Hey 6 months!

6 months = 26 weeks =182 days.



Yesterday my sweet precious baby girl was half way to a year.

Eating:
Still breastfeeding!  I still get pain when nursing and sometimes I have to unlatch her and re-latch her, but I was thinking back to the beginning when I would cry and curl my toes when she would latch and we've come a long ways since then.  I'm not at all ready to stop yet.  I love that she's getting the benefits and so am I.

I would like to keep going past a year.  I know it's not the norm at all, and Rob thinks it's weird (but I think a lot of people think that), but my sister will be at a year nursing my nephew next week with no signs of stopping and I think it helps having that example (and I'm super proud of her for getting there- love you Ali!).

I'm pumping once sometimes twice a week (so maybe 6-10 oz) despite the fact that I probably have about a 10 day milk supply.  It's more to keep it fresh, if it makes since.

We started solids last night! We gave her carrots as a puree and she loved it.  We will probably mostly do baby led weaning though.  But that means we need to eat healthier if she is going to eat what we eat.

Sleep:
Seriously all.over.the.place.  One night she would sleep 8 hours in her crib and the next she'd be up every hour.



The night she turned 5 months we put her in her crib for the first time at night.  It was hard for me because I missed her, but it got easier.

Then a week or so later she started waking up all the time and I wound up bed-sharing.  That's something I said I would never do, but she slept better and I actually slept (not better though).

Her naps are actually getting better though.  I put her on her belly for naps and that helps.

Still no schedule.  For us I think rather than set times, such as nap at 9, a better way would be to maybe take a nap 2 hours after waking or something like that.

She usually wakes up at 6:30 am.  This is the one thing that is consistent with her.

Growth:
We are about to move up to size 3 diapers.  She probably could stay in size 2 (at least the Target brand since they seem longer) but we are about out of size 2 so we will give size 3 a shot.  If they don't work, I'll go back to size 2.

Using cloth more (although with the whole starting solids, I'm nervous about that change since breast milk poop washes out easily) and she's fitting into some of the one size diapers better so we have a lot more options and I'm addicted to fluff again.

For clothes she's mostly in 3-6 month onesies with a few Carters 3 month (which really are 0-3 since they run small).  Pants are 6-9 month and pajamas are 9 months (I can still get her into 6-9 but they are snug).

She had her 6 month appointment this morning.  She was 26" (70%), 17 lbs 7 oz (75%) and her head was at 95% (Whoa!).  Other than the head thing (which the doctor thinks might have been an error-but they didn't remeausre) her growth has been pretty steady.



Misc: 
We've been getting out and walking more, now that the weather is getting better out.  She loves to walk in the big girl stroller because she can check everything out. Before, in her other stroller, it would put her to sleep in minutes, and now she could stay awake 15-20 minutes.

She loves to talk and makes this scrunchy face when she thinks something is funny.

She just just (as in this morning) figured out how to roll back to belly. She did it a few times so I think she's learning.  She did it once last week, but not since - until today.  And actually I've yet to see her do it because she always seems to do it when I look away.

She fake coughs when she wants attention.  Hilarious.

Me:
I knew post-partum hair loss was a possibility, but it didn't really happen until this last month.  And I lose a lot.  Every time I shower, brush my hair, take out my pony tail, get in the car, walk down the steps (so basically always) I lose hair.   That plus when Eleanor grabs a fistful and yanks it out of my head.  I'm not sure how I have any left.

This is a completely random and not sure if it's related observation, but before being pregnant if I would lay on my back, and stretch my legs out (like lift and straighten) my hips would kind of pop.  Every time, and on both sides.  I noticed the other day that doesn't happen anymore.

For funsies here is the birth story.

The Eleanor Update: Week 25

So next week will be week 26 and she will be 6 months. Not happening, not happening!

Breastfeeding:

I've mentioned that lately she's been causing me pain on the left side that lasts for a long time after she nurses.  I notice when I nurse her in the cradle position it's not as bad as in the football hold I usually do, but then she doesn't get as much milk in the cradle position.  So really it seems like a lose/lose, but I keep repeating "It's free, It's free" (because I'm very cheap  frugal) and that "It's the best thing for her, it's the best thing for her."  

Sleep:  

She's determined to be a night owl and an early bird at the same time.  She could go to bed at 9 and be up at 6:30 or she could go to bed at 11 and still be up at 6:30.  But there were a few days where she slept pretty good stretches at night, only waking once so it got a little better.

Naps are still short but instead of 20-30 minutes, usually they are closer 40 minutes so it's not much but it's something.  Still not long enough for me to sleep, but at least I get a minute to sit and eat.  She is going down better for naps, and even though I don't really love it, I have been putting her on her belly for naps and she goes to sleep quicker (on the rare occasion she isn't already asleep) and doesn't stir as often.

Misc.

She's been making this scrunchy face lately (I posted a video and pictures below).  It's hilarious!

I took her to the library for the first time this week.  I haven't been to my local library in a looong time.  When I was working and watching my other family (the one I watched for years), I always went to the one closest to them.  I like my library and the staff are so amazing, and it's the one I grew up going to, but it is a small library and doesn't have nearly the selection of books/movies as others. 

It was still fun and she liked it.  I tried to read her some books but she was to busy looking around and smiling at the library worker in the kids area to care.  

They have these vinyl/foam (I think?) kind of chairs that I'm pretty sure are the same ones from when I was a kid, and I remember loving to sit on them, so I popped her into one and she was happy.