daphne {month six}

SONY DSC

{alligator: Jellycat // romper: June & January // bib: DIY with Rifle Paper Co. fabric}

{month six} Six months. Guys, how is my tiny little baby SIX MONTHS old already? In some ways I feel like there’s no way it has already been six months (that’s half of a year!) and in other ways I feel like I have known Daphne my entire life.

Teething machine. Daphne has her two bottom front teeth which came in super fast as compared to Eloise’s teeth which I remember taking forever to actually grow in once they cut thru the gums. But with the amount of drool and gnawing that this kid has and does, I am pretty certain there are more teeth on the way! She has been loving this Lifefactory teething ring and this Nuby teether which creates so much more drool but seem effective.

Along with her excitement about teething rings has come Daphne’s ability to pick things up and put them directly in her mouth. It’s a gift. And a curse. I have been sitting Daphne in her highchair when she is awake during mealtimes and it is awesome to be able to fill the tray with toys and know that she can pick them up and chew on them or throw them on the ground which is generally what ends up happening (and quickly!). I am considering getting this really cool toy that suctions onto a tray and holds different toys, preventing them from falling on the ground.

Daphne has been working so much on her dexterity and finding her hands (not just to chew on!). This has been really sweet to watch her grab for things or use her hands to get what she wants, but has been super helpful too. I have noticed that Daphne can put a paci in her mouth all by her self, whether it is in her car seat or in her crib. If she can get a hold of one, it will surely go into her mouth. Just a few days ago (or maybe last week?) I was watching her on the webcam in the middle of her nap (she was fussing a bit, but I wanted to see if she could self-soothe before I went down to help) and she rolled onto her belly, crawled across the crib (in her sleepsack), grabbed her paci and put it into her mouth. Within a minute she was back asleep. It was amazing! And this is a game changer. Now that she can get her lovie or her paci during a nap she can self-soothe and get herself back to sleep even better! I am super impressed with her newly developed skill because I feel like it was forever before Eloise could find her paci and get it into her mouth during sleeping time!

We have introduced a story at bedtime, though sometimes Daphne isn’t into it because after drinking an entire 7 to 8 ounce bottle in about 5 minutes, she’s ready to pass out. But, she does really like books and loves any page with a big face on it or the color red. I have also noticed while I’ve been reading to her that she follows along with the book and seems to understand reading left to right. I will turn the page and she will look at the left page and then scan to the right. Maybe it’s because that is our instinct when you turn pages from the right side and open to the left (?) but it is really cool. And I suspect we have another book lover in our future!

As I mentioned in last weekend’s post, the first baby gate went up since we officially have a mobile baby! I don’t love baby gates (and am already counting the days, weeks, months before we can take them down) but for my sanity and Daphne’s safety, it is pretty much a requirement. We are doing the same configuration of baby gates that we had with Eloise: one across the doorway between the living room and entryway (right next to the playmat) and another one in the doorway between the upstairs hallway and the entryway (right next to the stairs). This basically allows for the kids (and adults) to move freely around the upstairs and into the bathroom (imperative for Eloise now!) but prevents any mishaps on the stairs. Once the other gate goes up (which has a door) we will have to teach Eloise how to open and close it (which should be interesting!) and that will happen once Daphne is really crawling on her hands and knees. But even though she is still army crawling and scooting around, she is picking up speed quickly. I am amazed how fast she can get from her playmat to the living room rug, normally right under the coffee table.

This girl is happy. So happy. Not 100% of the time, but probably about 90%. Seriously. That’s not to say she doesn’t get sad, because she definitely does generally when she is overtired or hungry. But even when you wouldn’t expect it, like when I have to wake her up from a nap, she’s so smiley and happy. It’s infectious and makes this mama so happy too!

Daphne has also found her voice and is working on sounds. She talks and talks, especially right after she has eaten. Lots of “ma,” “ga,” “ba” sounds. We are also starting to do baby signs as well, just as we did with Eloise. We will probably focus on the same signs since they worked so well before and allowed for almost all of her communication needs: milk, more, all done, please, and thank you. Plus, this time around we have an eager big sister who is more than willing to help teach signs!

And a very exciting update (at least for me) is that Daphne has greatly reduced her nursing times in the past week or so. This girl, just like her big sister, was a s-l-o-w nurser from the get-go. 40 minute nursing sessions were our normal when she was brand-new but we were still doing 30 minute sessions up until last week! And then all of the sudden she seems to be fully satiated after 20 minutes (10 per side) or even less during her last feeding (like 6 or 8 minutes!). It seems crazy that just a few minutes can even make a difference, but I am telling you it is life-changing. Even though I enjoy nursing sessions because they force me to sit and be still, the time adds up thru-out the day and there are still demands on my time and attention (ahem, one very cute but sometimes needy toddler).

Finally, since 6 months is official, we should probably get going on solids and the plan is to start today at dinnertime, after her final nursing session (which falls between 6 and 6:30). Even though we want to focus on BLW like we did with Eloise, we will still use purees in these first months to help introduce flavors (I find that purees are best to introduce different spices and flavor combinations that BLW foods can’t). I went a little crazy with purees and ended up with a lot more than we originally planned, so we have a variety to choose from. I tried to stick to things that were in-season (summer fruits) and we will incorporate squash and potatoes as they come more into season since they are great BLW foods (just roast with butter or oil).

Roasted Blueberry + Cinnamon
Peas + Zucchini + Mint
Bananas + Coconut Milk + Cinnamon
Cherry + Basil
Beef
Peaches + Cloves
Pears + Prunes + Cloves (this is our go-to puree for constipation and is one of the only purees we will continue to make and feed thruout the first year)
Salmon + Orange

Like I mentioned above, I like purees because they allow you to introduce a lot of different flavors and combinations. Now that we are doing this for the second time, we know now that starting solids is all about introducing flavors, not about getting baby to eat. Last time we didn’t introduce meat until much later, but we decided to offer some meat early on, which is great in theory, but pureeing meat is slightly gross (just my opinion). So, almost nothing is off-limits and we want to introduce a wide breadth of flavors and tastes.

{weight} I would guess close to 17 pounds. I will update if there is a big difference at her check-up next week.
{hair} blackish brown.
{teeth} two bottom middle teeth.
{eyes} dark grey/brown.
{clothes} 3 to 6 months (barely), 6 months and 12 months (Carter’s), 6 to 12 months.
{diapers} size 3 {from the honest company and Babyganics}. At home we are doing cloth (bumGenius and Grovia) and disposables when we go out and overnight (and add a cloth cover).
{feeding} nursing every 3 to 4 hours during the day, starting around 8 am. feeding sessions last around 20 minutes (10 per side). bedtime is at 8 pm with a 6 to 8 oz bottle.{likes} crawling, spinning on her back and belly, teething rings, chewing on anything, sitting in her highchair, staring at her quilt (from Amanda), rattles, nursing, riding in the car (usually), her big sister Eloise, Sadie, singing, lights, paci, being bounced, sucking on her hands, being tickled, talking (cooing).
{dislikes} having gas, lying down flat right after eating, being hungry or tired. {nicknames} Daph, Bug, Snorty, Baby D, Daphne Doo Daph-a-do, Love, Lovebug.