Month 6

Dear Bailey,
As I write this time I am having a harder time accepting that you are already 6 months!  Time flies little one, but I would not change the last 6 months for anything in the world.  You are an amazing little girl, do you know that?  You are very full of personality, so much more than last month even.  Your Daddy and I really enjoy your giggles, smiles, kisses, and you even started hugging us, the big bear type of hugs where you open your arms wide and wrap them around us!  We both agree that one of our favorite things in our day is you always, without a doubt give us a smile every single time we meet eyes with you.  It is truly amazing and we love that about you.  Your laugh to us is the most beautiful sound in the world.  You have been trying very hard to crawl, and everyday we say any day you will be moving everywhere!  You were sitting up last month, but this month you are sitting up with much more stability.   You can already spin 360 degrees (which your Dad is very proud of) and crawl backwards, we were very impressed with this one.

Your social interactions are amazing.  You love to smile at everyone who will look at you, you flash that cute smile and then we have another group of people around us.  Speaking of that, we can not have one outing to this day, where we do not have people stopping your Dad or I telling us how beautiful you are, ohh and telling us to buy a shotgun to ward off the boys later, much later we say (yes, we have had this comment from about 10 people, funny).  Your  expressions are changing and you are beginning to "voice" concern for your likes and dislikes.  You are very strong willed and know what you want at all times.  We find your tantrums quite amusing, for now.  You now know how to blow raspberries, and when you are bored, that is exactly what you do!!  Bailey, you talk up a storm, soo many new words... you still say Mom Maaa and you even reached for me as you said it, maybe a coincidence, but it melted my heart into pieces non the less.  You also started to say "b" words like baaaa, lots of "m" words, "n" words, and ahhhs!  We love to hear your little voice and we love to have little and big conversations with you.

You are growing big, yet you are still small.  I love that you still fit perfectly in my arms, but I think you always will have a huge spot there.  We started solids for 3-4 days, then stopped, it just was not time yet.  We have introduced you to water, we gave you a sippy cup which you kind of know how to use, but you much prefer a regular cup.  You enjoy taking drinks of Mom's water!  You continue to nurse like a pro, I enjoy that time with you.  You are cloth diapered and cloth wiped, everyday.  You are now fitting in 6-12 month sizes, although your pants are still more like a 3-6 month size.  I feel a little sad every time you change sizes, just a reminder again that you are growing up.  Do not grow up too fast our little baby.

Bailey, you love to be held, not just sometimes, but ALL the time.  We love holding you Bailey, we know this time is short, and you will not want to be held later (and if you do, we will always be here).  We try to encourage a lot of floor time, and you are practicing your many skills, you love toy balls.  This month you have actually grown to love toys, and playing.  You are grabbing at everything in your sight.  You are so curious about the world and many people have commented since you were born how alert you are.

It is really hard for us to believe that you are already 6 months, that you are halfway to being 1 years old.  Just 6 months ago you were in my belly, and we both were excited for you to be here.  It really does feel like you have always been with us, We do not know life without you anymore.  We have many thoughts and dreams for you Bailey, but we are trying to just enjoy you now, you are the most beautiful little girl.  Your Dad and I love you more than words can say.  We hope you know this, always.

We love you to the moon and back,
Daddy and Mommy
 
These are the photos we took at home (your 6 month photos are coming very soon)!!

Month 5

Dear Bailey,
I am typing this one handed as you take a nap on my chest.  It is the best thing in the world, being your Mommy little one.  I always wanted to be a Mommy growing up, I would watch my Mom and be like, yep, that is what I want to be.  You are growing so quickly!  I know I say this often but you are.  You are 5 months now, doing soo many new things.  Some of the things you have started to do:  sitting up (still wobbling around), you said "Mom Maaaa" for the first time and my heart melted into pieces; you are now very interested in toys, you love to grab things, touch everything; you marvel at the world around you, you like to look at everything when we are inside and especially while we are outside; you have quite the personality in the making, you now have many expressions; you laugh, yes, my favorite sound ever; your smile is continually gorgeous, it lights up the room; you have many new found noises and you use different pitches to get our attention; and the best yet, you are happy, such a happy baby.

Napping is not your thing yet, I am pretty sure you despise them unless you are sleeping on Mommy.  I have come to accept this, and although we still try, most of the time we just play all day.  You are a great sleeper at night though!  We read books every night before I put you to bed, you love to listen to books (and chew on them).  We are making it through only 1-2 books right now, because you want to nurse and you know that comes after we read! 

Right now you are growing bigger each day, you are getting longer.  You are now trying to crawl around, you just can not seem to get your arms and feet working at the same time.  You have though found out that if you roll enough you can make it across the room or just about anywhere you want to go, you are an expert roller!!  You can hold your head up and look everywhere now with no issue at all.  Sitting up is what you are working on right now, you are still very wobbly but it will be very soon!

  

You have started to pull tantrums, yes, tantrums!!  I do not know quite how to deal with this.  You cry hysterically till you get your way and I know what you are doing but you are soo tiny, usually I give in, but from time to time I let you cry.  Sometimes I even laugh (okay mommy laughs most of the time)!!  

You are now really starting to interact with the world and with us.  You have decided hitting me is a great way to get my attention, so you lightly tap my face when I am not giving you undivided attention!  Then you smile really big when I look at you.  You have also just started to really look for me when I come and go, you have always done this but now it is more apparent.  You laugh at us, smile at us, and carry on conversations with us.  Starting to see your little personality is more than awesome.

Cloth Diapering and cloth wipes are going great, we are still happy with our choice!  You now have learned to hold your legs up when we change you, it is soo cute!  Nursing is going great also, I love that time we spend together just gazing into each others eyes.  I am trying to enjoy those moments because I know things will change as you get older, so to me, there is no rush.    We have decided to hold off on solid foods for another month or two (6-7 months of age).  I guess I figure, what is the rush.  We are trying to approach things when we feel you are ready, not just because of you being a certain age.

We enjoy watching you take in the world, it just never gets old for you!  I hope you never lose the desire to explore the world around you.  There is soo much to see out there, and soo very much to learn about.  Sometimes as an adult we forget to stop and enjoy life, every part of it.  You help me to remember this everyday.  We love you soo much little girl and we always always will.  You are a beautiful little girl Bailey.  The love we have for you is not able to be measured, it is unconditional and larger than you know.

  

Love you to the moon and back,
Daddy and Mommy

Month 4

Dear Bailey,

It has been 4 months since I had you, Bailey.  It seems like we have loved you forever.  I really am amazed by you everyday.  

Bailey you are doing soo well and learning new things every single day.  Things you have learned to do:  Roll from your tummy to your back, Roll from your back to your tummy, grabbing at everything ( to note Mommy's phone, people's hair, poor Roxy, and faces), playing with toys now, you talk all the time, you are now controlling your feet and playing with them, blowing bubbles, smiling all the time, laughing or cackling (although you have to be PRETTY FUNNY to get her to do this), watching everything around you and looking around, you are  noticing people around you, but is not yet really recognizing anyone except for your Daddy and I (and maybe your grandma, I think), you are trying to make raspberry sounds, you are trying to crawl, you love to stand up (with help of course) and you are now throwing full on tantrums when we take something away or when you get angry (yes, I know I thought this was tooo early but it is soo obvious when you see it!!).  

We have been up to a lot lately: going to play dates, cooking, doing arts and crafts, and well usual around the house stuff.  Bailey, you love to watch other little kids, you are drawn to them where ever we go!  Bailey, you are getting bigger everyday it seems!!  This month we had your 4 month check-up!!  You received her shots and was soo good about it, you cried and then once I picked you up she was alright again!  What a strong little girl (I think I was about to cry for you!)  You are doing great and the doctor says you are advanced (for now at least) on everything that you are doing for your age.  Here you are Miss Bailey before your shots, of course!!

Bailey you are moving everywhere!  I will put you on the floor and you are rolling everywhere!  You will go from your mat and I will find her 5 feet away in minutes.  You are trying soo hard to crawl, you are picking your bottom up and puling your legs in and trying to pull with your arms.  I think we will be seeing some crawling action very soon.  In the meantime, you continue to buildup your crazy abdominal muscles with baby pushups and baby crunches!  

Bailey you are in love with your doggy Roxy, and Roxy loves you also!!  You love to pull Roxy's ears all the time (and Roxy totally lets you torture her!!).  She is soo patient with you, little monster baby!  Bailey you are also gentle with her most of the time, you love to pet her.  Roxy will go lay with you while you are having floor time and you love it!!

Other things:  Cloth Diapering is going excellent!  We love them.  We have just had to start night diapering you, but otherwise all is well for both Tony and I!  So far so good, and we have not had to buy a single disposable for 3 months! (except for the 5 days on vacation- but seriously I should have brought the cloth diapers....next time!)  We now have a couple different types of CD's (cloth diapers) in our rotation...we are using Bum Genius, Gro Baby, and Flips.  I think I like all three, although I really like the Gro Baby ones, so those may be my favorite!  The Flips are great but not so much now (newborn poop= yucky!).  We are diaper testers right now for The Natural Baby Co, can not wait to share what we have been testing, at first I was skeptical, but I really like it!!  I wish the sun would come out more because my inside clothes line takes forever!  We have already made several changes to be more environmentally friendly- cloth diapers, using canteens instead of bottles, most all of our household cleaners are environmentally safe, and we are trying to recycle everything.  There are still many things I want to be better about.  One of the big ones:  cloth wipes....I was being good about them and I want to add that habit back, because it is soo easy!!  I have been trying to change a little at a time!!  Not only are all these changes environmentally friendly, but they are cost effective, and well better for my baby!!

So back to Bailey, you are sleeping great in your own room and your own bed!  Yes, I am very happy about this (okay I still miss you!).  Bailey, you are doing good though, you go down to sleep without a fight at all, you are quite content...I nurse you, sing to you and you fall asleep.  Sleeping through the night, going to bed at about 8 pm with an early morning wake up-- somewhere between 5- 6:30 am.  You are not so great on the napping front, but we are working on that right now.  It is quite the fight right now, and that is just not so much fun.  I can not complain at all though, I am super proud of you!!  You wake up super happy with a big huge smile for me.  I love it.

Bailey we love all your little sounds, we even love your tantrums.  Your smile makes us smile.  Your laugh makes our hearts melt into pieces and puts the biggest smile on our faces.  You amaze us every single day with all that you are learning to do.  I hope you know how much your Mom and Dad love you, because we love you just that much, never forget it!!  

Auntie Laurie and Bailey

Daddy and his little girl

After bath time

I love my baby!

Bailey and her friend Kenzie

Bailey with her Boyfriend Nathan!

Bailey loves changing table time (especially with Daddy!!)

Valentine's Day 2010

Love you to the moon and back,

Daddy and Mommy