Happy 6 Month Birthday Taylor!!

Dear Taylor,

I can't believe that it has been 6 months since you were born! You have brought so much joy and happiness to our lives that I can't imagine life without you. You are growing so fast and it is so much fun to watch. At the same time I miss my tiny little 6 pound 5 ounce newborn baby girl!

You love dinner time and are eating lots of foods - green beans, peas, squash, sweet potatoes, avocado, applesauce, rice cereal and oatmeal cereal to name a few. You also drink apple juice, apple/prune juice, white grape juice and pear juice. The only time you really want juice is when you are sleepy at night.

You are not quite mobile yet, but are quickly on your way. You roll over like it is effortless and do this all day (and even some at night now). If you are playing on a playmat or quilt you can easily roll from one side to the other to retrieve whatever toy it is that has caught your eye. While you don't like to spend much time on your tummy when someone is watching if I ignore you, you will happily play on your tummy for quite a while. You are even starting to "push" a little with your legs like you are trying to figure this crawling thing out. Another favorite of yours is to "stand." You love it when we stand you on our laps for a few minutes.

Bath time is still a big hit around our house. You love to kick and splash and don't object to getting your hair and face washed at all. You love your bath toys that you got for Christmas and will stay in the bath until you are shivering. Sometimes you even cry when I take you out. You also like to have your cucumber melon lotion massage after bathtime.

You are definitely in the midst of teething. You have had 2 bottom teeth pop through (the first at 5 months) and are definitely working on some more. Everything goes into your mouth but some of your favorites to chew on are your fingers, other people's fingers, burp cloths and any other object that you can possible fit in your mouth. You even try to chew on things that there is no way will fit in your mouth.

You love the animals around our house. This zoo provides all sorts of fun entertainment for a little girl. You love to watch the dogs and cat and will pet them anytime they get close enough (which is quite often!). You also love our aquarium. On nights when you aren't sleeping well I have thought about either moving the aquarium into your room (which would be kind of hard since it's 55 gallons) or moving your crib out in the den in front of the aquarium. We haven't resorted to this yet, but no promises are being made that this won't happen!

You are a regular attender at our church and seem to enjoy the nursery. You have never fussed when we have left you and always seem like you have had a good time. The sweetest thing about church though is when you attend the Sunday night service with us because there is no childcare during that service. You love the congregational singing and I love to watch your face light up when you recognize one of the songs.

You are quite vocal and can be quite the little chatterbox. While we can't understand a word you are saying you pause and look at us like we should be responding to what you are saying. Most of the time you are happy with a "yes", "I know" or some other similar response from whoever you are talking to. The past few days though both your Daddy and I have thought that we have heard you say "Mama." While we aren't sure if this is actually what you are saying I would certainly like to think so.

Being the first grandchild on both sides of the family has had its perks. Both of your grandmothers (Gran and CeeCee) love to buy you clothes and keep you stocked with all sorts of pretty dresses, play outfits and pajamas. You also love both of your grandfathers (Grandaddy and Papa). You also have 3 great-grandmothers that you have met and spent time with. I am so thankful that you know all these special ladies and that they get to be a part of your life. When you were born you had 2 great-grandfathers that were alive and they both loved you so much. Sadly, they both passed away when you were only 2 weeks old. You did not get to meet GranGran but he was so proud of you. We emailed him pictures of you when you were born and he printed out copy after copy (all 8x10's!). He would crop the pictures so that you were the only one in it. You did get to meet your PawPaw briefly. He saw you and knew who you were and that makes me so happy.

Another thing that you love is being a naked baby. You absolutely love it when I place you on your changing table and start taking your clothes off. You squeal and giggle and give me the biggest smiles. I love getting you dressed in the morning and undressing you at night because I know that I will see these sweet smiles and hear your precious laugh. Speaking of laughing, you love to laugh.

I can't wait to see how much you will grow and learn in the next 6 months!

Love,

Mama