Holland: 6 Months Old

Sweet little Holland is six months old now.

TJ and I just look at each other and ask, "How in the world did this happen?"  Time seems to just slip through our fingers.

This little girl is just the sweetest baby.  She wakes up with the biggest smiles and is such a delight to greet.  The last five days or so she's remembered how to sleep through the night (hooray!) but before that she would wake once or twice in the night, sometimes just talking and talking from her crib - like for an hour at a time!  Ha!  What a funny girl.

Holland rolled from her back to her belly once before she was five months old and didn't repeat it until a week ago, when something clicked and she rolled over about eight times in one day.  She now seems to have mastered the back to belly roll, even when she's swaddled, but hasn't yet cracked how to get from belly to back.

"Mommy, Hanuh right here."  Reed was thrilled about this arrangement.

This girl loves food!  We have this little netted holder that we can put food in for her to suck on.  She adores it.  We put fruit in it (peaches, watermelon, pear, apples) and she sucks until there's virtually nothing left.  She also sobs when it falls down, in case we had any question about whether she loves it.  :)

Holland is such a champ with Reed, who loves and adores her but likes to see just how she works ("What happens if I squeeze her hand?  Or lay on her?  Or push her belly?").  Even still, she almost always grins (and blinks - ha!) when he comes near.  Whether for her safety or for her entertainment her eyes follow him around the room whenever he is near.

She hates her car seat.  For long drives we almost always have one of us sit by her to try to mitigate the screaming.  The best drives are the ones she sleeps through.  :)

The other thing about her car seat -  about 90% of her stinky diapers come while she's in her car seat.  It is completely bizarre.  Reed is incredibly good about telling me, "Hanuh stinky!" so I know to change her, but it almost always means that when we arrive at our first destination I have to change her diaper.  When I plan ahead I put her in her car seat at home 20 minutes before we're leaving, let her fill her diaper, then change her before we go.  Ha!

Holland clearly communicates she's tired by burrowing into your shoulder.  When I put her to sleep I stand holding her, rocking her from side to side, and she falls asleep with her head on my shoulder and my cheek on her head.

She's had about four haircuts so far.  I am not a big fan of the mullet look or raggedy hair, so we just keep evening it out as it fills in more.  I think we're about to the point we'll let it grow for a while - it seems to be much more even now.

Holland loves being outside!  Whether it's going for a ride in the stroller (where she now can sit in the actual stroller seat, not just her car seat), laying on a blanket in the grass, or sitting on my lap, she is calmer and pretty immediately happier outside.

Holland gets really fussy when she's tired: she also rubs her eyes, holds her hands right above them, and gets red eyebrows (well, the skin under her eyebrows goes red).  Two nights ago I asked TJ if Holland was ready to sleep and he responded, "Not yet.  Her eyebrows aren't red enough."  :)

She has fantastic legs.  Oh, I love them so much.  She found her toes a couple weeks ago.  I don't often see her play with them but she now knows she has them!

She continues doing "hollow holds," holding both her head and legs up.  She's ready to sit up and see the world!

Holland has realized that she has a built-in toy with her headband.  I often find it soaking wet as she pulls it down from her head and sticks it in her mouth to suck on.  She has snapped it right onto her face a few times, darn it, but most often just gets the pleasure out of playing with it.  I have found her with it across her eyes (whoops) and even as a mustache before.  Ha!

Holland really, really loves TJ.  I can't describe it but you can see in her eyes when she looks at him - she just oozes love for him.  She loves watching him, playing with him, talking with him, being held by him, having his attention.  This girl absolutely loves her daddy.

Nana brought to my attention that Holland has a thing for tags and now I notice it all the time!  Reed loved tags too (and still does - the tags on his three beloved blankets are very well worn).

She used to stop nursing to suck on a finger - now she stops nursing to just talk (which just sounds like long yells).  It cracks me up.

This little lady is just the best.  We love, love, love her and are so glad she's here.  She makes us smile and laugh and lets us kiss her cheeks hundreds of times.  Happy half birthday, cute girl.  We sure love you.