Loved baby

I am broken record -- time is going too fast.  I feel I was just on here yesterday posting Malia's five month update. Somehow my tiny, quiet, sleepy infant has morphed into a baby.This past month has been exciting with lots of catching up with family and friends, Malia's first plane ride and a baby who desperately wants to move.

We rented a house in Florida with the Great Samoan Hunter's family. It was the first time we had all been together since our wedding. Needless to say, the little girls don't look like this anymore:

Malia watched every move these two made, and since our return, she thinks she's a big lady like them. It was incredible having the family together. We are all scattered across the globe, sadly. Someone needs to invest in a teleporting machine so we can get together more often.  

We also caught up with some dear friends who recently had a baby boy. My ovaries let out a yelp when I snuggled his fuzzy little head. The post traumatic stress from the first six weeks of new motherhood has clearly evaporated. 

Malia's personality has really started to show the past month. She has giggling and squealing down pat, in addition to ear-piercing screaming. She also is my little yoga protege, as she has mastered plank, updog, bow, happy baby! She sits like a champ, and she's rolling like crazy.  She's also on the verge of crawling. Sitting still is not really an option anymore.

She has TWO teeth and loves to bite me. She's drawn significant blood once and thinks it's hilarious when she bites me. I am working diligently to squash this behavior, because once she has top teeth I am in deep trouble.

She drools her body weight daily. We joke that she must be dehydrated with the amount of liquid that comes out of her mouth. The top teeth are coming.  Shutter.

She's started solid foods. So far all we've tried are bananas, sweet potatoes and squash. She seems to think it's okay. She seems to be more interested in whatever we have on our plates, which I understand. Soon enough she'll graduate to finger foods and Tuli will be the happiest dog on the block.  

She loves her bouncer and her car (scooter thing-a-ma-jig). She has only figured out how to go backwards. She magnetically scoots to houseplants where she proceeds to pull off all of the leaves. I swear she goes forward when I have my back to her. A number of friends have warned us about the various bookshelves, plants, decorations, etc that we have scattered around the house. Those all have to go, they said.  Yeah I've got time, I said.  We are no longer in the I-have-an-immobile-baby-in-the-house-stage.  Houston, we have a mover.

She is napping WAY better. Like two naps a day, almost every day. Sometimes for THREE hours. Can you sense my enthusiasm? Napping baby = happy mom. Nighttime sleeping is not as great, but we are working on it. I figure I agreed to lack of sleep when I decided to take on this new role as Malia's mother.  

She loves stroller rides. She loves riding in the baby carrier. She loves being tickled.  She loves cell phones, tv remotes, ipads.  She loves to put EVERYTHING in her mouth.  She loves paper -- loves tearing it, crinkling it, and you guessed it, putting it in her mouth. 

She has faces for days. She is so animated and happy. She smiles at everyone including the checker at the grocery store, the neighbors, the dog, the cat, the ceiling fan, the mirror, her sippy cup, especially her daddy, her grandparents and aunties. She loves smiling. Smiling is her favorite. 

She gets more awesome every day. Seriously, I don't know how I could love her more than I did yesterday but it happens every day. I am nuts about this little person.  

I can only imagine what the next month has in store. I get a lump in the back of my throat when I see how big and capable she has become (believe me I am well aware that's she's only six months old). I still sneak her into bed when she wakes up in the night rather than putting her back in her crib. She will never be this little again. I lay in bed and stare at her little cherub face, her rosebud lips. She often stretches both arms out, one hand resting on her dad and the other on me. I love watching her little belly rise as she breaths her sweet milk breath. Waking up next to her sleepy, smiling face is such a blessing. This life I've been given is the best. The. Best.  

Sweet Malia Grace, I love you.  Happy six months!

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