First {Half} Birthday!

Libby is six months old today.  Half a year.  Already. Wow!  Where is 2010 going?  I cannot believe that six months ago we had this little, tiny newborn girl and today she's a big, healthy baby getting ready to crawl!  She's developing SO fast!  In the past month she's learned to sit unassisted, is grabbing at EVERYTHING, scooting to get what she wants, reaching for people and pets, tasting food and |thisclose| to saying "mama."  She also continues to teethe like crazy and still, no actual teeth are in sight! Poor little.  She's fiercely independent.  And extremely curious.  She's also got a hot temper and a silly sense of humor.  She just loves to laugh!  And squeal.  Loudly.  What can you expect?  She's the daughter of two opera singers!

I can barely remember our life before Libby...isn't that weird?  I mean, we've been together almost nine years, so obviously there was a lot of life together before she came along.  But these past six months...I don't know...it's as if our life together before her seems like ancient history now.  And sure, we can get caught up in the day-to-day stuff like, "Did she poop today?" and "We need to wash her diapers" or "What time did she go down for a nap?" and "She needs new clothes, these ones are too small!"  but through it all we are so in love with our baby girl.  And more in love than ever with each other.  Watching her grow and change these past six months is nothing short of amazing.  What a miracle a new life is.  And how blessed are we to be her parents?  She has made our lives so much richer. 

I know that these next six months will fly by as fast as the first and soon we'll be celebrating her first birthday.  Wow.  And to think this time last year she was about the size of a plum!  Now?  She's a tall girl already...I figured she would be since I am 5'9" and her daddy is 6"3'. She's headed into size 24 month clothing.  I am not kidding.  Her 18 month size things are getting quite snug, both in length and width.  I doubt we'll be finding any cutesy item that says "Baby's First Christmas" in her size come December.  I try to find things that fit but are age-appropriate...especially developmentally appropriate.  She's not even crawling yet, so we need things that allow her freedom of movement and aren't binding at the waist...not an easy feat when most things her size are styled for toddlers.  Luckily, it's still hot so she wears one-piece bubble rompers or onesies most of the time right now.  When it turns cooler, I hope she'll fit into the one-piece Carter's outfits we have for her in 24 months size.  After that?  I suspect she'll be wearing 3T, which means no more diaper-friendly snaps in the crotch.  Oh boy.  Maybe once she starts crawling she'll slow down a bit on the growing, but I doubt it. And I think Santa need to bring this girl a basketball hoop.  Seriously.

New Stuff

I have totally been slacking on updating the blog.  Work has been insanely busy and we had about a week of Libby not wanting to sleep.  I think due to teething (again) and developmental strides.  Thankfully, the last few nights she's settled back into a routine of going down for the night without a problem.  I swear, I thought we might kill the blow dryer and break the rocking chair last week!

Libby's high chair arrived last week and it was a snap to put together.  It's a Keekaroo Height Right Chair.  We got it with the tray and cushion set:

The only thing "wrong" with it is that the warning label and logo were upside down on the parts.  Perhaps that's why I got such a deal on it from Overstock.com.  We paid less than $200 for it...similarly designed Svans and Tripp Trapps go for much more than that, so I am glad we found this deal.  We definitely needed to get something that she won't outgrow since she is tending to be WAY off the charts in height and weight for her age.  We just moved her into size 18-24 month clothing this week and she'll only be 6 months old come Sunday.

She loves sitting in her chair and started joining us for meal times.  She's tasted a few things but has yet to really eat any food.  That's okay with us and definitely part of baby-led solids anyway.  Thankfully she's still nursing like a champ and my milk supply is as strong as ever (despite taking a hit last month due to stress).

We also got rid of her adorably cute but oh so impractical Bebe Lace Green rug.  I love the design of it but it's impossible to keep clean even though we are shoe-free household and I vacuum it religiously. It seems to just attract dust like a magnet!  After three months of use it was looking really shabby and not in a chic way. It wasn't cheap either and I am frustrated that a rug specifically designed and sold for children's rooms is so difficult.  So, it's off to the cleaners to see if they can do anything for it and in its place are these awesome foam tiled squares.  We got them in pink and white (one set of each color) for $49 from GetRung.com.  They shipped quickly and were so easy to lay out and snap together.  I put them in a checkerboard pattern (trying to echo the patchwork quilt on the daybed) and although they're not as "shabby chic" as my adorable yet filthy area rug, they are super cute and better still, super functional.  Libby loved them immediately...she felt the texture of them for a good 20 minutes.  And when she topples over she doesn't cry because they absorb the fall (unlike said chi-chi area rug, even with a pad)!

We are also preparing to take our first plane ride with Miss Libby and have decided to lug our Graco32 and Snap 'n' Go along for the trip.  I wasn't comfortable renting a car seat and bringing our own seems to be the best solution.  That said, she HATES being in it on the Snap 'n' Go because she'd rather sit up when she's strolling (we usually take her for walks in a second-hand Schwinn Jog Stroller that I got for $30), but we're bringing it anyway to navigate the airports on our travel days.  We also got a J.L. Childress Ultimate Carseat Travel Bag to protect the car seat since they can get pretty beat up even when they are gate checked. 

And I finally got an Ergo!  We went with the Ergo Sport in black since it's supposedly a better fit for larger/taller parents and cooler fabric for the baby.  I tried it the other day and the jury is still out on whether or not I like it.  Libby seems sort of squished in it, at least when she is in front.  I have yet to try a back carry with it.  I have 30 days to return it and well, I am just not sure about it.  I think I prefer wraps.  I really, really want a Storchenwiege (Anna) or Vatanai (Koira) but they are pricey, especially because I want to get the longest size.  So, maybe in the Fall I will have the funds to get a woven wrap.  Libby seems to like being wrapped as well and I love that there are so many versatile carries that can be done with a wrap.  Wovens are supposed to be very supportive which is essential since she's over 20 lbs. now.  I wish there were a babywearing group or MeetUp here in Tulsa so I could meet other parents who wear their babies and also see/try out different wraps and carriers.  I might just have to start one up...I see moms from time to time out and about with their little ones in ring slings or mei teis, so I know I am not the only one in town!

Catching Up

June 2010 was a very rough month...I cannot get into all of the details (since you never really know who might be reading along) but I will say that it was quite challenging, both personally and professionally.  I have learned that tomorrow is never a guarantee and just when you think something might be solid and long-lasting you find out that it's not.  The reminder is difficult to accept, but I am working on it and moving forward... lately, I've been asking myself, "what do I want to be when I grow up?"

You'd think at nearly 36 years of age I'd have answered that for myself some time ago.  And for the most part, I have.  But professionally speaking, I am in limbo right now.  And faced with 20, 30 or maybe even 40 more years of earning an income ahead of me, I want to chose a path that will be rewarding, both personally and economically speaking.  I already know that being a mother and raising children will be the most challenging and rewarding job I ever have...if only there was a way to earn an income for being a mother!  I read somewhere that if moms were paid a wage for all that they do, they'd make something like half a million dollars a year!  I know that money isn't everything, but I think it is easier for those with it to say that.  And I am also aware of how abundant my life is, yet I still have goals that only financial security will buy...like becoming a home owner, helping my children through college and someday, becoming debt-free.

I was always told, "with hard work and determination you can be whatever you want to be."  And for the most part, that has been true.  But there is a point where even if you work hard and are determined, there are factors beyond your control that can affect the situation as well.  And those factors can be difficult obstacles to overcome.  So, for now, I am embracing an attitude of gratitude for all that I have in my life and opening myself up to the possibilities beyond what I already see.  I have been feeling "old" lately.  I mean, my baby cousin is getting married in a month, my baby nephew is a teenager now and my baby girl is nearly six months old!  How does this happen?  Time is just racing by!  And before I know it, I'll be 40 and then 45 and then 50 and have a teenager of my own.  What will I be doing then?  Will I have gone back to school (for yet another degree)?  Will I have started (yet another) business?  I have no idea.  And that troubles me right now.  I hate the in-between, limbo of not knowing.  I've never been good at it. So I am trying to just be in it and not fight the unknown right now.

Aside from this personal turmoil I've been, Libby is continuing to develop at lightening speed!  Infant pottying is going amazingly well and most days we don't have to change a poopy diaper because she goes in the potty.  She's getting ready to start solids...we've had her at the table with us during meals and she's had her first tastes of banana, mashed potato and hummus.  I ordered her a highchair today so that we can start putting food on her tray and letting her go for it.  I am excited that we're going with Baby Led Weaning (although I prefer to call it Child Led Solids, since she really won't be weaned for at least another 6-12 months...)  She is still teething like crazy but there are no signs of actual teeth just yet.  She's started making new sounds, like "mmmmm...." and "ooooohhhh" and I am hoping to hear "mama" really soon.  Now that she's been sitting unassisted for a couple of weeks she's learning to scoot on her bottom towards things.  It's really cute.  And so it goes...time is passing quickly and my newborn is now a curious little baby.  Witnessing her growth is priceless and being her mom is worth more to me than all the money in the world.

Breastfeeding Jesus

I love this...it is from one of my favorite bloggers, Dr. Momma at Peaceful Parenting:

I have been reflecting a lot lately on my nursing relationship with Libby as we near the sixth month and are thinking about the beginning of weaning through the introduction of solids.  She's been showing signs of readiness...most recently sitting unassisted, on her own (just one day shy of her fifth month birthday):

I am so glad we've made it this far and that she's thriving on just my milk.  At five months old she's 21 pounds and 27 inches long...it's quite amazing.  And when I am stressed or tired nursing calms me as much as it does her.  I am a little saddened to think that soon she'll have more options besides her mama's milk and sometimes wonder if she'll develop a preference to sweet potatoes or bananas...but my goal is to nurse her for at least one year.  If she wants to go longer I'll keep it up as long as we can.