Six Months

Wow!  Six months!!  How time flies!!!  My Staley is growing and changing, but her easy-going personality and happy temperment never seem to change.  We haven't weighed her in awhile, but she gets heavier and heavier to carry.  She still wears her size 2 diapers and her 3-6 month clothes, although she is starting to wear some of her 6-9 month clothes as well.  As of the past few days, she sleeps in her crib at night and started taking solid foods.  She eats every 3-5 hours, takes 2-3 naps each day, and has started sleeping for about 9-11 hours at night.  We have spent the entire 6th month of Staley's life with her grandparents, and Staley took her first road trip (Chicago), her first vacation (Las Vegas), and celebrated her first 4th of July.  She also cut her first tooth--on her 6 month birthday.  It's been a busy, busy month!!!

Likes:  Staley likes almost everything.  She is a smiley, giggly, happy baby.  She loves playing, but her favorite toys aren't even toys--cell phones, computers, water bottles, her feet, her burp cloths, and tags all hold her attention.  She isn't too picky about her toys, but still really enjoys stacking cups and rattles.  She also became quite intrigued with Zsu Zsu Pets at Uma and Papa's house.  She loves music, dancing, reading books, playing peek-a-boo, going for walks, taking baths, and splashing in her swimming pool.  She is very interested in watching us eat, studying her hands, and playing with her carseat strap.  Staley loves her Daddy and always giggles when he makes animal sounds, gets her ready for bath time, and holds her up in the air.

Dislikes:  Staley is generally good-natured and tolerant.  She fusses when she is really hungry or really tired.  She is still unsure about sitting in grass, but that's improving.  And based on her first "meal" of rice cereal, we'll place that in the dislikes column for now.

Skills:  Where to begin...  Staley seems to be learning new skills every day.  She sits on her own for long periods of time and will even use a controlled fall backward when she is tired of sitting.  She can stand holding onto our hands or furniture--and is always so proud when she is standing up.  Staley is rolling from tummy to back and back to tummy all by herself, using this as an early form of mobility--although she is still not real adept at rolling to get something she wants.  We have to be careful because Staley loves to grab anything and everything--and then taste it.  (And her reach is surprisingly long!)  She likes to hold and examine her toys and will hold one toy in each hand.  She is very good at activating her cause and effect toys.  She likes to lift the flaps and touch the textures in her books.  She is beginning to learn to knock over towers I build and can sort of roll a ball back and forth.  (I'm not really claiming the ball rolling skill yet, but I think she has the idea.)  She makes lots of cute noises, although still primarily with vowel sounds.  Her new sound is a quiet, high pitched squeak that I think is so cute.  I may be biased, but I think Staley is just perfect!

Staley is so proud of her standing.

Staley at 6 months