Reflections on 6 months...

Our little Miriam Aislinn is now 6 months old!  Where does time go?  I can't believe in another 6 months, we'll be celebrating her first birthday.  It just blows my mind! 

I must reminisce.

6 months & 1 day ago, Jason & I were enjoying our last night as a "married without kids" couple.  We went out for a gluttonous dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, we enjoyed each other's company thoroughly, and we marveled in the fact that in 12 hours from our dinner date, we'd have our baby in our arms (there's the benefit of a scheduled c-section, I guess).  We still didn't truly know if Poppy was a boy or a girl (except for my motherly intuition, which was screaming GIRL from just about day 1), we had no idea what he/she would look like, we had no real idea what parenting would be like.  We knew we'd love this baby, and we knew we loved each other, and that was about all we knew, but all that mattered.

At 9:23 AM on Wednesday September 8, 2010, our lives changed forever.  Our sweet baby GIRL(!) was born.  Dr. Dennis's first words were "Well, I can tell you it's a girl!" (remember, Miri was being pulled out bottom-first from her little breech resting spot) and then "She's a true redhead!"  and then "Oh, she's a BIG girl" (she really wasn't, it was just those big lovely kissable cheeks).  I remember saying "It's a GIRL!  I knew she was a girl!" and then I remember Jason & I both crying.  I should correct myself now, because I know Jason will say "I didn't cry!"  I CRIED and Jason got teary-eyed (he cannot deny that).  I didn't get to hold her because she needed to be examined immediately (de rigueur for c-section babies), plus my arms were strapped down to the table, but the neonatologist held her up for me to look at as she whisked her to the baby examining spot.  Jason looked at me with a look of complete confusion.  I knew he was torn because he felt like he shouldn't leave his poor wife all alone on the operating table, yet he was aching to see his baby girl up close, touch her, meet her.  I of course sent him with our Poppy!  I could hear her wailing away (a great sound!).  After a few minutes, Jason came back and showed me pictures of her.  And then a few minutes after that, he brought her to me.  She was still crying.  And then the most magical moment of my entire life occurred.  He put her up to my face and I kissed her and told her I loved her so much... and she stopped crying.  She HEARD MY VOICE & STOPPED CRYING!  This was truly my baby, and she knew me, and I knew her.  This was the most amazing, beautiful experience of my life.

We have really gotten to know our little Miri over the last 6 months.  She's a little person now, with her very own personality.  So, who is she?  She is exceptionally good-natured but also strong-willed (she IS a redhead, remember?).  She's generous with smiles, and those smiles light up any room that she's in.  She is starting to really learn to PLAY now.  She reaches for Mommy, Daddy, and her beloved furry brother Prescott.  She reaches for favorite toys.  She clearly understands cause-and-effect, at least in some circumstances.  One of her favorite toys is this rocking snail that Jason & I got her for Christmas.  She very obviously understands that when she makes the snail rock, it will sing & light up, to her utter delight.  She hits it when it stops so that it will go again.  Trust me, she VERY clearly knows what it means when Mommy puts the Boppy around her waist (and I cannot move fast enough for her in that situation!).  I know Piaget will disagree with me, but I swear she understands object permanence.  The other day, I covered up her favorite rattle with a blanket, and guess what?  She pulled that blanket right off it & picked up the rattle!  And then gave me a very self-satisfied smirk.  She is starting to think Peekaboo is a hilariously funny game.  She's honestly not much of a cuddler, except when she's tired, but her smiles, giggles, touching our faces, and reaching for us clearly demonstrate her love.  And we both do relish those increasingly rare sleepy, cuddly moments!  She loves to move move MOVE these days and is no longer a big fan of being restrained in her carseat.  She sleeps 12 hours every night... often straight through  but sometimes still wanting 1 quick nursing session in the middle of the night.  She can effectively self-soothe by rubbing her face &/or sucking her thumb.  She has started to eat rice cereal, and tomorrow she will be trying (organic) baby applesauce for the first time.  I could write about her forever, but I think I've said enough.

6 month doctor's appt stats:  25.25 inches (25th percentile for 6 month old girls) and 13 lbs, 3.5 oz (7th percentile).  Ma petite princesse!  Her new pediatrician, Dr. Esser, said she is the picture of health and that she's a very strong little girl, despite being a skinny mini Miri.  

And now, what you've all been waiting for... the PICTURES!  Thanks for putting up with my rambling reminiscence!  :)

Pretty girl!



Yum yum!



The girl has a million toys, but Daddy's glasses are more interesting than all of them combined.

Daddy's little sweetheart

  

Mommy's best friend