~6 Months~

Our little Sina is not so little anymore.  She turned 6 months yesterday.  Half a year and I have no idea where all that time went.  It truly seems like it was just yesterday that I brought her home from the hospital.  Today, I feel like she's a young lady already (I know, that's a lot).  She's grown so much and has been through so much since last month.

Today, Malu and I took her to the clinic on post (which is a nice, brisk walk from our house) for her 6-month check up.  It was my first time going with her on an appointment since her 1-month check up.  Malu's has been doing it since.  So it was my first time seeing her get shots, and I was a wreck.  Every other time, Malu said that she'd cry for a few seconds and then shrug it off.  I always thought he exaggerated, but I witnessed it for myself.  Our baby girl is such a trooper.  The doctor also said she's as healthy as can be, despite the nasty cough she picked up from her sickie mommy a week ago.  In any case, here are her stats:

Weight:  15.7 lbs (about 3 pounds more than 2 months ago) = 42.6%
Length:  26 1/4 in = 71.6% (she's going to be tall!)
Head Circumference = 17.13 in = 77.8% (she's still got a big noggin)

So what's happened these last few weeks?

• Sina made it all the way to Germany without any fussing.  As a matter of fact, she slept pretty much the entire way and woke only to eat and play for a little bit.  She even slept through the 7 total hours that we had been delayed.  People didn't even know we had a baby with us until they saw us de-plane.
• Her 3-6 month clothes are really snug on her, so I've put her in some of her 6-9 month clothes that are tons more comfy.  When our household goods come, I'm going to be packing away all of her small clothes :( 
• She loves, loves, loves to eat.  And when she wants it, she'll let you know.  As soon as she sees a glimpse of her colored bowls and/or her spoons, she starts flipping out and makes "mmmm" and "ma ma ma" noises. Sometimes she screams.  These days, Gerber has a really great selection of food with tasty combinations that Sina loves such as Turkey and Sweet Potatoes and Chicken with Apples.  The problem is, if you try to revert to the plain Chicken and Rice and even plain rice cereal, Sina literally gives you the "I-don't-know-why-you're-even-bothering-to-feed-me-this-bland-stuff" look and refuses to eat it.  Fortunately, she still loves her green beans and carrots.  We also introduced her to the Gerber Graduates Puffs so that she can learn how to feed herself and chew small pieces of food.  She just hasn't quite learned to put the puffs into her mouth after picking them up, which is funny because she pretty much does that with anything else she's given; then again, the puffs are tiny and her cute, chubby hands get in the way. 
• We've increased her formula intake to 7 ounces every 4 to 5 hours and have even introduced her to an apple-flavored Pedialyte juice.  Last week, we'd taken Sina to the doctor because she had gotten a nasty cough and became congested--her first time being sick.  He suggested the juice to increase her fluid intake.  She loves it. 
• Speaking of her being sick...you would never guess that she was sick at all the way she carries on, being smiley and giddy.  And when she went to see the doctor, even today, she had a grand old time.  The doctors love her. 
• We finally put her in size 2 diapers. 
• She is definitely talking a lot more these days, and the "ba ba ba", "mmmmm" and "ma ma ma" sounds are more distinct than last month.  And when we say "ma ma ma ma ma" over and over to her, she starts cracking up.  It's the cutest thing.  We just got the Your Baby Can Read program in the mail this weekend, so we're going to start it this week.  She already loves to read with Malu, and we get her several books a week from the library.  Hopefully, she'll be spouting off and/or recognizing words in no time.
• She went to daycare twice this month and loved it.  As soon as we handed her over to a provider, she forgot who mommy and daddy were and wanted to play with all the toys.  This is a relief, because with Malu landing a job here, we have no choice but to put her in daycare full time soon. 
• She loves playing with her toys.  We could leave her on the bed or in her crib and surround her with her toys and she'll just entertain herself for a good while. She has a ladybug Pillow Pet that she is crazy about.  When Malu dangles it above her head, she goes nuts.  And she eats the antennae all the time.  She's also head over heels for her Playskool laptop that plays the ABCs song and teaches her some Spanish too.
• She also has great posture, sits upright without assistance and moves into a crawling position a lot these days. 
• She loves watching TV, especially Playhouse Disney on AFN here.  Handy Manny, and Mickey's Playhouse keep her well-entertained as well as Baby Mozart DVDs and CDs.  She loves music.  Kelley Barracks has a pre-school music program that we intend to enroll her in.  Can't wait!

I can go on forever and ever about how much she's changing and how much we've enjoyed watching her grow.  And Malu is sitting here rattling a lot of other things about her that I am unfortunately too lazy to put into this post.  I know that he is impacted most by how much she has progressed because he's the one whose been watching her all this time that I've been back at work.  I know it's going to be hard for him to return to work and put her in someone else's care.  She is, after all, daddy's little girl.  And now, I'm going to end this post so that I can see him cuddle with his little girl as she sleeps. 

Happy 1/2 year little darling and may God continue to bless you.  It's sad to think that in six more months, you'll be a year old!