Cara is 6 months old!!

I don't know what to blog about in between Cara's monthly updates. Between Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, I upload lots of our day-to-day pictures in smaller pieces and keep friends and family updated that way. I need to figure out what else to talk about! Any suggestions?

Cara is getting SO BIG! We celebrated a major milestone this month with her hitting 6 months. (Technically, she doesn't have a half-birthday because there is no Feb. 30. We celebrated 2 days after Feb. 28--on March 2.) She is so much fun at this age! It's been a really great month for us.

Stats: I'm guessing she is around 18 lbs and 26 inches. We go to the dr. for her 6-month checkup in 2 weeks, so those will be the stats I give as my guesses. Chance and I always compete to see who's closer. Cara is getting chunky and tall!

Milestones: I'd call this month an explosion of development for Cara Beth. She is rolling back and forth like a champ, transferring objects from hand to hand and exercising her vocal range. Most importantly, she's sitting up and eating solid foods. She still tumps over if she's left alone for too long, but she is really strengthening her core and can sit for extended periods of time--as she gets tired, she bends in half and tries to eat her toes. :) She is also standing on her feet while holding on to our hands really well. She loves to be upright and seems to look so proud of herself when she's face-to-face with us. Cara loves to reach for things, and if something is on the floor out of her grasp, she'll flail her arms and legs and head simultaneously and tries to ooch that way. She's had a few trips out in the stroller forward-facing!!

Behavior: Cara Beth continues to be our sweet, happy girl! She especially loves weekends to visit Buck & Mimi, and hardly even fusses while we're there. That could have something to do with the fact that they spoil her rotten, hold her, let her nap on them and give her tons of attention. Who could be fussy when that happens? She is interacting more with us when we play and is showing lots of skill in communicating with us. She also recognizes our voices in a crowd and looks to find us. I picked her up at daycare one day, and she didn't see me, so I said, "Hi, Cara!" and she craned her head to find me and grinned. So sweet! She has also been arching her back when we try to strap her into the carseat. She grunts and has developed a new pitiful cry when she's really tired. It's so sad to hear it because she belts her lungs out!

Sleep: We're so thankful that Cara is a consistently good sleeper. She has had some hiccups in her wakeup time in the morning, and some short naps lately, but it's not bad. She eats for the last time and goes to sleep by 8:30 p.m. Usually she'll wake up at 7 a.m. (This week it's been 6:15 a.m., so she gets to hang out with us while we finish getting ready before she eats breakfast.) She takes a nap around 9:30 and then around 2. We try to get her to catnap at 5:30/6 while we make and eat dinner. She is finally taking most all naps in her crib if we're home, and her carseat is her favorite backup nap spot. I think we're getting close to retiring the swing because she can sit up/reach for her feet often, and it's not always the most reliable nap spot anymore. That swing was our LIFE SAVER for months, so I'll be sad to see her grow out of it, but I will be glad to get the space back (only to be replaced by something else!).

Clothes: We are at the tail end of 3-6 month clothes. A very few 6-9 month things fit her, and some of the small-cut 3-6 pjs are too small. In fact, I picked her up at daycare the other day, and she was wearing a random long-sleeved onesie (not ours) and her socks. They said she pooped in her clothes and the backup jammies in her bag didn't fit anymore. Haha oops! We'll be making the transition to the next size up soon.

Likes: sitting and standing while holding onto our hands, squeaking and squealing, jumping in her exersaucer (it's her FAVORITE toy), rolling on the ground, having her feet and belly tickled, playing with friends at daycare, snuggling with Mama, sitting in Daddy's lap talking, playing with Po and Harleigh (animals make her laugh so much--it's darling!--I hope Po continues to tolerate her as well as he has been so far), bounce on the bed, play with her cousins, go on walks or drives in the carseat and get a bath.

Dislikes: getting her nose wiped when she's snotty, having to fall asleep in the car in the dark (she gets upset when it's dark outside and we go for a trip), being strapped into her carseat (she's discovered that if she arches her back, it makes things more difficult), being left alone--we can't put her in her jumper or on the floor and walk to the kitchen because she'll shriek. :)

Favorite Moments: Getting her to giggle and belly laugh is hands-down the best thing we've experienced so far. It brings my heart more joy than I can describe to hear her sweet laugh and see her grin. This age is getting to be so much fun because she's so interactive. When she sits in her high chair, she's on eye level with us, and when we help her stand, she gets this proud look on her face. Cara is more active, more mobile (but not all over the place yet) and more fun. It's a really great stage.

Most challenging: Dealing with another health scare with Cara. Chance went to work out one morning at 5:30, and she woke up early at 6:15. I was in the middle of getting ready, but when I picked her up, something was wrong with her eye. It wouldn't open all the way, and it seemed like something was wrong. My first thought was that it was neurological and I kind of panicked. I snapped a picture and texted it to my doctor and some friends. My doctor advised Benadryl and observation--it was likely a bite from something or an allergic reaction to something. Her daycare teachers watched her closely and kept me updated, but I worried about her all day. It was scary because we didn't know for sure what caused it, so we couldn't tell how to prevent it. It was fine the next day, but it was still scary!

Looking forward to: the next stages of development--hearing her say words and make more sounds, getting ready to crawl, getting even more chunks on her irresistible thighs, watching her change physically (even though she's changed so much already, and I think she'll stay light-haired and blue-eyed), getting to know her little personality even more.

Sweet Cara Beth, how you have stolen our hearts! This month has brought more joy, laughter and concern than any month so far. You are turning into the most precious, beautiful baby. You are on a great structured schedule, and you're also easygoing enough to change things up every now and then. You love your food and milk, and you love sleeping on someone's chest. Everything makes you smile, and your little eyes just light up when your daddy or I grin at you. That smile is heart-melting, and I will never get tired of making you do it. You love your teachers and friends at daycare--it makes me wish you could be in the baby room forever. Your giggles must be the sound angels make, because it is the sweetest sound I've ever heard. You are loved by so many people and are turning into quite the baby beauty. These last 6 months have flown by in the blink of an eye, and they also have felt like you've been in our lives forever. Simply put, you are the completion to our lives. You have taught us to love like we didn't know we could. You're our favorite, Sweet Pea, and we love watching you grow!