all about mac: 6 months

 

  Weight:   17+ pounds
Height: 25+"
Health: She got her first cold which wasn't horrible.  She never really acted sick but her eyes watered and her nose was very stuffy and runny.  Thank goodness for the Nose Frieda!  There's no way one of those hospital snot suckers could have handled that mucus-y mess. 
Nicknames:  Miss Mac, peanut, Macadoodle, kid, Mackey, sweet thang, baby cakes, little one, chunky monkey
Teething: No teeth in sight.
Clothing:  Definitely on the 6 month end of some of her 3-6 month clothes.  Also wearing 9 month old clothes as well, especially her sleepers.  She is a growing girl!
Diapers: Cloth diapering is still going well.  We got a diaper sprayer that we attached to the toilet so we can spray the diapers off.
Eating:  Still nursing like a champ!  She's eating a lot more at daycare and when my parents watch her.  Luckily my supply has been able to keep up with her demand.  We started solid food the night of her 6 month birthday.  Can you tell I'm a rule follower?   Sleeping (night):  She is still sleeping from 7:30/8:00 to 7:00.  Occasionally she wakes up in the early hours which disrupts our last couple of hours of sleep but we really can't complain.  She's a good night time sleeper! 
Sleeping (naps):  Sleeping during the day?  Not really her strong suit.  But since she's sleeping so well at night, it's not that big of a deal.  She still only sleeps about 45 minutes at a time for me.  On my days off, I try and get as much done as I can in those 45 minutes - like train for my 5k in my basement, clean, do laundry, stuff diapers, or try and take a nap myself.  Sometimes if she wakes up at the 45 minute mark I can bring her into bed with me and cuddle with her and then she'll sleep another hour or so.  That's one of my favorite moments!
Social:  She's our social butterfly.  Partly because we've taken her out and about from the very beginning.  She's become a rather chill baby and tolerates shopping and running errands.  I'll take it!
Likes:  Going on walks, sitting on the front porch swing, Cozy, putting toys in her mouth, grabbing our faces, talking and looking at me while I nurse her, reading books, singing, sitting up, rolling all over the place, being tickled.   Dislikes:  Falling backwards when she's sitting up, nap time sometimes.
New this month:  Sitting up consistently, rolled over from back to tummy at the KU football game... on the floor of the bleachers, smiling and laughing much more, jumping violently in her exersaucer.  
Fun things we did:  

• First KU football game
• First KU volleyball game
• Trip to Grandma and Grandpa Shirley's
• Visited Great Uncle Dale's flowers
• Sat in her high chair for the first time
• Took a bath in the kitchen sink

Mom:  Still attempting to train for my 5k.  It's a little hard to do when Mac wakes up from her nap after 45 minutes.  She always seems to wake up when I'm on my last lap.. I guess that's motivation to run faster?

I'm having a hard time, emotionally, with starting solid foods.  I know that sounds ridiculous but when she's solely eaten food from me and only me, it makes me a little sad.  I realize she's not going to be eating 3 square meals a day and never nurse again, but it means she is growing up!  I've fed her little body with my body for a solid 6 months so I will be thankful for that. 

Dad:  Mac looooves her daddy.  She gets so excited when he walks into the house after work.  She smiles, grunts, laughs, bounces, and shows off her dimples when he comes in through that door.  It makes me happy that she shows so much affection for Ehren when I know that dads can sometimes get the short end of the stick when it comes to babies.  He smiles almost as big as her in these instances and it makes my heart happy. 

What we are looking forward to:  Watching her try solid foods, sitting up more, more laughs and squeals and noises.  

This month in pictures:

 One of the benefits of working in a hospital is getting to use the hospital-grade breast pumps.  They are fantastic and so productive... literally.  For you pumpers out there: sometimes I have two let downs in a pumping session!  Anyway, I can't help but notice the panicked face I see every time I go to pump.  Do you see it?

Well hi there!

My name is Mac and sometimes I like to spoon the coffee table.

And sometimes I like to eat my (clean) diapers.

And I also like to help with shampooing the carpets.

She is ready for her first KU football game!

I appreciate her ability to nap almost anywhere if she's tired enough and full enough.

Game day with cousin Cameron.

And with cousin Ellie.

Hail to old KU.

She had a lot of fun with the retractable KU banner.  She would pull it then release it and laugh.

We scored so obviously Ehren "waved the wheat" with our baby.

Look!  I'm starting to sit up!

Slippery baby after a bath.

Sleepy baby after a bath.

I love our afternoon naps together.  I love how she sleeps longer and harder when she's in my arms.

 First KU volleyball game!

I seriously don't know how she slept as loud as it was in there.

McCauley sitting in the family high chair at my grandma's house.  My aunts, uncle, and mom as well as all my cousins, sat in this high chair.  Now the great grandkids are sitting in it.  

Cousin Holland making sure she's in her car seat properly.

At Uncle Dale's house.

Oh, you know, just 9,000 gladiolas that my uncle planted in the middle of a cornfield.

Great Grandpa Loyal Shirley.

Miss Mac and Uncle Dale.  I used to want to marry him when I was little.

We got a chair to hook on our counter top.  Best purchase ever!  She sits there and plays while we cook or get ready for work in the morning.  She's going to be my little chef.

Game day with her new cousin Lucy!

Tailgates aren't complete without a photo booth!

We went on a walk at the dog park and I carried her in my Ergobaby.  I'm really hoping this is sweat and slobber and not urine.

We went to Books and Babies at the Lawrence Public Library for the first time and she had so much fun!  Meaning she sat there, paid attention, and didn't cry.

Sup?

Sitting with a pumpking at grandma's house.  She started licking it 12 seconds later.

Nap time at the tailgate.

Despite having a little cold, she was pretty happy.

And daddy kisses make everything better.

And so do mommy cuddles.

First bath in the kitchen sink!

 We got a video monitor so we can spy on our little peanut.  It's so funny to see how she sleeps!

When I'm at work, one of my favorite parts of the day is getting a picture from our babysitter, Emma.  Asa and Mac are talking about their lives together.

Giggles with grandpa.

First time sitting in her new high chair!  It's a Stokke Tripp Trapp and we love it so far.

How's this for solid food?  Fake lemons and limes.

Half a year already?!