An Orange-y Smile

Ginny tried eating carrots for the first time this afternoon.  She really seemed to enjoy them!  Heck, she liked them a lot more than her "boring" rice cereal.  I tried them and liked them too. The homemade baby food tastes so much better than Gerber or Beech-Nut carrots.  Yummy!  Anyhow, Ginny was sporting a bit of an orange-y smile that I feel compelled to share.  Isn't she adorable?

Taking her first few bites

Ginny saying, "I love carrots!"

Happy 1/2 Birthday, Ginny!

Today, Ginny is 6 months old.

It is hard to believe that she is "that" old.  It seems like the time has flown despite the lack of sleep and all that comes with having a baby.  She is growing so fast and part of me wants her to stay little.  I know that is not possible though.

This morning we went to see Ginny's doctor so she could get her 6 month check-up and shots.  Soon after we got there, our nurse Taylor brought us back.  Taylor kept gushing on Ginny and even said she was the cutest baby ever. :)  Of course, this had Chris and I beaming from ear to ear.  We naturally feel that way (and feel as though no other baby could be as cute as our little girl), but love hearing it when others gush too.  It makes us feel as though we aren't just delusionally happy parents, but accurate in our assessments.

Ginny got measured.  She is a healthy 17 pounds 10 ounces and 26.25 inches long.  I looked it up online but this puts her in the 75th percentile (80th percentile for weight, 71st percentile for length).  The doctor came in to look at Ginny and go over developmental milestones to make sure she is on track.  She is! :)  We also discussed putting Ginny on solids and the plan of action for that.  I was pleased to learn that her doctor's attitude was the same as mine--to start Ginny with veggies then introduce fruits.  One of the questions I did ask the doctor was about foods I am allergic to.  I've read that some food allergies can be passed down.  The doctor told me to just hold off until she is a year old before introducing those foods, then we will watch her carefully for a reaction.

Getting her first taste of rice cereal

Daddy feeding a little!

One thing I did tell the doctor was that we started solids on Ginny yesterday with rice cereal.  I made up a tablespoon of it.  Ginny was not sure what to think of it though.  It wasn't that she didn't like it, rather she just wasn't sure what the stuff was going into her mouth.  A very new sensation for our baby girl.  This morning was day 2 on introducing solids.  She almost ate the full tablespoon.  She didn't mind it so much.  On Monday, we will try our first vegetable.  We'll see how that goes.

Sleep Deprivation: Being a New Mom

Before I gave birth to Ginny, I struggled with sleep like many women in the last trimester do.  On top of that, I was fatigued.  It was not the best feeling---wanting sleep and not getting it.  People would tell me that it was God's way of preparing mothers.  My response was that if God was trying to prepare us for motherhood then He should give us as much sleep as possible before the baby is born.

To this day, I think my assessment is correct.  The sleep deprivation of the 3rd trimester is entirely different than that of being a new mom.  When I was in that last couple of months, I knew that I would be going without sleep once the baby arrived.  I was not wrong.  I will say this, though.  The sleep deprivation of a new mom usually comes without the additional fatigue.  At least, now, I feel like I do get rest when I sleep, as opposed to when I was pregnant.

Ginny will be 6 months old in a couple of days.  She is still not sleeping the night through.  We have gone from being up every hour or two to sleeping in 5-6 hour chunks. That means that I have now been sleep deprived for 6 months.  Actually more if you include my last 2 months of pregnancy.  Quite frankly, I'm getting tired of being tired.  It is so bad that now I am grateful for getting 6 hours of sleep in a row.  My ultimate fantasy now is to get 10 hours of sleep....just once.  8 hours of sleep in a row will suffice and make me very happy. Someday....right?