Dear Addison - 6 Months

Dear Addison,

Your 6th month has probably included your biggest increase in development so far, a lot seems to have happened all at once!

You sat for the first time at 5 and a half months and it only took about a week for you to get rock solid and your balance is great now. This has been great for both me and you because you are always happiest sitting or standing and I am able to leave you to play with your toys and enjoy this part of your life before you start moving! You have a spot on the floor where we have set up a catterpillar/snake toy as a buffer in case you fall onto our hard wooden floors. You have almost all your toys surrounding you and you spend a good while picking up your favourites and sorting them either side of you. You are now working out just how far you can reach without face planting.

 We also started you on solids about the same time, you have never really put toys into your mouth to explore until you started teething so we decided to leave the baby-led-weaning and go for the puree. Banana was a big hit and there hasn't been anything you haven't liked yet. So far you have tried: Banana, Kumara, Apple, Pumpkin, Avocado and a few of the baby food cans with meat in them which you guzzle down. At first you pushed the food out with your tongue but now you are much better at eating off a spoon. It still manages to get all over your face though which makes for great photos.

We had our first bath win with you last night! After 3 months of crying EVERY.SINGLE.BATHTIME you *fingers crossed* have changed your tune. I'm not sure what we did differently but you enjoyed yourself AND got clean. Yay. All I can think of was we took the bath temperature down to 34-35 degrees so it was more warm than hot. Bubbles help, as does being able to sit up probably.

Your vocal range is increasing all the time and you are pretty good at making high pitched cute squeals and noises which sound like questions. Not many consonant sounds yet but you have a new trick where I offer you water from your drink bottle and you copy my 'more?' with your little ahh-ah?

The latest milestone you have hit has been the beginning of teething. As of Tuesday November 4th you have a tooth! Your bottom middle left one. We had a grizzly week last week where you were not your usual content self and drooled like a champion and started chomping on your toys like there was no tomorrow. We got you some amber beads and some Weleda Teething Powder which both seem to calm you slightly. The white dot under the surface slowly got bigger until it cut through a couple of days ago. It is now on the journey upwards and the tooth next to it has started showing as a white dot too so that won't be far away. Good work!

Summer is just around the corner and we have been enjoying lots of nice walks in the pram, some picnics in the park and hopefully I can gear you up to have some pool time in our little inflatable swimming pool.

You have started to become a lot more aware of me and when I am not around. The plus side is you are getting back into cuddly mode and are happy to sit on my lap for longer periods of time. The downside is that I am unsure of leaving you with anyone other than Daddy during the day. But I guess like anything it is just a phase and it too will pass.

Addison you are such a wonderful little girl. Daddy and I miss you when you are sleeping because your smile isn't around. You tackle anything we throw at you with enthusiasm and you keep trying until you get it. You like repetition and seeing familiar toys and faces but even strangers are greeted with a gummy smile unless you are tired and cranky. You have captured so many hearts and we are better people for having you in our lives another month.

Lots of love,
Mummy xx