Six Months

Claire Bear turned six months on Saturday (again, time is going by WAY too quickly), so I am using that as an excuse for a massive photo dump.  Enjoy!

I cannot get over how cute she looks in her winter coat.

Being a big girl and holding her own bottle

Claire has almost mastered being able to sit up on her own.

Cole: "You mean I get to feed her applesauce for the VERY FIRST TIME?!?"

Hanging out in her Jeep

Cat likes to go on walks, too.

Grins

Hanging out at the doctor's office

As you can tell from the photos, Claire continues to blossom ... she has become a pro at eating Stage 1 baby foods (likes: sweet potatoes, carrots, applesauce, peaches; dislikes: bananas [she is her mother's daughter!]), she loves to practice sitting up on her own, despite being a little wobbly at times, she can hold her own bottle, and she continues to be, as usual, just a very happy little girl.  And although she loves her Mommy and Daddy, no one (and I really do mean no one) can compare to her hero, a.k.a. big brother Cole.  Cole can be talking about anything ~ school, what we're having for dinner, Power Rangers, the weather, etc. ~ and to Claire, it is the most fascinating thing she has ever heard. Only Cole can make her giggle just by talking to her.  The love they have for each other and the bond between them is heartwarming and fascinating to watch.  The true test, however, will be what Cole thinks of his little sister the first time she raids his room and gets into his toys. :)

Claire had her six-month appointment yesterday, and all is well.  She weighs 15 lbs, 6 ounces (50th percentile) and is in the 80th percentile for height.  The pediatrician gave us the go-ahead to move Claire to Stage 2 baby foods (combinations of different foods, like chicken and veggies, etc.) and to have her try out a sippy cup.  While Claire might be ready for all that, I am not sure I am, since it means my little girl is continuing to grow up!  It is also time to transition Claire to her own room at night.  Right now, she is still in the pack-n-play in our bedroom as Bo and I wanted to keep her there until her surgery.  Well, the surgery has come and gone, so it's go time!  We have started putting Claire in her crib at the beginning of the night (what we refer to as her "first shift" of sleeping), but we (meaning I) need to just bite the bullet and keep her down there all night.  Eek!

I am going to end this post with a picture of Claire's "new" stomach for those who would like to see it.  She does have a little extra skin around her incision (which is what is causing the wrinkles), but we expect that to start to disappear as she grows.  Dr. F did say that it could be fixed later on down the road, but we think she is beautiful just the way she is.  Plus, the lack of belly button means there is more room for zerberts! :)

"Enough with the pictures, MOM."

~~ Val