Today you are six months old. SIX MONTHS. It simultaneously feels like the longest and shortest six months of my life. It is so hard to wrap my head around that this time last year I was barely pregnant with you. I believe you were a mango at this point? Maybe a little bigger. And now, my dear, you are a little person. A loving, giggling, grabbing, scooting, little person.
I had some intention to write you these monthly love letters, as I had seen other mother's do. But the truth is that I'm not very good at that sort of thing, so I told myself that a six month love letter would be just as powerful and mean just as much to you (and me) as a monthly one. We've been documenting your life in other ways. Pictures! I literally have no space left on my phone for photos, and they are 98% of you! I even have the pictures from when you first came home, I can't take them off, what if I need to see how tiny you were? I've also been keeping little notes about all the milestones you've been hitting, all the firsts you are experiencing. So while I may not be the greatest archivist out there (we'll leave that for your librarian grandma!) I want you to know that every single little thing you do is celebrated and even if it slips through the cracks of tangible documentation know that they are all inside your father's and my hearts.
It's funny, this feeling of pride we have for you! You are learning so fast, every day is something new that blows us away. The strength and determination you little babies have is amazing, what you all accomplish in the first year is crazy. If your dad or I tried to learn as many new things in one year we would never make it! We would be exhausted, we would be cranky, we would just never be able to do it. And yet, every day something new and you still wake up (mostly) with a smile on your face and the determination to learn something new again! I hope that we can nurture this in you and that your curiosity continues to grow. And that you never outgrow the ability to do this all with a smile on your face.
Speaking of smiles. Holy cow baby girl! You've got one heartmelting smile, and you just recently figured out how to use it. You'll look shyly at strangers, look away, and look back and give them a big fat grin. HEART. MELTING. You've always been pretty smiley, from day one you liked to give a grin whenever you had something stirring in your belly (or bum!). From there it was a smile for me or your dad, and then the grandmas. You started giving big smiles to the grandpas too! Oh boy, those were the most effective ones, those little smiles are going to get you whatever you want from those guys! But now, you smile for everyone who happens to look your way. :)
Our favorite smiles are morning smiles. Sigh. You used to give them to us when you were sleeping in our room, and I was nervous we wouldn't catch them anymore when you moved into your own room. But no! They got bigger! When we walk into your room to get you for breakfast you'll pop your head up and give us the biggest smile EVER. Your little turtle old man smile, you use your whole face and your eyes and you are straining your head as high as you can to see us...oh hey, can you tell we're a little bit in love with you? just a litte bit!
And now my little bean you are laughing. At me. A lot. For no reason! Sometimes for reason, but sometimes none at all. Daddy was the first to make you laugh, and then Papa. For awhile they were the only ones who could make you laugh, and then Meemaw! And then you started giggling for Grandpa and Grandma. And poor me, I was the last to be able to make you laugh! And now...sometimes you just look at me and start laughing! Just like your dad...
Did I just write three paragraphs about your smile?!?! Maybe I should do these monthly. One thing your mother isn't is short winded. Blah blah blah...oh, but then again neither are you!You babble away to anyone who will listen, including panda, strangers, and your stuffed animals. mamammama, babababba, gagagaga...and our favorite wah, wah, wah, said very breathlessly followed by a huge loud squeal!
We love you so much. We love the person you are becoming. We love watching your personality develop and we love that it includes so much happiness. You are our little happy baby. Even when things are hard (which they can be!) you are still a light hearted soul. This is such a relief to me baby girl. I was a little heavy hearted as a child and as a baby, and you appear to be as light as a breeze. So far :) Who knows what the next six months will bring, and the six after that...and on and on. Whoever you become we will love you as much if not more than we do today. And that is a lot my little bean.
Let's see. Some stuff about you:
1. You are funny. You make funny noises, you laugh at us, you squeal when you see panda (she is not so sure about your petting skills yet!).
2. You sleep like your parents. Thank you.
3. You are a tall skinny baby! We have your six month appt tomorrow so we'll see how tall and skinny exactly. But your naked little baby body is sooooo long. Oh! And we love your baby thighs. Smooshy baby thighs! Ham hocks!
4. You are helping, trying to hold the bottle when daddy feeds you, holding the boob when mommy is feeding you, trying to hold the spoon when it's solids time, and lifting your toosh for diaper changes.
5. You are eating solids twice a day! This week is squash and bananas, you love the spoon, you love the food!
6. You are very independent, you love sitting on your blanket and playing by yourself with your empty tupperwares and balls and books. You also love playing in your jumperoo! Sometimes you just hang out, after you wake up, in your crib talking to yourself.
7. Your hair is coming in blonde so far! Sometimes it looks red...sometimes brown. Pretty much we STILL DON'T KNOW what color hair you are going to have.
8. You've been to two weddings, on an airplane, in a taxi, a bus, a boat, a shuttle, a subway. You've been to Chicago, Portland, and Iowa.
9. You LOVE to dance.
10. Your dad is the most doting helpful father ever.
11. Lyla bean, Lima Bean, Lil Bean, Lyla Jane, Beany Pants, Baby pants, little buddy, bean machine, baby girl, smiles, sweets, booger......
Ok beany pants. We love you. Happy six month birthday baby girl, we can't wait to see what the next six months bring...
with more love than all the beans on all the stalks in all the world,
mommy and daddy
