Hayley: Six Months

How is my baby half a year old? I love it and hate it all at the same time. She is growing up, which means she is getting to be more interactive and fun. I just love her so much more every month.

We started feeding Hayley baby food this past month and she has loved everything but green beans and peaches, although she's still eaten them, just not as happily. She is a good little eater. She did experience some constipation when we first started giving her food but I think her little body is getting used to it now. Her spit up has finally started to lessen, I think that can be attributed partly to eating food and not just breast milk. She started making this pterodactyl noise that makes everyone laugh. I have no idea where she got it from but she loves to make it. She is a champ at sitting up on her own and rolling over from her stomach to her back, she seems to have no desire to go the other way yet (she still really hates tummy time). She is still in size 2 diapers and we finally put her in 6 month clothes, which are a little bit big but that's ok with me so she'll be able to wear them for a while. She tries to grab anything and everything that is in her reach, and if it's not within her reach she'll lean forward or sideways to try and get to what she wants. Everything still goes in to her mouth, especially her toes when there's not socks on them. She sits up like a champ. She's started to realize that not all faces are familiar to her and has become a little bit of a "mama's baby," not that I'm complaining but I still have others hold her and such so she'll be comfortable when I'm not around. She scratches her head a lot, and I don't know if it's because it itches or she just likes to ha. She has the hardest time falling asleep sometimes, it's draining. Sometimes I can put her in her crib and she'll do the work and other times it's a twenty minute process full of tears. She got plenty of new toys for Christmas and she seems to enjoy them all, although I think she'll take a remote or phone over any toy. Her Aunt Nikkole and I took her swimming last week and she loved it, which wasn't too surprising because she absolutely loves bath time. When we start taking off her clothes at night she gets all excited and giggly like she knows it's coming. When she is excited she kicks her legs and flails her arms, it's pretty darn cute. She enjoys peek-a-boo and riding in her new stroller around the track at the gym.

Hayley got to be Jesus in the family nativity.

Just like her Daddy.

She loves her green monkey.

She's already eating ribs. (Not really, but prunes look like BBQ sauce.)

Hayley was more interested in eating her presents than opening them.

We love the pool!

I know this is supposed to be all about Hayley, but I'm going to throw in a little update on Dan and me as well.... Dan is planning on taking the MCAT this summer (pray for him please!) and will still graduate with his Bachelor's in a year. He still works at the Davis Hospital as a lab tech, an EMT for Weber State, and a tutor for Weber athletes. He's pretty amazing at providing for us at the same time as being a great student and prepping for med school. I still work at Weber State in the Teaching and Learning Forum. I made a pretty big decision over the break to change my major to Athletic Therapy instead of Athletic Training, which is basically the same thing without all the clinical hours and not as many job opportunities. So I realize that doesn't sound like a good plan but it is for me and our family because I will graduate THIS SPRING (just found that out on yesterday so I got registered and will start class Wednesday) and I'll have more time to be Hayley's Mom, which is really why I decided to switch. She means more to me than my dream of being an Athletic Trainer. Plus I wasn't planning on working once graduating anyway so this really is a win for us. I am excited to be done with school, it's not my favorite thing to do. We have definitely been blessed with things working out for us, which includes all the amazing people who watch Hayley so I can work and go to school. Thank you just isn't sufficient.
And as long as we're not talking about Hayley... winter break was fabulous! We got to spend time together, which is rare when school is in so that was especially nice. We also spent time with our families - Steve, Audrey, and Jaden were here from Delaware and Matt and Andrea came up from Saratoga Springs. Peter, Brittany, and Hadley are leaving us soon for grad school in Texas so the break was really good for family time. And boy oh boy do we love our family! Especially our little Hayley bug.

Side note: She had her 6 month check-up on January 12. Dan said she did better than last time with her shots (I didn't go to her last one, which is good cause I got teary-eyed when they poked her today). She weighs 14.7 pounds - 23rd percentile still. She's in the 62nd percentile for head circumference, she's finally growing into her big noggin. And she's 25 and 5/8 inches - 44th percentile.