6 months

1/2 Birthday onesie and headband compliments of Auntie Jen

Brooke is halfway to her 1st birthday, 6 months today. It is so crazy to sit back and look at her and think "she is mine". It seems like yesterday that Michael and I were just living a simple life with little responsibility other than work and bills. And just like that, Brooke came into our lives, and all of that changed. There’s no doubt that simple life before being parents was easier, but in no way, shape or form was it as fulfilling as our lives are now. Every day I wake up and look forward to seeing what Brooke is going to do today to make me smile. She fills my heart in a way that I never knew I needed or was ready for.

Right now she is sleeping 12 hours at night, on her tummy with a pacifier, wubbanub and a lovey. She eats about 8 ounces (combination of breast milk & formula) every 3 hours starting at 8 am. She has her bath and bottle every night about 7 pm and goes to bed without a fuss. Sometimes she needs a little comforting about an hour or so after going down – usually getting readjusted in her crib or helping her find the paci does the trick. She reaches for everything; her hand-eye coordination and motor skills are great! She has mastered sitting up unsupported and is so proud of herself when she is standing (with some support). She turns her head and smiles to familiar voices and faces. She loves riding the horsey and mumbling one-syllable noises (“mmm” and “buhh”). We are working on “momma” and “dada”, sign language too. She still loves “1,2, Buckle my shoe” and her Sophie toy. Her toys that light up and play music she really gets enjoyment out of. Simple things like water bottles and burp clothes really seem to excite her too! She is rolling and scooting all around, especially in her crib. It won’t be long before we have a crawler on our hands. She is in size 3 diapers and mostly in 6-9 month clothes. She has a matching headband for almost every outfit (definitely an obsession her auntie and mommy have taken on). She has tried rice cereal and sweet potatoes, but is not eating regularly just yet. She knows the spoon goes in her mouth and she is desperate to eat, but she is still unsure about the texture of this new “stuff” going in her mouth. I am confident it won’t take long before she loves it! Soon we will introduce a sippy cup and see how she does training with that.

Michael is home from Ennis (we are so thrilled that he is back) and was able to go to the doctor's appointment with us today; it was his first time to meet her pediatrician. We were so happy to go together for her 6 month check up. The doctor is so pleased with the way her eczema looks now; we are using hydrocortisone lotion and Curel twice daily. She weighs 19 pounds and 3 ounces (92nd percentile), 26.5" long (76th percentile) and head circumference of 17.3". She is one healthy baby girl! She got 5 vaccines at today's visit. It broke my heart to hear her cry as they pricked her leg 4 times! She reached for her mommy and had tears rolling down her face. Seconds later she was fine, and actually was full of smiles the rest of the day!

We are truly blessed to not only have this sweet girl in our lives, but to have such a good baby. We couldn’t ask for more. Every day I wake up and my heart is full. I am so grateful for this life and enjoy every day with my family. It is bittersweet to think that our little girl is 6 months and while she is still a “baby”, she is growing up before our eyes. I love seeing her learn new things and embrace her personality. She is the perfect combination of Michael and I. We are so proud of her and love her to pieces. Looking forward to many more milestones.

Ready to crawl