Amélie Six Months

I've been very late writing this post since Amélie is already 6 ½ months old, but we just got internet at our new place! At 6 months, Amélie weighed 16.4 pounds (7.44 kilos) and definitely feels much heavier already. The biggest milestone this past month is that she can sit up all on her own now. She started off very wobbly and then within a week, she was able to sit up without any support! (with the exception of a few pillows around her in case she loses her balance) She can also roll over from her back to her stomach now, but doesn't do this too often. She is growing up to be very curious and is into everything you give her. She is also super smiley, particularly when she sees A walk through the door from work. As it’s getting darker out so early, she really hates being in the car when it’s dark and cries and cries so A and I have to sing the Wheels on the Bus or the Itsy Bitsy Spider very loudly to get her to calm down.

My last post about introducing solids is now something that has become a little bit discouraging for me. We've been trying to introduce solids for about a month now without any interest from Amélie. I've tried just about every food from the calendar I created and even some jarred food, but nada. She’s learned to seal her mouth shut, make a grossed out face and bob her head from side to side when she’s in the high chair. I've tried before a feed, after a feed, halfway between a feed, morning, afternoon, evening. I've given her food to play with and her own spoon and bowl, but still have been unsuccessful.

The one time she actually opened her mouth for more was when I let her try some mashed potatoes from our Thanksgiving meal, which was very exciting and I thought a start, but then trying a few more times with some more mashed potatoes (sans butter and milk) later on, she decided she was not interested at all. I know I need to look at this time as exploring/playing rather than the way she gets any nutrition, but I feel like I’m out of ideas on what to do. I know she just may not be ready and it feels like the day she will start to actually open her mouth for food will never come, but I have to keep telling myself to stay positive. It’s hard when she rejects it multiple times a day, every day, but all I can do now it to keep offering it so she eventually gets used to it and hopefully will start to have enjoyable food experiences!

These past few weeks, she’s also developed a pretty regular schedule waking up around 7:30 and going to bed around 7:30. She still wakes up once or usually twice for a feed in the middle of the night and throughout the day has her milk feeds roughly every 3 hours. She naps in the morning, then early afternoon and finally around 4ish, but only for about 30 minutes, maybe an hour if I’m lucky each time.

All in all, I can generally get everything I need to get accomplished done and go to bed at a reasonable hour, which I think is definitely helped by the fact she can sit up and play/entertain herself for longer periods now. I’m still dreaming of the days where I will get a full night of uninterrupted sleep, but that will come eventually right?

^^Hanging out in the rainforest

^^"Please don't make me eat any more." 

Happy 6 months Amélie, you bring us so many smiles and happiness each day.