Dear Grace {6 Months}

Sweet little girl,
It has been a whole half of a year since you have graced our lives with your beautiful presence. On one hand it seems like the last six months have flown by, and yet on the other hand it's hard to even remember back to the time before you joined us. You have been nothing but sweetness and you just keep getting better.

It has been interesting for me to watch you grow after only having had a son before you. You are only six months old and yet you are already so much 'a girl.' You are coy and inviting and do this thing where you hide your face in my shoulder after smiling when other people talk to you. It's like you are feigning shyness, or maybe the shyness is real, but either way it's so very endearing. You are more pensive than your brother was at this age, a little more cautious of people not in your immediate circle, and definitely more picky. You love baby dolls and smile so big when someone makes one of your babies talk to you. It's so so cute, especially because one of your favorites is basically the same size as you.

You have had a big two months and have completed the transformation from newborn to baby. You are sitting up pretty well now and like to play with toys in this position. We still have to stay very close by though because you just let yourself tumble over if you get excited or distracted. You are rolling easily onto your stomach from your back and then, most of the time, act mad. We know you can get back over, as you learned how to get off of your stomach first, but for some reason now you prefer us to do it for you. No crawling or pulling up yet. You love to bounce yourself when held in a standing position and will "walk" if we hold you up ... but not well. The "walking" has been slow going for you.

You had your first meal on Thanksgiving. The first one went well but then it all went downhill, pretty fast and pretty far down the hill too. Your sleep at night became terrible, you would cry and cry if anyone held you other than me at night, and you would cry when we tried to feed you too. You seemed to completely lack the instinct to open your mouth for food and could not get it to the back of your mouth to swallow. After a week we realized the connection with your sleep and temperament, and that, combined with the fact that you and I were both stressed, led us to stop feeding you and wait until you were six months to try again. This was a great decision! You are now doing so so so much better. You are opening your mouth and eating like a pro. You have had sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, and peas (in that order) along with cheerios, puffs, and baby yogurt melts. You love your "baby snacks" and squash is by far your favorite vegetable so far. You've even starting taking water from a sippy cup. We're so proud of you!

Your brother is still head over heals about you.  He tells you're his "bes fweind" and I just about can't take the cuteness.  Every morning he is asking for you and he needs to see you whenever he comes back after having been somewhere without you.  You love to watch him and want whatever he has.  He also wants whatever you have, especially your cheerios and puffs.  He says he's sharing when he takes a toy off of you ... apparently he doesn't quite have the concept down quite right just yet.

We think you are seriously just the cutest little thing.  You have such a little button face still with your big blue eyes and fluffy dark hair that seems to get just the slighest bit lighter every month. Your little fluffy tufts have now gotten long enough to eek them into a little pony tail, or two, on the top of your head. You have graduated from the land of only head bands and hats.  At your six month doctor appointment you were 15 lbs 14 oz  and 26 inches and you are now in a size 3 diapers, though they are little big.  3-6 month clothes still fit you best.  You are just the sweetest, most amazing, smiliest little baby girl we could have hoped for.

  You and you brother fufill our every wish and surpass our every dream.

We are so honored be to your parents.