Month 6

Dear Meredith,

You are now .5! This is the first age related milestone that has made me a bit sad – how can you be a half-year old? You father cruelly pointed out that there are only 35 more 6 month blocks of time before you are 18 and are officially an adult. I hope the time slows down at some point, because my goodness little lady – just yesterday you were brand new!

This month, as all the others, has been filled with milestones and memories. Before you came into my life days (weeks, months even) would pass that all seemed the same. But now! Each moment it seems is filled with wonder – something new, your first time doing something, a lesson for your father and I to learn, and the list goes on. Life is so much more interesting with you.

You now have two teeth in the front on the bottom. Goodness are they cute! You love to run your tongue over them, it must feel interesting having something new and permanent in your mouth. I sure am pleased that we seem to have a little break right now in the teething department, it is really no fun.

Day care continues to go well. You love all the ladies there and go to them happily in the mornings and have a blast while you are there. They tell me that you don’t love the other children, but I have seen you around other kids (church, errands, etc) and you seem to like them just fine. It is my guess that while you are at daycare you are just looking out for yourself, protecting your own space and that is just fine with me. Daycare has many older loud kids, and perhaps that just isn’t your style. I like that you stick up for yourself – it is a good life skill to have. Of course, you don’t need to be bratty about it, but at 6 months old I will let a few things slide.

This month we took our first trip to Casowasco since you have been born. Some day, you will be a camper there I am sure (your daddy and I both loved camp!) but until that time I hope you look forward to visits there as much as I do. This particular visit was to attend the wedding of our friends David and Ale Riddell. You got to meet and stay with our dear friends the Hubers. It was so special for me to have them meet you – it is hard when people we love so much live so far away, therefore to have them meet and hold you and to be able to catch up with them was wonderful. Ethan (who is 5) and Sydney (almost 3) adored you! Sydney kept saying “I think she wants to be held, by me!” and so I would place you on her lap and you would squeal with glee (she was right). I have a feeling it will not be too long before you really love to play with the Huber kids, and suspect that Sydney is going to be someone that you adore! We also were able to see the Souvas on this particular trip. Their son Caleb, is one month younger than you - and to be able to swap new parent stories with them and to watch you and Caleb look at each other was some of the best therapy I could have ever asked for! I hope you like riding in the car Meredith, because I foresee many trips to Moravia and Binghamton in our future.

The night we returned home from this trip you got sick for the first time. What a terrifying experience! I cannot really put into words the horror of that night. To say you screamed and cried seems like SUCH an understatement. You screamed until you threw up and then you screamed some more. Your father and I took turns walking with you, snuggling with you, offering you food, crying with you, and google-ing (that last one, HUGE mistake, by the way). We were at such a loss as to what was wrong with you. Finally we put you in your car seat and drove to the Emergency Room. Funny thing, on the way there, you fell asleep. We circled the hospital many times in the car not sure what to do... “Should we go in? It was so bad. But she is asleep”… We decided to go home, because really, what were we going to say to the doctor when they looked at you sleeping soundly “no really, it was bad”? You did not have a restful night though, so the next morning, when you were no longer crying, but quite out of sorts, I called the doctor. I took you in, and was told you had an ear infection. A lovely, curable, non-life threatening ear infection! (why wasn’t that in the first link that google offered?)

So, half a year down and this continues to get better and better. If this trend continues for the next 6 months, I won’t know what to do with all the joy! You Punkey, are way too much fun (minus the ear infections). I love you more than I know how to express. You are truly my whole world.

Love,
Mommy