I am officially 6 months old. I am eating solid food, and boy am I putting it away; I have two teeth coming in; and I am almost crawling. I have my pediatrician visit in about another week and Mom and Dad are fairly sure that I am pushing 20 pounds. I have accomplished a lot in a very short time!

I started eating real food about a week ago. I began with carrots, and I never looked back. No more formula for me! (Well, maybe just a bit of formula.) By the second day of solid food, I ate an entire jar of carrots in one sitting. I had bananas after that, and that first day I ate the entire thing! The spinach I didn’t like quite so much, but I ate it nonetheless. And now I’m trying avocados. I have to eat everything for three full days, excluding all other foods, to make sure that I don’t have an allergic reaction to it. But since I had rice quite a while ago-Mom and Dad tried rice for me a few months ago to see if it would help me sleep through the night-they sometimes mix the rice in with my veggies. At this rate, though, in a few weeks, I’ll have a good list of things that I am eating and I can mix them all together if I want.

And Mom just discovered two teeth in my mouth! I was munching on her finger and she felt that two teeth had broken through on the bottom. I’ve been happy and not-at-all fussy lately, so I guess that the teething-thing isn’t bothering me too much. We’ll see, though. Maybe when more of the teeth come through, or maybe when the top ones come in, maybe then I’ll feel it more.

But until then, I’m going to work on my crawling and eating. I’m propelling myself forward and backward fairly well, but I don’t really pull my legs underneath my body yet. I just kick and dig my knees into the ground to get myself moving. Anyway, it works! I end up making my way to the toy that I want, when I am on the floor. So, it’s all good!

Check back in in a bit,
T

So, it turns out that I really like to eat. And since I’m not so mobile yet, I tend to pack on the pounds. Don’t get me wrong, Mom and Dad tell me all the time how cute I am. How they really love my belly. And how my cheeks remind them a lot of Riley’s cheeks at my age. But, truth be told, I’m the biggest pig there is. That’s why Mom and Dad call me the Butter Pig.

I am a super happy Butter Pig. I still smile all the time. I am still really mellow. The only thing that I don’t do-wait for it-is sleep through the night. You may be saying to yourself, but Butter Pig, you are almost 6 months old. Shouldn’t you be sleeping through the night. And I would answer, but if you are as hungry as I am, and if you have very pliable parents like I do, why would you wait an entire 10 hours to eat when you could just yell at the top of your lungs, in the middle of the night, and have it brought to you on a silver platter. Sometimes I wake up and yell just to make sure that they are OK. I’m not even hungry. It’s my way of checking up on them. So far, they have always shown up with a soft and gentle “Little Lady, don’t you want to sleep a little more?” And, as soon as I’ve finished a bottle, I tell them “Sure Mom and Dad. I was just making sure that you were doing alright.”

My mobility is growing (like my tummy) by leaps and bounds. I can not only roll over, but I roll across the floor. I turn all the way around-doing 360s in my crib. And I can grab a hold of and hold onto just about anything. Mom’s hair, preferably. Or Dad’s face. Either one is good. I like to try to swim when I am on my belly. Laughing and kicking and reaching out for some toy that is just too far away….

All around, things are good. I am more mobile, happy and fat. Good things, all.

Tune in next month when I let you know how crawling is going (cross your fingers!).

Miss T

This past month, with the exception of losing one of our doggie friends, things have been great.

I LOVE eating. Still a champ with that. Everyone remarks on my fantastic cheeks, so I guess that they are noticing my penchant for finishing off all of my bottles. I love playing with my stuffed animals. I have a bunny that Grandpa got me, and it is so soft and fuzzy that it is one of my favorites. Aunt Ashely got me a soft, singing pink doggie and that one is nice too. I can turn over onto my belly now, but I don’t really do it too often. Most times I pull myself onto my side, hang out there for a bit, and then I roll back onto my back.

I really need more varied entertainment than I used to. I like to be moved between a few play stations and if I am in any one place too long, I complain. The things that make me laugh the most are Mom, Dad, Emmett, and Riley. Mostly the boys, actually. Even when Riley is trying to steal my pacifier, I think its funny. And I just can’t get enough of Dad, when I don’t need to be snuggled to sleep. I love to sit and stare at Daddy. And I love when he makes silly faces. But when I am fussy and need to go to sleep, than it’s Mom for me.

I hope you saw all of the new pictures that Mom posted. We did a photo shoot and I think that it turned out pretty well. Everyone says that I look really cute in the snapshots, and I would have to agree!

See ya,
Tessa

Hi there!

Just dropping a quick note to let you know how I’m doing. Not much has changed since last month. I’m smiling more. And talking quite a bit. I squeal a lot too. I am more fussy if I am put down. But I am told that Riley was like that too (a Stage 5 Clinger, I guess), so it apparently runs in the family. I just like to be snuggled.

I’m growing like a weed. I’m totally out of my 3 month old clothing now and wearing 3-6 month or 6-9 month items. Everyone gave Mom and Dad frilly, pink things for this stage so I am no longer mistaken for a buy when we go out. (There was a time there when I was wearing all of Riley’s and Emmett’s hand-me-downs, so people at the store would say, “What a cute little boy.”) So that’s nice.

I am sitting up in my chair these days. I like to sit and watch the boys eat or watch Mom or Dad cook. I can’t sit all alone, and when I’m in the chair for too long my head gets heavy and starts to hang a bit. In case you didn’t know, I have a big head too. Like Riley. It isn’t in the 97th percentile, only the 80th percentile. But its still proportionately bigger on my little body.

Check out the new pictures that Mom uploaded. She’s going to be uploading more soon, but in the ones that she’s got up you can really see how big and blue my eyes are. And how chunky I’ve been getting… You might not be able to tell in the pictures, but I’ve got some seriously solid legs and arms.

So I guess that lots has changed! Once you stop to think about it, time passes quickly and although things change slowly, they do change!

Take care,
Miss T

I can’t believe that I am already two months old! Wow. Has time gone by fast…

I guess it could be that I am primarily eating and sleeping. Sleeping a lot. That makes time fly. But I’m up more now throughout the day. I smile at Mom and Dad a ton. I am very smiley. I do this thing where it seems like I’m giggling-huge grin, shoulder come up, and eyes get wide-but no sound yet. I’m mostly cooing and squealing. No real crying still. I’m easy that way.

Still eating like a champ. I went in for my two month pediatrician check up and I weight almost 12 pounds! The doctor said, when he saw how much I weight, that I am very healthy. Also, that I am already advanced for my tender age. He said that I am more aware than almost all of the two-month-olds that he’s seen. I was smiling at him and following his movements as he moved throughout the examination room.

He was, shall I say, smitten. He was in full-smit with me. When he was done and left the room, Mom and I heard him talking to someone right outside in the hall and he was saying how special I am. Well, gosh. I could have told you that! Anyway, he wasn’t the only one. The nurse that took my temperature and measurements asked to hold me. I was sans diaper and she said that she wouldn’t even mind if I peed on her just then. (Like I would be that rude.)

So, Mom posted pics of my first bath (taken a good while ago). You should check them out. You can see my little cannonball tummy in them…

I’ll let you know if anything new comes up. But for now, I’m still wonderful and cute and mellow.

Take care,
Tessa

Hello World!

This past month has been super exciting. First off, I was born! I was a week late, just like Riley, but Mom and Dad think that it was worth the wait. (Of course.) I met my brothers right away, and I can already tell that I am going to have my hands full keeping them in line. Especially that Emmett.

Everyone who has come to visit has brought me something pink. The house is full of tiny pink things. Pink sleepers. Pink blankets. Even a pink elephant, which I was told is good luck. I think that this is a scheme to give me things that my brothers won’t want to take away from me. But maybe its just that everyone is so happy for Mom and Dad that they don’t have three little boys under the age of 26 months. I’m not quite sure…

After months and months of kicking and punching, it turns out that I am very calm and a wonderful sleeper. Who knew? For a girl, I am decidedly low maintenance. All I require is a dry diaper, a full bottle, and a snuggle. I don’t hear anyone complaining about it so I must be doing something right. I have a few hours every night where I fuss if I am not being held. But no crying and no screaming. And I am a great sleeper.

And, just like my brothers, I can chug like I’m practicing for college. I have already gained around 2 pounds, averaging about an ounce a day, and its no wonder at the rate that I eat. I have to start now because when I get older and we are all sitting around the kitchen table eating dinner, I will have to strap on the feedbag if I want to get anything down before Emmett and Riley get to it.

Finally, I am super aware and observant for a one month old. When I am awake I sit quietly and just check things out. I turn my head when I hear Mom’s voice and I smile at her when she talks to me. I watch Dad as he coos at me. I like to stare at my stuffed animals. I like to stare out the window. Just checking things out…

Mom likes to say that the universe knew that a fussy baby would put her over the edge when added to two already crazy boys. Dad likes to say that I am easy now because the universe knows how hard I will be once I hit thirteen. Who’s right? Who knows. But I do know that I am loved and nothing can be better than that.

Take care,
TK