The Big 6!

 

Yea. That’s right. Miss Shannon hit the big 6 months on Monday!

We spent the day taking a road trip to visit her Great-Grandparents in New York, and she was wonderful! Really easy as pie.

She has her 6 month well baby check up next week, but my sweet new biceps prove that she’s gaining weight! She’s in 6-9 months clothes, and healthy as a horse.

 

I think that the biggest difference between her last month update and this one is how mobile she is now. She is constantly moving, and time spent catching a snuggle is fleeting. She has the Army crawl perfected and has no problem getting exactly where she needs to go. She gets there quicker than I could ever imagine! No more putting her down on her play mat to make a quick lunch, or make her bed. She’s into trouble as soon as you put her down. Luckily she loves to bounce in her saucer! It’s a blast to watch her learning about the new things on her level around the house, and our pets are in big trouble! 

We had a few firsts over this past month. The biggest being her first sleepover with Nana! Mike and I took a little stay-cation for our first wedding anniversary, and Shannon got to go hang with Nana. I had a much harder time of it than she did, I’m sure. My Mom was wonderful about answering all twelve dozen phone calls, and Shannon went to bed semi-easily for her. Over all it was a success!

Shannon is also now big enough/strong enough to sit in a high chair on her own. Talk about making meal times about 15,000% easier!

Speaking of food, I had my heart set on the Baby Led Weaning method, but like I do, I researched it to death. We’d been trying to hold her off but she was showing all the signs, so I got my butt in gear. After talking it over with Mike, and reading a million different forums, blogs, and a book, we decided that we weren’t 100% comfortable with the process because of the choking hazards that it presents. We found a happy medium in the mesh feeders! She has a puree for lunch and a soft veggie or fruit in the mesh feeder for her to eat while we eat our dinner. She goes nuts for it! Squash is her favorite, with carrots coming in a close second. She prefers them both over any fruits that I’ve offered her.

I’m so proud to say that we are still nursing on demand 8-10 times a day, and it doesn’t look like she’s going to be stopping anytime soon. Introducing new foods has been a lot of fun, but I’m so happy that I don’t have to worry about her not getting the nutrients that she needs when she rejects a new food, or only eats a few spoonfuls. I don’t force anything on her, ever. If she doesn’t like it, we mark it down on the ‘no’ list and move on. No pressure.

She has also found her voice, and is constantly squealing and ‘talking’. She’s most vocal to the animals. She loves to shriek and squeal at them.

We (knock on wood) haven’t hit the ‘stranger danger’ phase yet. She’s happy to go visit with just about anybody and is even more thrilled when they get down on the floor with her. She’s her Daddy’s girl through and through and it’s pretty clear that she prefers him over me. He’s the ‘fun one’ apparently. I’m just the milk bar when Dad’s around. Who can blame her though? Just look at the stud!

 

 

 

It’s a good thing she can share.

She doesn’t have a favorite toy (although a blanket is a MUST for nap/bed times), other than things that aren’t really meant to be toys…

… And she’s still sleeping through the night.

Mostly.  

She is working pretty hard at getting herself into a sitting position from being on her tummy and she usually ends up in a funny little posing position.

 

I can’t wait to see what next month brings, and I’m enjoying every second with her!