Talking changes/development
It is like Ellie has discovered that she has a voice this month, and she can make that voice sound as loud as she would like! She has taken to letting out big yells (not in a sad or unhappy way, just a "here I am world" way). She also enjoys talking to herself in her crib before and after her naps.
She has started to sit by herself. She can stay sitting by herself for a while if she is on a flat surface. Usually she ends up toppling over when Winnie decides this is a good opportunity to lick her face.
She is rolling over more from tummy to back, but not the other way around yet. If I put her down on her play mat she will do some circles, but doesn't really move forward. I have taken her to some music classes where there are other babies that are between 8-11 months old and are all crawling. I can see Ellie watching the other babies and really wants to get up and go with them, but just isn't there yet. She loves to kick her legs all day long - she never stops!
Mama Stuff
Working reduced hours is going well, although I find I can't be as social at work because when I am in the office I have to be all business in order to get my work done. I really enjoy the weeks where I am home on Tuesdays and Fridays with Ellie. This mix seems to be working out well for me - I have my work time and my Ellie time.
I usually get in 2 runs a week now in addition to almost daily walks around the neighborhood with Winnie. I still feel like I should be doing more fitness wise, but there just seems to be so much other stuff to do instead.
Sleep
Ever since 4.5 months Ellie has started waking up a bit earlier for the first time. She usually wakes up between 3-4:30 for the first time. I feed her, change her and then she falls back asleep quickly, which is good. The problem is that I often have a tough time going back to sleep after this wake up. Her typical night is now going to sleep around 6:45/7pm then waking up once between 3-4:30 am then waking up for good at 7-7:30 am.
Her naps have definitely become more predictable. She usually takes her first nap at 9 am for about an hour. Then a quick nap at noon time for maybe 30-45 minutes and another nap around 3pm for maybe an hour. I can see her dropping the midday nap in the coming month, but she needs it now to quickly recharge for the afternoon.
Feeding
We started out solids a little before she turned 6 months old. She wasn't really into rice cereal or bananas. Recently I tried peas, carrots and sweet potatoes (baby food from whole foods) and she really likes these! She will grab the spoon out of my hands and shove it into her mouth. It gets quite messy but I love to see her covered in green or orange food - it is so cute!
Father's Day Weekend Trip
We met up with Brian's parents to visit Ellis Island in NYC for father's day weekend. It was nice not having to drive all the way to PA to see them, but getting in and out of the city with a baby and a dog was quite challenging! We had to drag Ellie's pack n play and Winnie's crate among other belongings into Queens to stay with Brian's friends one night, then back out and to my aunt and uncles house in NJ for the next night. I think the moral of the story is to stay in one place when traveling! Ellie was a champ and took her first boat ride and was very well behaved.
Here is Ellie and Daddy at Ellis Island
Feelings Thoughts
Ellie has come so far since she was first born. She has started to develop a personality (and it is a great smiley one!) as well as preferences (yes to sweet potatoes, no to bananas). I love the fun and adorable baby she has become, but I do also miss some of the earlier things that she has outgrown.
I miss the way I used to hold her- when she used to love being cradled in my arms, she doesn't sleep on me anymore and she only wants to face out when I carry her. She changes so much and so frequently it boggles my mind!
