Six Months

Miller had her 6 month appointment, and she's healthy as a horse...and not petite.

Weight 22 lbs 15 oz....so basically 23 pounds (2 more pounds than Colby at 6 months)
Height 28 1/2 inches
Head: 18

We went to a new doctor (after the last one told me she had some "ass to move") and he assured me that although she's very big (all measurements are outside the 100th percentile), he's not worried a bit because Lee and I are both tall and thin. (well, I used to be...I'm working on that)

Miller has started solids, and after rejecting both rice cereal and oatmeal, we gave her squash and sweet potatoes and she loved them both. She's 4 days into eating and really getting the hang of it, although I've forgotten how messy it can be.


The fabulous news (for me) is that I added dairy and soy back into my diet about 3 weeks ago. I did it very gradually, starting with a piece of chocolate. After a few days of no reaction, I ate 2, and then 4, and then a few days later I got brave and had some ice cream. I can officially say that Miller has outgrown her food allergies! I suspect that maybe they were just slight intolerances, but whatever they were, her stools are looking normal and I'm drinking Starbucks Lattes. Woohoo!

Over the past week, we've had some snow and school has been cancelled, so I tried taking both kids to the gym with me. Colby did great, but Miller has had an absolute meltdown each time. The first time, they paged me to come get her after about 20 minutes. The second time, she burst into tears as soon as she saw the room. She remembered! Isn't she a bit young for that? Guess I'll be using the treadmill at home for a while longer.

Colby was soooo excited about the snow so that he could build a snowman. He's been talking about it all winter, especially since Clifford builds one in his still current favorite book, Clifford's Christmas. I woke him up early from his nap on the day that it snowed, got both him and Miller (and myself) bundled up.

I really wasn't sure he was going to get off the porch, but eventually I convinced him.


Once he got down, I discovered that the snow was too dry to make a snowball. I was so disappointed! We improvised and made a snowmound, and Colby was still pretty impressed.


Unfortunately, the snowman now lacks a face because Georgia wasted no time enjoying a little late night appetizer.

Colby also helped me shovel the sidewalk and driveway.


And Miller supervised from the sidelines...


I think I've gotten my snow fix for this year....we've had fun, but after three days trapped inside, I'm ready for school to start again!

Random things

The similarities between Miller and Colby as a babies are pretty amazing. It's hard to tell them apart physically, and they also seem to have very similar personalities. Just like Colby, Miller likes to have constant stimulation and needs to be entertained. She is not one to lounge around in her carseat without making a peep. She is also (unfortunately) not a snuggly lap baby. That's ok, though, because she really keeps us laughing with the new things she is doing.

Another similarity is that Miller seems to love her musical crib toy. Colby has been turning on his aquarium since he was a little baby, and to this day, we know when he's sleeping because it's the only time the music isn't playing. Much to our surprise, Miller has figured out how to turn on her mobile by reaching behind her head and hitting a button. At first, we thought it was an accident, but she did it three mornings in a row. She has also become very attached to her bunny, which she clutches while sleeping.


Miller has been rolling over from back to front for about a week now, which is about 3 weeks sooner than Colby did it. As soon as she hits her playmat, she rolls onto her belly and then needs assistance getting back over. (somehow, she forgot that she could roll over front to back)

Colby has a new favorite saying: "Colby do by self" or "I want Colby do it" It was only a matter of time, and he says this several times a day!

Since it's almost time for Miller to start solids, and Colby still loves his high chair (and so do we), we decided to purchase a second one. Colby likes to do art projects in his, so we really weren't ready to only have one. Here they are trying it out together. (Colby is picking at his fingernails, which he does ALL the time now)


That's about all the excitment for this week....I'm going to try to do better with posting weekly updates, even though I'm sure it's not the most exciting thing to read. The next update should have info about Miller's 6 month appointment, and I'm bracing myself to see where she is on the weight chart. (I already know she's not actually on it, I'm just wondering how far off of it she is.)

Only 344 days....

9 hours and 56 minutes until Christmas.

Colby asks me on a daily basis "Where Christmas go?" How in the world is it possible to explain that to a two year old? All the talk about Santa, reindeer, presents, lights, music, tacky yard displays...and then **poof**...Christmas is over. How does that make sense?

So, in our house, we're doing a gradual weaning of Christmas. That means we still read Clifford's Christmas on a daily basis. It also means we're still listening to Christmas music. Thankfully, we've moved on from Feliz Navidad and Colby has a new favorite song to play (over and over and over). Here he is doing a little dance for his baby sissa, who just loves to watch him perform.

It's 2009!

Things are plugging right along in the new year. I haven't posted because there hasn't been anything too exciting going on, but that's probably a good thing!

Colby continues to be obsessed with his new guitar. I do believe the yoga mat is a thing of the past! The first and last thing he wants to do every day is sing and dance to songs while playing his guitar. Lee and I really wonder if this is a long phase, or if he's destined to be a musician. Only time will tell, but if he becomes famous one day, you saw him here first!


Today was Colby's first day of Music Together this semester, and it's amazing how much he has matured in just 6 months. He used to be the child that never sat on my lap. (He would look around at the other moms and always pick out the pretty ones and sit on their laps!) Today he sat on my lap, followed all the instructions, and sang along with the teacher. It's amazing the difference a few months can make!

Miller continues to be a very joyful and happy baby. I am hearing more and more people tell me she looks like Colby, and when I look back at Colby's baby pictures, I can hardly tell them apart! The only difference is that Miller is...um....bigger. With Colby, everyone always said to me "You've got a future linebacker on your hands" or "Well he's not underfed!"....so I'm just waiting for those comments to start. I cannot wait to see what Miller weighs at her 6 month checkup, which will be in a couple of weeks. She'll also be starting solids, which I'm assuming she's going to LOVE.

The only sad thing about her rapid growth is that she has outgrown all of her baby clothes. I only bought up to size 12 months, and none of them fit. Many of them have only been worn once or not at all! I finally bought her some new things, and I bought sizes 18 and 24 months, and she's filling them out completely. I could only find spring shirts, so she'll be sporting the layered look this winter.


Now that Miller is going down to sleep earlier (around 6:30) and waking up more predictably (usually around 3AM and then at 7), Lee and I are really enjoying the extra rest. It's such a relief to have some sort of predictability, and we're working with Miller to teach her to soothe herself to sleep.

I hope things continue to get easier and that Colby stays the wonderful big brother that he is. It's so much fun to see them interact and laugh together....that's what makes this craziness all worth it!