Sophia's 6 Month Update
Sophia Mae,
You are 15.5 pounds of 100% chunk and we love it! Your thighs and arms have some serious rolls and they are so delicious. I told your dad that I’m going to have to start carrying you around in your car seat multiple times a day so my arms can get stronger at the same rate that you’re growing. ;) This past month has been one of my favorite so far. Your personality is really coming out and you’re just so much fun. We love watching you explore your surroundings and take everything in for the first time.
At the start of this month, we noticed your hair starting to grow. You are no longer completely bald in the back and the hair everywhere else is getting longer. So far it is looking like strawberry blonde, but we will see if that lasts. I also forgot to mention this in your 5 month update, but at the very end, while we were in Sequim, you had your very first sleepover with Grandma and Grandpa Groves. You did so well! Your dad and I missed you a lot, but knew we were only a 5 minute drive away if anything happened.
The day you turned 5 months your Grandma Karen and Grandpa Danny were here for a week, which was so much fun! We got to eat yummy take out, go for some stroller walks, and have a picnic at Council Crest (with Char Latin Grill). They love you so very much! We also celebrated Grandpa Danny’s 60th birthday with the traditional Carrot Cake!
June is a special month for your daddy and I as it is our wedding anniversary and it also was the same day as Father’s Day. We celebrated all weekend long and even sat at a coffee shop, as our county has FINALLY entered phase 1 of the coronavirus reopening plan. It was definitely nice to drink coffee somewhere other than our house, but still felt weird having to wear our masks inside the establishment, staying 6 feet apart, and having to be extra conscious of what we touch.
On Father’s Day, you let both daddy and I sleep in for a few hours, which is the best gift you could have given us! I made a delicious breakfast and coffee for daddy and he opened his cards and gifts. You and I went on a walk while daddy played video games in a quiet house. For dinner, we went to our friend Max’s house. Some of your favorite things about daddy are: his ability to make you smile, his willingness to change your diaper (without complaining); and his determination to always pray for you each night. HE IS THE BEST!
This month you have gotten much better at using your arms to play with toys during tummy time, you can pick push yourself up while on your tummy. You even started rotating yourself while on your tummy. The Dutch Bros Coffee tin has been giving you lots of entertainment. You have become more interested in touching Jericho, but you don’t yet know how to pet him without grabbing a fistful of his fur.
Speaking of Jericho, he is such a daddy’s boy and will squish himself behind daddy just to share the office chair.
We have really been loving the Gathre mat we purchased for under your high chair and for playtime and the Infantino carrier. You love facing outward on our walks and exploring your surroundings.
As usual, you started another Leap (#5), titled “The World of Relationships.” We are starting to notice a pattern with your leaps. You’ll be extra fussy for a few days and then go almost back to your happy self for the remainder of the time. With this leap, your brain is now able to comprehend that there is distance between objects, such as your toys and even people. This is the leap that “separation anxiety” makes an appearance and we’ve already noticed that with you. When we take a few steps away from you to grab a drink or let you play by yourself, you start to cry. You are only content when one of us is holding you. This is becoming a challenge as we have to (almost) constantly hold you while we work. I’ve learned to get my hardest work tasks accomplished while you’re napping or on the rare occasion you’re content to play by yourself.
With COVID restrictions lifting a bit, we are venturing out and seeing more friends. We have a lot more planned for the next month, but currently we’ve had play dates with Willa and even got to see Leo this month! You are all so fascinated with each other. I like to joke that one day either you or Willa will marry Leo. ;)
You tried some more foods this month, including pizza, scrambled eggs, lemons, and avocado. You weren’t quite sure about the avocado, but you were still interested in trying it again and again. You’re definitely my daughter as you LOVED the pizza. Your favorite food this month was actually In-N-Out Burger, despite your expression in the photo. You loved it so much you were grabbing Grandpa Danny’s hand so he would bring it to your mouth. We officially purchased a mat to go under your high chair since most of your food ends up on the floor. Ha! We are mentally preparing to start you on solid food after this month and are putting together out feeding game plan.
It feels like you had a “light bulb moment” when it came to rolling over. All of the sudden, you were constantly rolling over from your back to your tummy. This made us really nervous when you sleep since you’re still figuring out how to get from your belly to your back. We decided to go cold-turkey on the swaddle. It was a hard few days, as you were adjusting to being completely free, but now you’re a CHAMP! The below photos show your swaddle-free transition. :P
You fell asleep holding your foot, haha!
I drank too much milk last night!
A few days before you turned 6 months we think you really started teething. You were more fussy and calmed down when we let you chew on something. Out of all the toys to chew on, your favorite was sucking on a frozen washcloth.
We officially donated 150+ ounces of breastmilk to some precious babies. I cannot believe we did that! We sure make a good team. It’s amazing how a woman’s body knows to produce milk, based on how much the baby is demanding (and a bit extra in our case). I’ve noticed both a decrease in supply (from being lax on night pumping) and an increase during your 5.5 month growth spurt (lots of nursing + 2 hour naps). God is an incredible creator so intentional in the human design.
Since I am working from home we decided to take a girls trip to Utah to see your grandparents and meet more friends. This was your first plane ride and first time being away from your daddy. We were able to use a buddy pass ticket and despite the odds not looking the best I wanted to try for the Thursday (June 25) flight. Going through the airport during a pandemic is the best flying experience I’ve had because it wasn’t crowded and I didn’t have to rush through security. Going into this, I felt pretty prepared for your first flight sans dad. Despite having to change a poopy diaper in the small airplane bathroom and change you out of poopy cloths (Ha!), everything went smoothly. Thank you, Sophia!
We spent our first two nights with Grandpa Danny and Grandma Karen; your Great Aunt and Uncle, Suzanne and Jim; and your Aunt and Uncle, Shelby and Austin. We then travelled down to Ephraim to see Grandpa Jim and Grandma Penny. Our time in Ephraim was a whirlwind of showing you off and balancing your nap schedule. Overall, you did really well. The first day or so staying in a new place is hard for you, but you eventually adjust. I did find out that you definitely prefer a bed mattress as opposed to what is provided with a pack-n-play.
On Sunday, we went to church for the first time in a few months, and then surprised Tristen by leaving you on her door step. It was so fun to see you meet your Auntie Tristen and her family.
Over the next few days we went to a t-ball game, walked and ran around the Snow College track, visited Grandpa Jim at work, played cards with Debbie, went on the swings at the park, and visited with many other friends. You were curious about Grandma Penny’s dogs; staring at them and reaching out to touch their fur. They were less amused, but did share a few kisses with you.
While in Utah, you were able to play with some new toys. You absolutely loved the exersaucer and couldn’t get enough of all the different little things to touch.
We celebrated your first 4th of July in the Utah heat. Grandma Karen bought you a darling holiday outfit and you were the cutest firecracker I have ever seen! Happy Birthday America! I hope you grow up being proud to be an American!
We flew back home to Portland on the morning of your 6 month birthday. It was so special seeing you reunite with daddy (and Jericho of course). Now it’s time to get you back into your normal routine until we go see Great Grandma Joyce in August. Keep growing baby girl!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy
