August 18, 2005

I've decided to forgo writing Daisy's updates from her point of view for awhile.

Daisy has reached the 6 month mark and is once again a different baby. She has changed so much in personality since she was born I would swear we've had 6 different babies come through here. One thing that has been a constant is her strength. She has been sitting confidently on her own since 5 months and her favorite position is standing. She hasn't mastered that one on her own yet though, she definitely needs someone to hold her hands. But if you are the person to oblige her and hold her hands while she stands, you will be rewarded with a beautiful smile. Not a toothless one though, Little Miss is now the proud owner of 6 teeth with one more trying to poke through and yet another one swollen to the point where we expect to see it poking through any day now.

All those teeth have not been put to use though. We don't believe in starting solids until at least 6 months of age. However, her 6 month birthday was right in the middle of an extremely busy time here at Anc Manor. Chris wasn't able to be home most nights and since we all wanted him to be included, it seemed best to wait until life returned to normal. So finally at 6 months, 2 weeks Daisy had her first taste of food. I ground up whole grain oats for her and mixed them with water to create an oatmeal. She was quite receptive to eating and wanting more despite the look on her face which clearly told us she did not enjoy the taste. Since she has easily demonstrated that she wants to eat and can handle eating, we will immediately start her on some fruits and veggies, made by me, of course.

In other news, Daisy no longer sleeps through the night which just seems like a cruel joke. She gave us two months of 11 hours a night and now, she wakes every 3 hours. Why the change? Who knows, but Chris and I are hoping she changes back!

Daisy is not what you'd call a snuggly baby. She does prefer to being held to being put on the floor, but she wants to be held in order to be up high and facing out to the world. Always facing out is our Daisy who delights in seeing what is going on around her. When we are out and about, she enjoys riding in her stroller, but she really loves when I carry her in the Baby Björn. Her excitement is reminiscent of her older sister who would laugh with delight when she was in the Björn.

When Daisy does wish to play on the floor, she prefers toys that rattle so she can shake them vigorously. She has a few electronic toys as well, but she only tolerates them for a minute before pushing them aside. She is quite the chewer and anything she can get her hands on goes right into her mouth for a taste. Besides playing with her toys, Daisy is working hard at learning to crawl. She can easily get to her knees from either a lying or sitting position. She can even move her knees in a crawl movement, but the hands mystify her. She is forever stuck in a "one step forward, two steps back" kind of dance that greatly frustrates her. I feel confident she will master crawling in no time as Daisy is showing a great perseverance in the task.

One last note about my baby girl before I close. While Daisy is not what you’d call a people person, she does foster a tremendous love for her sister. She merely needs to look at Tabitha and her entire face breaks into a smile. Considering how much Tabitha adores her baby sister, this is a very good thing. Daddy coming home is another event that will send Daisy into great big smiles and her whole body starts thrusting forward to get to him. For myself, I am bestowed with the slobberiest kisses on the planet, and I cherish every one of them. Until next time, be sure to check out the new pictures.