6 Months

My Dear Sweet Gabriela,

Half of a year has passed since the day you made your grand entrance into the world. Some days it doesn't seem possible that you're already 6 months old, but at the same time it feels like you have always been a part of our life. (I've already forgotten what it was like to leave the house without a car seat or stroller and 20 pounds of stuff.)

It has been another great month, and one that has passed very quickly. We've done lots of traveling (as usual), you started eating solid foods, and your little personality is developing more every day.

We were going to wait until 6 months to start you on solids, but since your Uncle Justin is arriving this weekend and we'll be traveling a lot with him, we decided to get started a couple weeks early. You started off with avocado, and we've been introducing a new food every four days or so. So far you've been enjoying avocado, banana, pumpkin, papaya, and green beans. You seem to prefer the fruits, but I'm not sure if that is because of the taste or because you prefer some texture over the purees. You've been doing great with it though and enjoy the two real-food meals per day in addition to your usual four nursing/bottle sessions.

Going in for a beijinho for Mamãe

Our travels this month have included a road trip through southern Minas Gerais and part of São Paulo and a trip down to Rio Grande do Sul. Our road trip took us to the cities of Poços de Caldas, Andradas, Santa Bárbara d'Oeste, Americana, Piracicaba, and Campinas. And this last weekend we visited the Serra Gaúcha towns of Cambará do Sul, Canela, and Gramado (and the surrounding local and national parks) after flying into Porto Alegre. You're still a trooper on trips, but you have taken to really fighting naps when there is something else going on; you're just afraid of missing out on something I suppose.

You are becoming more of a ham every day. You can be tired and cranky with your Papai and me, but the second we pull out a camera or a stranger glances your way, your mood changes immediately! You have a giant open mouth smile you plaster on the second you hear the camera turn on. And whenever you pass people on the street, get into a crowded elevator, or pretty much any other situation that puts you in contact with other humans, you start grinning like crazy, blowing raspberries, and giggling until you have put a smile on everyone's face. I have not been able to go anywhere in a hurry for the last several weeks because you're so busy flirting with everyone that I have to stop and let them fuss over you for a while before I am able to continue on my way. If only I had a dime for every time I heard "Fofinha de mais!" or "Uma bonequinha!" or "Uma coisa linda!" or just "Nossa, olha" . . . well, it'd be enough to put you through college. You are quite the little charmer!

Along with getting more beautiful by the minute, you are also getting stronger and more mobile. Although you still can't get yourself into the position, if I help you sit up you will stay there playing for a little while until you loose interest and fling yourself sideways. You aren't exactly crawling, but that doesn't mean you can't move 15 feet across a room. You combine rolling, spinning 360 degrees on your belly, and pushing yourself backwards to make it incredible distances and get into stuff I thought you were plenty far away from. Every time I think you are about to crawl forward, you end up going in reverse - usually much to your own chagrin and frustration as you are trying to get to a toy in front of you!

Your balance isn't so good yet, but if you have something to hold onto you can push yourself up into a standing position and stay there for several minutes (until you forget and let go of whatever you're using for balance and fall over!) And I say pushing up and not pulling up, because you don't use your arms at all, just those chubby little legs of yours. It's funny to see such a tiny little thing standing up all on her own!

Your doctor is on vacation this month, so you won't have a 6-month well baby visit. But according to our home scale you are up to 14.5 pounds (which keeps you in about the 25th percentile).

You continue to keep your Papai and me amazed that we could have created something so perfect and thank God everyday for blessing us to be your parents. You bring immeasurable joy to our lives and to everyone you encounter.

I love you so much, minha querida!
Mommy