Evie: 6 Months Old!

My goodness, where does time go?  Our baby is half a year old already, and this is going down as the fastest 6 months in history.  I have to say, though, that the passage of time is easier to take this time around.  I so mourned the passing of time with Charlie, and although I definitely get nostalgic about Evie getting older, it is also really exciting because I know how much fun is ahead. :)  Evie is such a delight at 6 months.  She is the sweetest, smiliest little baby.  Every time someone looks at her and smiles, she breaks out a huge smile (and then gets shy and buries her head for a minute before peeking out with another smile).  She babbles and coos in her soft little voice, and waves her arms about wildly when she gets excited.  She is getting a bit wary around strangers, but loves her "people."  And although I don't want her to be clingy, those tiny little hands reaching out hard to resist. :)  One of my favorite things about Evie is getting her up in the morning or from a nap.  She usually wakes up in a wonderful mood and switches from crying to big smiles and giggles when I walk in her room.  What a great way to start off a day!

Evie has a mind of her own and lets us know when she's hungry or tired, but she is generally really easy going.  Even when she's tired, she will perk up and be sweet with a change of scenery, a trip outdoors, or a new face to talk to (hungry is another matter; Evie doesn't like missing meals...and who can blame her?).  Evie rarely gets to be on her "own" schedule, but she is a good sport about fitting into our wild days.

At 6 months, Evie is sitting well, although she still tumbles over if I leave her alone too long.  She cut her first tooth (bottom left) on her 6 month birthday, and I think there's another one trying to break through right now.  She is sleeping about 12 hours at night, with one feeding (around 5 a.m.) in the middle.  I am ready for her to drop that 5 a.m. feeding, but hoping she'll do it on her own soon.  She's eating solids (we've tried rice cereal, avocados, sweet potatoes, and bananas), and seems to really enjoy her new meals.  She has started standing up in her high chair, trying to get closer to the food, so I guess I've got to start feeding her more (and buckling her in :).  Charlie loves having her eat with him, but has voiced some concern about her messiness. :)  

Evie is starting to imitate noises, and is working particularly hard on imitating the clicking noises my dad makes for her.  For some reason, she loves that noise.  I even heard her practicing it in her crib yesterday morning!

Charlie and Evie are still so cute together.  They are always making each other laugh; I love hearing "Ebie SOOOO funny!"  Charlie is always often concerned about her well-being, and gets very worried when she is crying.  He sees her as a person, rather than a baby, and I love having that perspective to remind me that she is, indeed, a real person.  If she's crying in the car, he wants me to get her out immediately, and if she's fussing in her bed, he really wants to get in her room and make sure everything is ok (if he goes upstairs with me to get her out of bed, he yells, "Eeebie, we cooooming!" on the way up :).  She's been lunging out of her bath sling, and Charlie has been her biggest advocate for letting her sit in the tub on her own (he finds this hilarious, for some reason).  Evie loves her big brother, and will sit and watch him run around and play for as long as I will let her.  No one can make her laugh as hard as he can, and hearing her deep little chuckle makes me so happy.

And, without further ado, here is the 6-month-old, in all her glory... :)

Evie's 6-month doctor's appointment was quite successful.  She loves getting an outing all by herself and is not picky about where we go--the pediatrician was quite thrilling for her, especially because she was the center of attention.  She was talking and smiling up a storm, even though we were there during nap time.  She didn't fuss too much about the shots, and although she had a little fever the next day, she was just as sweet as ever (just a little more sleepy).  Evie clocked in at:

Weight: 15 pounds (35%)

Height: 26 inches (60%)

Head: 17 inches (75%)

So far, her percentiles are pretty close to what Charlie's were at this stage.  Funny how that works out!

Miss Mouse, you are so very loved.  I don't know how we managed without you!