makes me realize how much she is growing, and truly separates her from "little baby" status.

Everything else around here seems to be status quo.  She's still breastfeeding and sleeping well.  Her hair is still out of control.  Madelyn still loves to share her opinions with us on a regular basis.

Overall, it's been a pretty fun month!