6 Months

Whoa! Where did the last 0.5 year go?! I can't believe that my baby is a whole half year old already. And you can tell. Little One has become so much more little girl than baby over the last month. I can't even begin to remember everything that has happened and changed in the last month. The mind reels! But I will try to re-cap some highlights:

Things lost
*Pacifiers. Goodbye, Pacifiers! They were helpful, yes, but they can't move in and stay plastered to my baby's beautiful face forever. (They may, however, be contracted as a secret weapon during urgent predicaments in public. Shh!). Pacifiers no longer even get to tuck Little One in for sleeping, and I'm sorry to tell them, She doesn't miss them at all.
*Waking at night. Little One doesn't even pretend She's hungry at night. She's out at 8, straight to the next 8. Aaaahhhhh.
*The mobil. Things that can be seen and not grabbed are no longer fun. Mobil had to be retired when Little One began reaching out and imploring beseechingly, "why are you taunting me?!"

Things Gained
*Naps. The regular, scheduled, decent length kind. Aaaaahhhh.
*Vocab. This girl talks. And talks and talks and talksandtalksandtalktalktalks. She looks to make sure I'm listening, and states her issues with an expression reminiscent of my Organic Chem professor. When I respond, She says "yah", and sighs.
*A foot fetish. Little One discovered Her feet long ago, but She has developed a real passion for them lately. Although, to be honest, it might be the shoes.
*Kinetics. Little One's been sneaking steroids or something. She can sit up unsupported and play with Her toys (until She hurls Herself backwards...I've yet to let Her learn about that the hard way). She can reach way out and grab even tiny things. She can roll like a champ. My hair will tell you, with terror in its eyes, that she can also pull. very. hard.
She's also dexterous enough to engage in detailed tasks such as sticking the velcro bee onto its flower, and pulling it back off, 2 bajillion times in a row (before getting down to business and chewing the bee).
*The cup. Little One can drink from a shot glass-like cup! Not like I might drink from a shot glass, mind you, more like how I would drink a Guinness, but at any rate She's become quite good at enjoying Her mini-pint of milk or water without spilling, as long as I help Her hold it.
*Memory. Little One now gets that things exist even when you can't see them. So if I try to hide the magazine I'm reading behind Her head, She will keep turning around to grab at it. Or if I take Her toy away, She will look for it. Or if She is hungry, She remembers where lunch is and tries to "open the refrigerator door". Which I find I am both proud of and slightly offended by.

Here is where things fall on Little One's 0.5 year loveometer:

Utterly abysmal:
* Eczema and other itchies. Little One at times must be forcibly restrained from clawing her skin off.
* Being restrained. Completely insulting and unacceptable. Vociferously objected to.
*Dirty diapers.Wet diapers. Change-me-now-or-I'll-scream-until-you-get-me-in-pristine diapers.

Plain icky:
*Tummy time. Note, however, that this is a step up from last month.
*Sun in the face. The sunglasses Little One rocks now are not just to protect Her from the glare of the paparazzi bulbs and to be trendy. They also keep Her from burying Her face in my chest and pounding on me with angry fists.
*Wind. Apparently all inclement weather is fun on Little One's face, except wind. So no Chicago for us, sorry cousins.

Meh:
*Riding in the carseat. It's fun to look out the window and in the mirror, but it's tempered by that whole 'restraint' thing we discussed earlier.
*Books with paper pages. I mean whats really the point of something you can't chew on?
*The swing and the bounce chair. Tolerable, but I mean really. Aren't we past this whole 'recumbent' thing?

Smileworthy:
*Other babies. Especially O. Especially O's cheeks, which She goes after every time.
*Strangers who talk to Her. "Who me? Are you cooing over me? Aw... shucks... Do it again!"
*Toys with moving parts, buttons, or crinkles.
*Having Her gums brushed. (no teeth yet).
*Mommy's bad, off-key, made-up-words singing.
*Daddy. Daddy has to do nothing to earn this adulation, other than to exist within Little One's line of vision, and/or make any sort of sound.
*The itsy, bitsy, spider. The part where the rain comes and washes him out is apparently the punch line.
*That cute, funny chick in the magical duplicating glass.

Giggle-ably great:
*The dogs. E remains one of Little One's greatest joys in life.
*Nudity. Woo hoo! Nekid dance parties are sooo fun!
*Toy pianos. Quite the frenzy when She's on a roll.
*Baths. SO much fun, I need to draw a "splash zone" line on my bathroom floor as a warning to innocent bystanders.
*Clapping. Diva alert! Little One love love loves applause.
*Other people laughing. Little One just knows that everyone is laughing with Her. And though She's not quite sure why they would do that, She knows it is pretty darn funny.

Totaly fantamazincredibeautific:
*Cuddles. Only cuddles get the highest category of favoriteness. Full body contact, nestled in snuggles are Little One's heaven, and make Her happy and relaxed like nothing else can.

Hold on to your hats! Things are starting to get really fun around here. There is nothing that Little One doesn't notice, react to, and have an opinion about. She is trying to forge relationships and become an active part of the world, rather than just an observer. Every day now it is more and more evident that there is a whole other person, an actual individual, living in our house and hanging with us every day. Every day She becomes less an extension of J and I, and more Her own self. I am having a blast getting to know who She is, and getting to spend time with such an awesome personality.
In another 0.5 year, Little One won't be a baby anymore. So I'm squeezing every drop of sweetness out of what's left in this stage of Her life with us, and at the same time, happily anticipating how exciting it will be to fly by all the milestones that are coming up so soon.

A very merry un-birthday to you, Little One! This has been the most fun 0.5 year I have ever, ever had.