Month 6: Half a Year

My sweets,

Six months ago, your daddy and I were gifted with the most amazing present. You. Your round little face and sweet nursing cheeks, your twin death stabbers (that's right, month 6 saw the advent of your second tooth), your enormous, playful grin, and the heartbreaking pouty lower lip. You're gorgeous; you're beautiful; you drive me nuts sometimes.

You change so quickly that sometimes I don't notice it until I look back at how things used to be. One of the most poignant examples of this is your grasp. All of the sudden, I noticed that you grasped things very deliberately, and were able to move objects from one hand to the other. It's not like you all of the sudden began doing this; your ability to do so developed so gradually that I didn't even notice it happening until all of the sudden you weren't aiming and missing - you were consistently grabbing whatever was placed in front of you (purposefully or not. Let's not talk about those two cups of coffee you spilt within four days...)

Everything you do has purpose now. I can put two toys in front of you, and you'll show preference for one of them. One of your favourites is your little yellow Angel Care baby toothbrush that I bought off eBay. Something tells me I should buy a few more, in the case that we ever lose this one - you'll gnaw away at it for hours (okay, maybe not hours, but longer than most toys!) You're also a big fan of beer bottles and beer cans - obviously, Daddy discovered this penchant, not me. Soothing on your gums, we say. We really know, though, that you're probably going to love beer just as much as your daddy does. But not until you're eighteen years old.

You're a babbler. In the mornings, you'll lie in your bassinet and babble until I come get you - and that's when a gigantic smile spreads across your gorgeous little face. You like talking to your toys, sometimes, too - either that, or putting them in your mouth (or kissing them, like the exersaucer flower that you so lovingly caress.)

You're a mover. You roll all around; I can't leave you alone for more than a few seconds now, or else you'll roll off the couch (yup, that happened - I win mom of the year. You were absolutely fine - you barely even cried) or roll into the couch (that little scenario resulted in a little bit more crying. I couldn't help but just watch you for a few seconds before scooping you up into my arms - you were so cute!) You've discovered your toes, too. I love watching you when you're lying on your back, bringing your toes to your mouth and excitedly gnawing on them.

We started you on solids at about 5.5 months, "solids" consisting of finger-size sticks of sweet potato, avocado, or banana. We've chosen a method of solids called "baby led feeding", which means that we don't feed you - you feed yourself. Over the past half a month, we've watched you grasp, miss, squeeze, squish, gag on, and throw your food - you've only really begun to get good at actually gnawing and perhaps swallowing every now and again. It's hilarious to watch, and suppertime usually ends with Daddy clearing up the kitchen and me giving you a bath.

We still find banana behind your ears every once in a while.

Love,

Mama

Month 5: Sickness and the Death Stabber

My Sweets,

As I write this, you are slipping in and out of wakefulness, rocking side to side in your swing. You are suffering from an upper respiratory viral infection, conjunctivitis in your eyes, and a hoarse throat. And I feel awful. I took you to the doctor's office this morning after a particularly rough night; your scary, hoarse cough kept Daddy and I awake more than you, though. By 5:00 in the morning, I'd put you in your swing to keep you sitting up, and I finally managed to capture a few hours' sleep on the couch. I refused to give in to fear, as tempting as it was to rush you to the emergency room in the middle of the night. But your spirits were high. You're crying and grumbling more than usual, but who doesn't complain, whine, and moan when they're not feeling well? The hardest part for me is watching you deal with your sickness without the ability to express yourself in words. I want to make you better. I want you to feel okay. I want so badly for this sickness to pass.

Although this illness has marked the end of your fifth month of life and is bringing us into your sixth, it's far overshadowed by the progress you've shown throughout September. That hoarse voice? I'm surprised it took an illness to get so hoarse. You're a screamer. You love letting the world know that you're happy. We have to whisper to you to temper your boisterous calls; how else do you teach a baby that screaming is just not necessary? But it's so cute... so sometimes we encourage it. Don't tell Papa, though... your screaming is one thing he just doesn't like.

Not only are you screaming, but you're babbling. Mornings are the best. Sometimes, when you wake just as your mom and dad are stirring, you engage in conversation. You're happily cooing to yourself (or to us, but who knows) and those sounds of some of the sweetest noises I've ever heard. I love the expression in your voice; your vocal range is phenomenal (see: screaming, as detailed above.) Neither your mama or dad are particularly loud or talkative (especially not your dad), so it's a mystery where you got your voice from. But it's beautiful, nonetheless.

Vocally, September began out with one of the sweetest sounds I've ever heard - a giggle escaping your throat as I played a little game with you. I haven't been able to get you to giggle again all month, which is heartbreaking, but your daddy is good at getting a giggle to escape here and there. I really hope that's a noise that we get a little bit more familiar with as the fall continues. 

Your mama started working at Inferno Fitness, a local gym, twice a week this month. I drag you along, where you're looked after in the back room by a child care provider with a bunch of other kids. There's one other little girls your age, and you're becoming more and more interested by other kids. Your world doesn't solely revolve around you and your parents anymore - you're curious in other people, and it's such a delight to watch you hold out your hands and lean towards others in curiosity.

September saw the advent of the "death stabber" as we so lovingly refer to it - that's right, your first tooth. It's your bottom left tooth, and it's sharp as can be. I think Natalie gave your tooth that moniker, and it's quite fitting - I'm pretty sure you'd be able to draw blood with that thing. You've been drooling crazily for the past week or so, so I'm assuming that its partner in crime is on its way. You love chewing on our fingers to numb your aching gums.

In other embarrassing news (I'm sure you'll love me for this one), I just have to share a poop story. Pooping takes up a significant portion of time in an infant's life, so why not discuss it? You used to poop only when you were breastfeeding, but now it happens at any given time, usually when you're dressed to the nines and we're just about to head out the door. That happens about twice a week. One day at suppertime, you were sitting in your high chair between Daddy and I. Usually supper time involves high pitched squeals on your part as you chew on plastic toys (we're not starting you on solids until six months), but this particular day, you were a little quieter, more concentrated. For about fifteen minutes, the only noise you emitted was a low pitched grumble as you stared forward. For fifteen minutes, Daddy and I watched you in your intense state of concentration. I bet your dad that you were pooping, and lo and behold, I was right. Daddy got to change that diaper. I hope I never forget the sound you made or the expression on your face, because it was hilarious. You make us laugh daily.

You're still rolling over crazily, and you've been showing an interest in crawling, but digging your heels into the ground isn't something you're capable of doing quite yet. You want it though; you want it badly. If I leave you on the floor long enough to try a few times, you end up high-centered (as your daddy puts it) with arms and legs kicking. Sweetie, you're just not going anywhere yet. Hopefully not for a while, either - I'm not ready to start chasing you around the house. Please just stay in my arms a little while longer?

Finally, this fifth month has been marked by an increasing interest in the toys attached to your jumparoo and exersaucer - if you're having a good day, I can leave you in your exersaucer for an entire hour while I prepare supper. I love watching you concentrate on a little plastic flower or bug, and sometimes you mash your hand down on the exersaucer's keyboard so it makes this horrible, stuck-electronic sound - but it doesn't seem to bother you one bit. You just look up at me as if to say, "mama, is this music?" No, dear, it's not. Please, let you have inherited my musical side and not your father's tone-deafness. Like I said, on a good day, that exersaucer will keep you entertained for upwards of an hour, but if you're a little bit fussy, I find myself constantly moving you around to find a position that suits your fancy. Don't like being in the exersaucer? Let's try your little pink playmat. Don't want to be on your back? You roll yourself over to your tummy. Oh, that position isn't pleasing? How about your swing? Nope? Okay, snack time it is, in mama's arms. I'm sad that some day the little bundle of you won't fit into my arms anymore, so I'll revel in it as long as I possibly can.

Love,

Mama

Month 4: Finding Yourself

My Sweets,

My little Lobster

That's actually Daddy's nickname for you. He has quite a few: My Sweets, Lexi Loopity Poopity Bear, and Varmint Milt to name a few. Don't ask me about that last one... as you'll grow to see, your father is fond of nonsense words. That's one of the adorable parts about him. I wonder how much of his silliness you'll inheret? Hopefully a lot, because this world is a tough one and it's even more difficult if you can't face day to day with a sense of humour.

Post-bathtime

Life has gotten too busy for me to write weekly updates, so I decided that monthly will have to do. What has Month 4 brought us? Well, you began showing an interest in grasping things - your bunny, blankets, teething rings, and Mommy and Daddy's fingers. As the month progressed, you became more and more accurate as you brought things to your mouth. It's so incredible to watch your accuracy improve. For a while, you got a little bit boring (sorry, but all you were doing was nursing and crying for a few weeks!) but through all that fussiness, your brain was actually growing the capacity to allow you to do really interesting things. And they only got more interesting as the month progressed!

Sweet thinker

Not only are you grasping things extremely well now, you're also showing us that you have quite the voice. The squealing that began emerging in your third month of life has now turned to full on screams of joy. Especially in the mornings, you love singing (well, screaming) us your morning wakeup song with a huge smile on your face. Mornings are such a joyful time for you; as the day wanes on, you get crankier and crankier.

Rooting... on Daddy. Seriously.

Another milestone this month? Rolling over. You managed to roll from your tummy to your back on Wednesday, August 14 at Kersey's house. I didn't expect back to tummy to come for another few months, but on Monday, August 26, you decided to show your great grandmother Nannoo (Lillian Gallant, your grandfather Gallant's mother) that you were capable of some pretty acrobatic feats. We have footage of your very first back to front rollover and I'm pretty grateful to have captured it on film.

You adore hole-y blankets.

Grasping, screaming, rolling over... this month has been a busy one. Through it all, you've packed on a few pounds. I'm not sure exactly how much you weigh as we haven't been to the doctor since your two month checkup, but we're heading there this upcoming Friday and I'm confident you're chunking up for all the crawling you'll inevitably doing in a short while. You've grown out of your newborn and 0-3 month clothes; even some of your 3-month clothing is getting a little snug. Thankfully, we're able to share your cute little duds with some friends - Amanda's little girl Lakelyn, and Lindsay's sweet daughter Farrah. I think it's so fantastic that Mommy and Daddy's friends have had little girls in the same year that you were born; there are so many friends for you. Right now, you're more interested in interacting with adults who can hold you and respond to you - we'll leave the little friends for when you're a bit older.

Pure concentration

Lexi, you topped off a fantastic fourth month with your very first plane ride, and you were amazing. You didn't cry once on any flight, and you got a ton of compliments about your cuteness as we travelled from Calgary to Ottawa so that you could meet your Mama's parents your uncle Louis. Grammy and Grandpa Gallant and Uncle Louis were absolutely thrilled to meet you... I think they secretly wish they lived closer so that they could watch you grow in person instead of on Facetime and Skype. Maybe one day your Mama's parents and brother will be closer. Maybe you'll even have cousins on the Gallant side of your family someday.

With Grammy Gallant

During our Ontario trip, you got to meet a ton of Mama's cousins, aunts, and uncles, your great grandmother Gallant (Nannoo), and Mama's great friends Dayna, Julie, and their kids. You dipped your feet in the Ottawa River at Norway Bay in Quebec, the cottage country where your Mama spent her childhood summers. You were so well behaved and pleasant during the whole trip and for that I'm very grateful! Once we landed back in Calgary, we drove straight to the Crowsnest Pass to see Grandma and Papa Liboiron. After a week and a half on the road, you almost slept through the night during your first night back in your bassinet... you're a great traveler, little girl!

Daddy, Mama and Lexi at Norway Bay, Quebec

I am amazed as I watch you learn and grow. Your shrieks, your drooly little fists, your gummy smile... it's all beautiful. I think I've shared this sentiment before, but I'll repeat it again... baby, I love watching you grow up and I can't wait to see who you'll become... but I wish I could freeze these moments in time.

Love,

Mama

Hammocks are not your friend

Four generations of Gallants

Uncle "Lolo" Louis

Bunny love

Having a time with Danielle Sullivan, Julie's little one

Grandpa Gallant trying to get you interested in poutine... it doesn't seem to be working. 

Week 14: Leaps and Bounds

Lexi,

You disappointed Daddy last night. When I placed you in your bassinet after nursing you to sleep, your arms didn't drift above their head like they usually do when you fall asleep. Right now you're asleep, and your arms are tucked down by your sides. It's funny how these seemingly inconsequential things add to our love for you, and we miss them as they drift away.

Although your miniature squeaks, blue eyes, and your fuzzy ears are all gone (you squeal instead of squeak, your eyes are slowly turning brown, and that adorable ear fuzz... well, I just noticed today that it's no longer there) you keep surprising us with new developments. You're definitely teething, as your fist is in your mouth more often than not. You like gnawing on anything you can get your hands on, and you're not a stranger to grabbing a clump of my hair and bringing it gleefully to your mouth. Oh, that mouth. When something tickles your fancy, it erupts into a gigantic smile, giving way for both fists and a gnawing session. I love it. LOVE it. I absolutely adore watching you break into smiles. It seems like only a few weeks ago I was afraid that you'd never smile (mothers have the craziest fears sometimes!) All I have to do to get you to smile if you're having a rough go is pump your legs quickly and say, "booga booga booga booga booga!" No matter how many tears are falling, a smile always ensues.

Back to gnawing. My good friend Beth gave you Sophie the Giraffe as a shower gift, and you love gnawing on her little giraffe nubbins (those things beside the ears - what are they called?) It's pretty amazing to watch you actually grasp her with your hands. You even managed to throw her on the ground today. Another thing I love watching is every time I pull a shirt over your head (something that used to cause me anxiety cause, you know, baby heads are so soft and delicate) you reach up to the fabric with both hands, grab a fistful, and start gnawing on the cotton. You little munchkin you!

This past weekend we made our very first family trip to the mountains and if anything is certain, it's that you love the fresh air. You slept so hard that I had to wake you to feed you. Normally I wouldn't, but Daddy and I left you with Grandma L (with - seriously - three 4-oz bottles of breastmilk, just in case) for 5 hours so that we could go on a rZr trip, and although I brought along my pump it wasn't working properly and I really didn't feel like hand expressing milk at that point so I decided that missing one feeding wouldn't cause me too much trouble. Let me tell you, it took the next 12 hours to get my breasts back on track! I missed you so much while we were on our rZr trip and was happy to see your smiling (well, probably crying) face when we returned. I miss you so much when we're apart, which isn't that often. I don't know how I'm going to handle going back to work in nine months...

Baby girl, you're making leaps and bounds. You're smiling like crazy, squealing to insanely high pitches, and nearly rolling over - I bet it will happen in the next month. I love watching you learn and grow, and I love scooping you up when you've had enough and decide to express your frustration. My arms will always be a safe place for you, my precious baby girl.

Love,

Mama

Weeks 12 & 13: Too Cute

Lexi,

Right now, you're napping in your swing while I run around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to get ready for our weekend away in the mountains. I couldn't stand not taking a break to write to you, since it's been two weeks. That tells you how little time I actually have two hands free to do a bit of typing!

You are the sweetest, most adorable little girl I've ever laid eyes on. Every morning, Daddy changes your diaper and plays with you for a few minutes before he takes off for work. A few days ago, I received a text message from him that read "I didn't want to leave Lexi this morning." It's true. Even when I'm exhausted and you have a two hour nap, I miss you by the time you're stirring and I can't wait to have you back in my arms.

You're so alert now. Nothing pleases you more than being in your Jumparoo - especially if I'm in front of you, making faces and mimicking the songs and noises the toy makes. You're all or nothing, though - if there's any part of you that doesn't want to be in your Jumparoo, you'll let us know. Immediately. You're a good communicator and we always know - via your lungs - what you need. Some cries are louder than others; your whimpers right before you fall asleep are the cutest. I miss your newborn squeaks, but your squeals and reactions are just as cute (if not more so).

I had to pack away your newborn clothing last week, and you're almost too big for size 1 diapers so I've been picking up a few boxes of size 2. It's so wonderful to see you growing, but when I found a few newborn diapers tucked away, I felt nostalgic. It's been a bit of a trying week, as you're going through a developmental leap and experiencing some pretty upsetting (and stinky!) gas, but when you look up at me with those big, beautiful eyes, I am so glad that you're mine.


 Baby girl, keep growing strong.

Love,

Mama

Week 11: Smiles Galore

Lexi,

Right now Daddy is putting on your jammies. You just had a bath and rocked out completely naked for a few minutes until your wailing told us you were ready for bedtime. You were so good during your bath tonight; you actually smiled a few times. Sure beats the first few tear-filled baths we gave you! This week you also began sucking furiously on your first. I'm hoping that you don't find your thumb, but it's starting to look inevitable.

On a whim, I took out the jumparoo from storage - it's a bouncy chair that makes noise and flashes lights if you make enough movements. I didn't think you were quite ready for it, but the moment I put you in it and pressed the big blue button, your eyes lit up and you kept yourself entertained for quite a while. For the first few weeks of your existence, you couldn't stand more than three or four minutes at one activity - today, I had you laying on your playmat for a solid hour - you just kept batting away at the big pink bird overhead. I love watching you interact with your environment. This, my love, is the most phenomenal experience of my life.

I'm not sure exactly how child development works, but whatever changes your mind and body have gone through over the past few weeks have resulted in this absolutely incredible kid with whom I love spending time. Not that I didn't love spending time with you before; it's just that now, you respond to me. You look at me, you react to me... and you smile constantly. It doesn't take much to get you to smile, either - all I have to do is say "yeah!" over and over, and your mouth breaks into this heartmelting grin that I just know will eventually break into giggles. I'm anticipating your giggles, because your squeals are the sweetest sounds I've ever heard. I bet you'll be competition with Mariah Carey someday with your vocal range - you have the highest pitched squeals I've ever heard come out of a baby. And I just know when you read this as a teenager, you're going to roll your eyes and say, "Mom? Mariah Carey? Who was that?"

A teenager. It's hard to believe you're going to be a teenager someday. I look into your eyes and I see a big, wide, open road ahead of us. I pray daily that I do the best I can so that you are happy and fulfilled, but I definitely stumble every day along the way. It's definitely a learning process, but I think I'm liking it so far because I'm already looking forward to the possibility of giving you a brother or a sister someday. Not anytime soon, but I think I'm liking this mothering thing.

Let's see how I feel as you gear up for your next big growth spurt.

Lots of love,

Mama

Week 10: On Cuteness and Hero Poop

Lexi,





Good morning my sweet baby girl! You're passed out on my chest which is wonderful because you've proven to be not much of a cuddler. Selfishly, your father and I wish that you were, and maybe someday you will be, but what you need right now is movement. Constant movement. If we stop moving, you start wailing. It's kind of unbelievable that you eventually fall asleep in my arms every night because I don't have to rock you to sleep or anything. 

This week you had your first round of immunizations. I'm so glad Daddy came because I wouldn't have been able to handle it on my own. You screamed when the nurse plunges those needles into your chubby little thighs, but Daddy held on tight and cuddled you like crazy while the nurse rang a bell in your face. Seriously? A bell? I guess it was meant to distract you from your discomfort but it only added to the chaos of the situation. I have you Tylenol for the first time that afternoon because you seemed so uncomfortable... and you slept for seven hours that night. SEVEN! O know that won't happen again for a long time, so thank you!

Speaking of sleeping, the other night when I went to bed, Daddy decided to copy your favoured sleeping stance - on your back, arms above your head. Seriously, it's one of the cutest things you do. I don't want to ever forget that part of you - but I know there are things about you that I will forget, and that's one of the saddest things in the world. Anyways, at this point, I can't decide if you're cuter asleep or awake. I think it's a tie. 

Your wakefulness has been an avenue for us to observe many changes this past week, the most obvious being your interactivity. You chatter constantly and look at everything around you. While you aren't quite grabbing things with your hand, you are beginning to show interest in them and swat at them. You're also smiling like crazy, an those smiles let Daddy and I know every day what a happy little girl you are. 

You know what else makes you happy? Poop. You love pooping. You're so happy after a good poop! Twice this week you introduced us to what I have dubbed "hero poops"mostly because changing one of those diapers is a heroic feat. I can't believe that much poop could come out of you in one go. I can't believe that much poop is stored INSIDE of you? Where do you fit it all, little girl? As Natalie exclaimed, "there was literally a full CUP of poop in her diaper." As tempting as it was to break out the old measuring cup, I think a visual guesstimate was accurate enough. And as long as poopy diapers mean you're eating, digesting, and growing, well, keep those hero poops coming. 

Love,

Mama