It has been awhile since I've blogged and a lot has been going on with our Little Lowery! I am just in shock that not only did she turn 6 months old, but now she's 7 months!!  Seriously...so fast!  She's just SUCH a little cutie and everyday I get to see more and more hints of her charming personality and her new developments.

We took our first family trip (of SO many more to come) to Mystic Aquarium a few weekends ago. We knew Norah really wouldn't "get it" quite yet but we strapped her in the Baby Bjorn and figured she'd have fun looking at all the big aquariums.  I used to volunteer at Mystic so it was really exciting to be able to share the experience with Norah. We really did have a fun time and I do think that Norah enjoyed herself too! The trip to Mystic really just made me insanely excited for all the trips we are going to be able to go on as a family and the experiences that we will be able to share with our daughter.


For about a week now, Norah has been sleeping on her stomach which I feel is a really big milestone in being a "big girl". We put her down on her back as instructed and in ten seconds flat she flails herself over to her stomach, whines a little, and falls asleep.  She is most definitely not "sleeping through the night" yet/still/never!! but she does seem to be more comfortable on her stomach.  I really just can't jump on board with letting her cry. Kevin and I both feel horrible listening to her cry and the few times that we have let it happen, she is just so long gone by the time we go up to console her that it takes even longer to get to sleep and she's a mess.  When we hear her cry (and we make sure it's not just the waking up every 90 minutes and putting herself back to sleep cry) all we usually need to do is stick that pacifier back in and she's sleeping.  For us that seems a lot better than having her wail for 30 minutes and then take 30 more to finally fall asleep.  I hope this doesn't scar her for life or her sleeping habits but after talking to my Mom who feels the same way, she reminded me of how she would need to drag me out of bed in high school!!! :) I think it's great for those that have done the "let her cry method" effectively, but we just can't seem to do it. I am trying to do a little "tough love" to eliminate night feedings but I stay by her side and try to consol her in other ways which seems to be working. I just have to remind myself sometimes that the books are talking about babies and parents in general and each family, baby, view point is so different. We will see....

Speaking of rough nights, Norah is cutting her first tooth!!!!!!!  :)  This was one of those reality check, grounding parent moments for Kevin and I.  We have been following a bump on the top of her mouth for months thinking it looked bigger and bigger every day and that pretty soon she would have her first tooth.  We even said to the pediatrician when she said, "Looks like Norah will be getting her bottom tooth first" that "Oh really, we think for sure it will be the top one".  Yes our medical degrees are hanging on the wall. Norah had a week where she was just whining all day long and of course Lucy would jump in with the same pitch of whining and instead of wondering what's going on, I was just feeling like I was getting a headache.  Then one day in the car, she flashed a big grin at me and there on the bottom of her mouth was a hole with a jagged white tooth emerging!!! I was literally so excited that I had this giddy school girl crush feeling every time I thought about it at work that night.  No wonder she was having rough nights and whiny days.  It really was just one of those, "wow, you really have no idea what you are doing" moments.  Maybe not that extreme, but definitely made me realize how parenthood is absolutely something you learn as you go!

And finally, on the flip side of clueless parenting moments, it's nice to know that at the end of the day, you are the world to this little person and just holding them might be the only thing that they need to make everything better. Recently, outside parenting, I've been feeling that no matter how hard I try to do the right things, I just am not cutting it.  I was having a very rough time with this and I came home to a baby who was having a rough night as well despite all of Daddy's hard work to help her sleep.  All I had to do was pick her up, hold her, and give her a kiss and she was silent and relaxed. Now I know that Daddy really did not feel good about this, but it was my moment to feel that I am able to do all the right things for the most important person in my life. And that is the most beautiful feeling... :)

Norah is 6 months old!

They all warned me...those strangers who think because they see your growing belly in the grocery store or your newborn baby in the shopping cart that you really, really want them to tell you every bit of advice that they have to share. Ok, I'm being mean...but those of you who have been there know what I'm talking about.  They even warn you about them in the baby books!  Anyways, they were right about ONE THING...babies grow fast and time sure flies by!!!!

Norah is 6 months old!  Seriously, how did we get here so fast?  If we are at 6 months already, then she will be a year old in no time...and then two...and then 15, and then she'll be in college!  Tear....Sob...Heaving... :(

Anyways, I just can't believe it and we have loved every minute.  Even those first three months that she screamed and screamed and screamed because she was so uncomfortable with colic and reflux.  Once we figured out that she has a milk allergy and she got over the "fourth trimester" she is really such a happy, smiley, wonderful baby.  I feel so blessed that I get to spend most of each day with her and each day I thank God that life turned out so perfectly. 

Just a few days shy of her 6 month birthday, we started solids!  It's been such a fun milestone to watch her face as she tries new tastes and foods.  She is such a good eater! Peas were something she did not like at first but after a few days, she dove into those too!  So far we've had rice cereal, sweet potatoes (her favorite), peas, and carrots.  I think next will be green beans.  Once we get the hang of different kinds of solids, I'm going to attempt to make my own baby food.  I have a beautiful food processor from Williams and Sonoma that I got as a baby shower gift as well as a cookbook. Get a carrot, add water, put it in the food processor..think I can handle that! It's all very exciting!!

It's also been very weird to bust out the toys that were 6+ and the pacifiers and putting Norah in 9 month clothes...it's just flying by us and I feel like I'm trying to stand still while it passes me by!

There's lots to look forward to in the next few months and we are really working on hanging around on our tummy so we might possibly think about crawling someday in the near future!  Right now I'm still enjoying having a baby that I can leave in one place and know that I won't find her on the other side of the room!

So although your Mommy and Daddy wish you could just stay a baby forever, Happy 6 months Norah and we look forward to watching you grow...and grow...and grow.... :)