6 months!

6 months

Weight: 15 pounds, 3 ounces (30th percentile)
Length:  25.5 inches (30th percentile)
Head:  42 cm (jumped to the 16th percentile)
Clothing size: Some 6 month clothes (including the one in this picture), some 9 month clothes. I remember looking at 9 month clothes and thinking they were surely for toddlers, no? Wah. Shorts, pants, and pajamas are for sure 9 months. Shirts, onesies, dresses, rompers are still 6 months. Your 9 month clothes have some ample room, though. I guess it's my fault you keep growing though - I keep on feeding you.
Eye color: Looking more brown everyday, although people still comment on hazel and gray.
Hair: The summer is bringing out your highlights (one of your doctors even mentioned this the other day).
Nicknames:  Still babykins, and now, for some reason, I've added "babyboo" which your dad has adopted as well.  I don't even like it.  I don't know where it came from (ok, yes I do, I heard it on Teen Mom). I need to stop the babyboo madness.

EAT

You've tried a ton of new foods this past month, and it seems like your favorite is bananas!  You take the spoon from my hand and try to feed yourself.  I had a banana and peanut butter on toast every morning while I was pregnant with you, so no surprise with the banana lovin. Sweet potatoes gave you allergy induced eczema (which bothered me more than it bothered you). Carrots are probably your least favorite (and mine - carrots stain clothes!).  I have to admit that I taste each food before I give it to you and I don't blame you. Carrots are disgusting (although, when I feed them to you, I tell you that they are yummy. I think that's my duty as a mommy).

SLEEP

"Mommy! I'm awake!"

Going to bed earlier, around 8:30 now and sleeping almost 12 hours straight! Mommy gets to catch up on tv, reading, and wine when you go to sleep. 8:30 is my jam time. When you wake up, you do one of two things: roll onto your tummy and lay there patiently waiting for me, or lay on your back and kick your crib mobile until I hear it. I always wonder how long you've been awake before I come in!

ETA: Two nights ago, you got up like, every hour and then wanted to jam at 3 am. Finally got you back to sleep. Then you woke up for the day, 2 hours early. Thank you?

LIKES

Blowing raspberies. You've been doing this for awhile, but you have a new found appreciation for it. Sometimes, you'll be asleep, and then you'll yank your pacifier out of your mouth and start blowing raspberries at me, laughing hysterically until I finally coax you back to sleep again. You especially love to do it right after you are done nursing.
Red box (empty). They don't lie about kids loving boxes. I can give you this toy, and you dump all the shapes inside and play with this empty box the way daddy plays with trucks.

Picking out own toys. You did this at Babies R Us, with your aunt holding you.  Turns out, you are good at picking out your own toys.  You picked these plastic link animals and you can't get enough of (eating) them.
Sippy cup. It's madness, I tell you. I put the cup in front of you, you say "ooo" and start talking to it and shove it in your mouth.  You get some milk out of it, get frustrated because it's too hard, and eventually stick your thumb in your mouth.  But not before attempting to love on it a few more times. I think your love for the cup has prompted your bottle strike.
Food. Especially cereal. When you see it, your eyes light up and you say "mmmmmmmm" with every bite!
Jumperoo. Thank God (and Fisher-Price) for the jump-jump.  When I get tired from holding you and jumping you in my lap, this thing is the only piece of baby equipment that can simultaneously wear you out, keep you entertained, give me a chance to put on some makeup, and sound like an earthquake all at once.

"All this jumping is exhausting!"

Miranda. Or "doggy," as we call her.  You watch her do everything and anything - catch a ball, go outside, sit at the window, etc.  You don't even flinch when she licks your face. You try to catch that silly doggy, but she is way too fast for you. Unfortunately, once Miranda figured out that I do not want her to lick your face or hands (even sans food), she lost interest in you :(

Daddy. No one can make you laugh like daddy can. Seriously. He can walk weird, and you think this is the best thing ever.

When people say "hi." Cue BIG SMILES from baby Jordan. Doesn't matter who it is. I will need to have the stranger danger talk with you many times when you are older.
Mobile. Well, you like to kick it.

DISLIKES
Bottle. So, weaning you isn't happening until you can use a sippy cup more efficiently.  When you are at a babysitter's, they (well, grandma) has to feed you cereal mixed with a ton of milk since your bottle is just soooo 2 months ago.
Uncle. My only sibling.  And every time he approaches you, you wail. Not sure where it came from, but I call it payback from when his baby girl screamed everytime I held her.
Sitting still. Unless we are outside, you cannot sit still. We were at church the other day and you were climbing all over me, our bags, and your carseat like you were on American Ninja Warrior. However, you can almost make a whole sermon (while prompts Pastor to smile, laugh, and wave at us as I bring you to the other side of the glass doors to scream).
Getting your face wiped. "I don't need to be clean mom, I'm cute no matter what."


ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Among other things that I am surely forgetting...

Doctor thinks you will be an early crawler and stander!

Roll back to tummy. The day after you turned 5 months old, I put you on your beloved play mat.  I went to load up the car with bags of stuff to send you to grandma's, and I came back to get you and you were on your tummy.  I missed the whole thing!  You were surely confused when I told you good job and I was holding back tears.  I don't know why.  It's not like this was the first time you rolled over, just the first time from your back. And ever since then, I haven't been able to put you on your activity mat because you just flop right over to your belly. So, after much contemplation, I packed it up, keyboard and all. I almost cried. You watched me pack it up, curiously, and then got over it much faster than I did.

Baby burrito, anyone?

Rolling across the floor. Can't stop, won't stop, get it, get it.

And you roll far, far away from mommy. 

Sitting well, unsupported. Not long before you topple over, but the falling is tearless.

Getting things out of reach. Never has so much effort been put into something since me trying to get you to 37 weeks.
Trying to crawl! Well, kinda. More like trying to army crawl.
Better at sippy. Seriously, if you could just drink from the sippy before we go on a vacation, I'd be a happy mama.  I'm just sayin, there are some fruity frozen drinks calling my name (if anyone has been on a Royal Caribbean cruise, I've got just two words for you - Lava. Flow.).  I'm probably going to have to delete that last sentence for your baby book, right?


DEAR JORDAN

Dear babykins,

You're officially halfway to your first birthday and although I've been planning your first birthday since, oh, I don't know, the day I found out you were a girl, I know I am nowhere near ready for this milestone. Good thing there are still another 6 months, right?

Your personality cracks me up everyday.  You are so in love with life.  You are interested in everything and you try to get your hands on anything within your reach. There are nights where I know you are exhausted, but we'll be sitting in the rocker and all of a sudden you'll look at me, pop your pacifier out of your mouth, and start talking. You don't want to sleep.  You don't want to miss a single thing.

 I was holding you one day, and you turned to me and pressed your mouth against my cheek like you were giving me a kiss. It was the cutest event in my entire life. You and I are inseparable, but I am so glad that you are growing more and more comfortable being with other people. Just recently I came down with a 103 degree fever and had to call your auntie to come over and watch you until your daddy came home.  I could hear you downstairs crying for me, and every time you cried "mama" I almost got out of bed.. When your dad came home, you wouldn't let him put you to sleep.  I managed to get you to sleep and then I passed out until 8 am, the latest I've slept in for months. But I was still sick, so your daddy took you to your grandma's. I couldn't sleep or rest the whole day because I was so worried about you without me. But then my phone was flooded with pictures of you and your day out (courtesy of some selfies you took), and I relaxed. You were having fun.  You didn't cry for me once. Heartbreaking and reassuring, all at the same time.

I keep saying you're not a baby anymore.  You're moving to where you want to go (via rolling), eating (pureed) food, "talking," wearing clothes that I wish were in my wardrobe, and voicing your opinions (food?! YES!!!  change my outfit? WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH). When I hold you at night, I keep reminding myself that tomorrow, you'll only be bigger.

One day, I'll undoubtedly tell you all about how tired I was when you were this young (maybe when you have your own babies, perhaps?).  But I want you to remember this - you are always the favorite part of my morning, whether that is at 8 am or 3 am. Your smile makes my whole day. I can be in a horrible mood, and one smile from you will change everything.

Love you more than words can say, love you love you more each day.

Love,
Mom

Monthly photo dump

"I need every last lick of cereal!"

"A minion! Like my brothers!"

Playing with her firehouse

Selfies are so much fun!

Gimme that bubble!

Fun at church!

These shoes ....

Recognize the shoes?

From Conner and Ben's pregnancy announcement