Alice Juliet- Six/Seven Months

Well, fancy meeting you here... we haven't seen each other (minus my ode to apartment living ) since this time a couple months ago.  Oops! Have I officially morphed into a mommy blogger? Actually, I have several non-Alice-themed posts bouncing around in my tired little brain so perhaps soon you can read about something here that is a little more informative than my daughter's latest eating habits. (But be honest, do you really want to?? =) I had her six month post all ready to go but then I never got around to posting it because we were settling in the house and hanging pictures and... I'm lazy. So a combination post it is.

Here we go... the latest on my SEVEN MONTH OLD baby. (Sob.)

Six Months

Seven months- she looks SO old to me here. =(

Weight and Length- I'm not entirely sure because according to her last doctor's appointment, she weighs 15.5 pounds and is 27.5 inches long, BUT for some reason I just feel like one of those numbers might be off. If you've never seen a baby get measured at the doctor, it's hardly a science... they literally just draw a line at her head and her feet. Those measurements put her at 25/50% for weight and the 90th percentile for length! The doctor did tell me her weight and length growth would be disproportionate as she becomes more mobile but still... I think she weighs a little more. But I don't have a scale at home because ignorance is bliss (right?) so we shall see. 

Nicknames- Alice from the Palace, Squish, Sissy, Sissy Sue (my dad always called all of us girls Sissy and I've started doing it subconsciously), Sugar, Sugar Pie Honey Bun (you know I love you!), Sugar Bee, Princess, Princess Pie (apparently I've got dessert on the brain) This baby does not lack for terms of endearment!

Sleep- still around 9-10 hours a night... she's doing a lot better with sleeping in again now that we have real curtains in her room. Her room has an enormous window and we finally found some pretty room-darkening curtains that don't look like airplane seat upholstery. (Why is that?) They are from JC Penney and were a really good deal if you are looking for some! (From Alice's sleep to a curtain commercial... oops.) Her naps are not that great... she likes to use me as a (literal) body pillow and since the move and a million interruptions to her schedule she naps slightly sporadically. I make sure she gets at least two good naps a day still... they just don't always happen at the same time. On an ideal day, she'll take a long nap in the morning and a shorter nap in the afternoon. Since she sleeps so well at night, I can't complain!

Eating- she's still nursing every 3ish hours, but has tried a ton of new foods! She eats food at least once a day, sometimes twice, and has tried applesauce, bananas, green beans, carrots, mashed potatoes, avocado, and Chick-fil-A ice cream. (Just a taste! =) She is a great (if messy) little eater and her favorite food so far is applesauce, but she hasn't turned up her nose at anything yet! 

She's loving the high chair life! And if you're looking for a high chair, I highly recommend this one from IKEA. It's easy to wipe down, lightweight but sturdy, and the best part is it's $20. 

Clothing- after her 3-6 month pajamas were really... um, working overtime (aka straining snaps!) we finally got her a few new pairs and they're all 6 or 6-9 mo. Her onesies are all 6mo, and her dresses and rompers are mostly 6-9. She still has a long torso and short little legs so she can wear bigger tops (like 9mo) and they're fine. I am loving putting her in her little summery rompers. Dressing this girl is one of the most fun parts of this mom job! =)

Mood- jolly, jolly, jolly. This girl amazes me... even though her little world has been rocked in the past few weeks with the move, different room, changing schedules, etc., she is mostly so very happy and just rolls with it all. She definitely has her grumpy moments (#hangry) but she is so sweet and curious and I love it. She's super friendly and her smile charms people everywhere we go.

Loves-
-being carried by daddy
-singing with mama 
-music of any kind (but her Alice in Wonderland song instantly calms her down)
-teething toys
-this ridiculous voice I do that sounds kind of like Arnold Scharzeneggar? I started talking like to Emily and Steven years ago and they thought it was hilarious so I tried it on her a while back and she LOVES it. Like, belly laughs. It cracks me up! Welcome to a lifetime of looking like an idiot to amuse my child.
-rolling and scooting 
-chewing anything and everything (including any tag on blankets and toys. Ugh!)
-pulling my hair 
-my piano playing (poor kid doesn't know any better.)
-her stacking rings
-applesauce
-Our pastor... seriously, she's obsessed with him. It's hilarious.
-her toes (apparently they're delicious)

I dare you to find a cuter picture! You can't do it! 

Doesn't Love-
-being put down when she's upset. Or sitting down with someone when she's upset. Only walking around will do. Dance, puppet, dance! (I'm the puppet.)
-being still- she's always on the move!-being in the car (I thought it was the carseat but she's fine in the stroller.)
-face planting on the carpet (not that I let that happen. #badmama)
-a hairbow/headband, especially when she's tired
-shoes/socks- she refuses to keep them on. Basically she looks like a little waif when I give up on her bow and socks after like ten minutes. 


What I Want to Remember/Milestones- she has changed SO much these past two months. She's so big, she's sitting up longer by herself, jabbering away, reaching for me when she wants to be picked up, able to grab and hold things better, trying to push up and crawl (nooooo!), and just showing her little personality more and more. She's very friendly and sociable but is also content to sit and play with her toys or chew on  read her books by herself. She lights up when her daddy comes home from work (don't we all?!) but wants me when she's upset. She moved to a high chair! Her half-birthday was so fun! She wore her Alice dress and over the past month we've accumulated almost all the Alice in Wonderland toys the Disney Store has to offer. (#onlychildperks) My first "official" Mother's Day was really special and sweet. We moved into our house and got her new room set up. Overall I just want to remember this as such a special, happy couple of months. We sing and dance and play and read all day and have the best time! (And sometimes we're waiting by the door when daddy gets home... there are ups and downs. =) 

What I'm Looking Forward To- summer! Well, not the horrendous heat, but family visiting, maybe a few day trips, and the little pool we just bought to put in the driveway. =) Oh, and since I got the most beautiful bike for Mother's Day, I know we'll be biking and jogging (well, Jonathan will jog) with the stroller.

Me- the past two months have been a big transition. I'm not a huge fan of change anyway, but having to adjust and add new things to our finely honed schedule has been a challenge for me. Introducing solids is a good example- after getting nursing down to a science, it's time to change things up and have to figure out a whole new world of what to feed her, when to feed her, what to mix with what, what texture is best... all that jazz. I'm slowly learning that motherhood consists of mastering something only to have to abandon it for the next thing that starts you back at square one. So fun! =) But it really is fun... and every smile and squeeze and disgusting, open-mouthed kiss from my girl is worth all the stress and second-guessing and feeling inadequate much of the time. 

There you go... more than anyone needs to know but I want to write these things down so I don't forget! (Thanks to Alice, my memory is quickly fading... it's joined my left eyebrow in the list of things hormones have taken from me. I wish I were kidding.)