Happy Half Birthday Amelia!

Oh, Amelia Ann. How can you be six months old? Half of a year? You have grown so much and are doing so many exciting things! Tomorrow we have your doctor appointment, so we'll know how you measure up to other kids. You measure up just perfect in our eyes.

Oh Amelia Ann, what a stinker you can be. Can you see it? This is close to the flirt face. It's in the eyes....

Thinking, deciding...can I get the camera?
It is worth a try! Also, I'm seeing that the cute dresses I have stocked up on are going to be put away for awhile. They certainly interfere with our crawling and make this little one very frustrated! PS I know you all told me, but I did it anyway.
Watching Daddy and big brother here...

Crawling...I think our bed photo shoots are coming to an end for awhile. It was VERY hard trying to keep her on the bed and aim the camera at the same time. We'll be somewhere different next month!

William is such an eager big brother. He is [usually] so gentle and loves to hold his baby sister. He does silly things to make her laugh and sings her songs.My babies. I love having two kids. I was so....afraid before Amelia was born of how difficult it would be to balance two kids. Now, I'm singing a whole different tune. If you don't have two kids, I think you should go out and get two right now. Immediately.

Loving her toes!

Why yes, she does have all five toes in her mouth! Can't you do that?

This look right here is pure Amelia Ann. Sheer determination. She will get the camera strap and she will put it in her mouth. Nothing will stop her. Later in the evening, I saw her applying this same intense stare to the steps going up from the basement.
Profile...
It was such a gorgeous day and I was particularly inspired by my cousin in law Kara from Fargo. She recently took some GREAT family pictures outside and I wanted some of us!
Amelia wasn't so sure about the grassI don't think I got her to crack a smile once while we were out there!

You are working on learning to eat solid foods. You're eating up the rice cereal now pretty well. I think you're actually eating it down as opposed to putting in your mouth and then scraping 95% off of your chin to try again. I think you like it...but it is hard to tell. You don't outright refuse it, so I guess that is good. We've also added bananas and squash to your line up. I think you really liked the bananas and you tolerated the squash. This is of course, just interpreting from your facial expressions. We've tried the sippy cup a little as well as some Cheerios. Neither one appear to be your favorite thing so far. Although I just don't understand why you are perfectly happy munching on a piece of newspaper and won't eat the Cheerio. Just a matter of taste, I suppose.

Physically, you are in a hurry to catch up to your brother. You work and work to get to be in the same area as he is. He can make you laugh those big belly laughs that bring a smile to everyone's face by simply paying attention to you. You sure love him. Your army style crawling is getting quicker and quicker which means I keep finding you all kinds of places you shouldn't be. Like in the bathroom tipping over the garbage or trying to lick the potty chair (seriously, what is it about the potty chair? When I can't find you, that is the first place I look these days.)*.

You are also inspired to move fast for our cats. William now leaves them alone most of the time, so they've gotten more brave with being around him. Amelia giggles immediately when she sees them. She can be having an all out fit when I take something away from her and all it takes is a kitty walking by to put a smile on her face. She wants nothing more than to run her fingers through the kitty's fur, pull it all out, and then bite it's nose. It is the funniest thing because she tries to charm the cats into coming to her. They aren't having any of it, but it is still funny to watch. First Amelia tips her head to one side and smiles. If the cats (she does this to people too) don't respond, she throws out an adorable squeal and smiles bigger. By this point she has people eating out of her hand, cooing, laughing and talking to her. But, the cats don't get it. They don't buy this cute baby stuff. So, she moves a little closer and tries again. This time with a big arm swoop finishing in the sweetest clasped hand pose. Still no dice. But, she keeps trying...until the cats get fed up with the noise and relocate.

You are sitting up and crawling on your hands and knees a few steps at a time. You can go from your tummy to sitting up on your bottom like you've been doing it your whole life. All you want is to be on the floor practicing your crawling and finding things to put in your mouth. A friend of ours held you at a party last weekend and summed it up pretty well "This baby girl is as sweet as can be, but she is like trying to hold onto a very wiggly piano wire". I couldn't agree more. My arms are going to be incredible in another month if you keep it up. It is a workout trying to hang on to you!

The babbling continues and is so much fun! You study our faces and I catch you mimicking some facial expressions and swear the other day you waved and said "hi" after I did it to you. But, you wouldn't do it again, so it isn't official. You've also discovered a loud voice. There is a baby pterodactyl screech you make...frequently. There is no ignoring it. The first time it is utterly charming and by the fifth time I'm searching for the ibuprofen.

Another recent addition is peek-a-boo. This is something you're brother never did - so it is doubly special that you've picked it up. You pull whatever is handy (blankets, towels, your dress) over your head, wait a moment and then yank it away with a big smile on your face. When we say peek-a-boo! you laugh and laugh. And so do we baby girl.

Baby girl, you are wonderfully delicious. I wish I could bottle up the grin you give me from your crib each morning in its total sweetness. I love how you lay on your belly facing the door, waiting for me to come and fetch you out of the bed in the morning. As the door opens, so does your smile along with a giggle. You fill our hearts with joy - we are so thankful for you!






*If you come to visit our house, please excuse the bathroom. The garbage sits on the counter, the toilet paper sits up on a shelf, the door doesn't shut with the step stool in the way and the potty chair usually lives in the bathtub. Yes, we have adapted the entire bathroom to fit the needs of our kids...and now it is adult proof.