this is where ramona sleeps when max is sleeping in the bedroom (where the swing and cradle are). pretty handy, i think.
don’t worry: she was never unattended when she was on the table top.
my dearest ramona bean,
you are so big and so strong and so happy and so curious! you are six months old now and papa and i cannot believe it has already been half a year since you arrived. somedays, it seems like just yesterday we welcomed you into our home, and yet other days we can hardly remember what it was like before you were here. you were meant to be with us.
you make sounds, lots of them: coos and giggles and squeals and squawks and a farting noise with your lips where spit gets on your chin (this one is your favorite) and this suck-in-your-breath-zombie-slash-robot-noise that makes me laugh so hard. it’s really cool hearing you find your own voice. soon, i’ve been told, this will turn into more coherent babbling (oxymoron?) and more syllables. just to be sure, we say “mama” and “papa” a whole lot, hoping you’ll catch on.
you have these giant blue eyes and you will stare people down with them. you’re not trying to scare people, you’re engaging them. but you are so intense about it that i can see people getting a little intimidated about a baby that looks like its peering into their soul. really. i love it. usually, if they stare back, you’ll break out in this ridiculous grin like it was all just one big prank. and those big, blue eyes (that surely come from me — wink, wink) are topped by two amazing, expressive, and undoubtedly-papa’s eyebrows. they’re papa’s because they make this curious scowl that is the spitting image of your father’s brow when either A) he does not have his contacts in or B) he is thinking about something intently and traversed into his own little world. you make this exact same face.
this month (christmas morning, to be exact!) you were able to sit up on your own. this has been a lifesaver for mama, especially when i’m handling both you and max during the week. this new strength has given you a lot more interest in the world around you. for a second there, you were starting to get really annoyed and pissed off that you were stuck on your back and could, pretty much, only roll in one direction and only from your back to your tummy. boring. but now! you can sit and stretch and grab and explore. and if you’re really feeling ambitious you’ll even find a way down from your newly found seat (fall to the side) and start rolling all around! our upstairs is now officially baby-friendly so i let you roll wherever you want. you’re fine until you get stuck under the credenza.
we’ve slowly started to broaden your food horizon. we’d like this phase to be one of exploration for you so we’re not pushing the solids too hard. but we have discovered that you are not a fan of apple sauce but will tolerate sweet potato. i wasn’t sure you were actually eating any of the sweet potato until i changed your diaper today and smelled and saw sweet potato. so yes, now i know you were ingesting some.
every night, when i nurse you to sleep and place you in your cradle at the foot of our bed, there’s a part of me that feels this sense of relief; that finally i get some time to myself, some time with papa. and i do relish this time. but then as i’m getting ready for bed, i cannot wait to be with you again. we’ve started putting you to sleep in a cradle so papa and i can have some snuggle time and actually stretch out in bed. and you are good with this until 10:30 or 11:00. but–and lately it seems this happens as soon as papa and i have climbed under the covers regardless of the time–you seem to know we are there and ready for sleep and let out your first little whimper. and so we wait a little to see if you will go back to sleep, which rarely happens, so we reach down and pull you up in between us and the three of us (sometimes it’s four if otto can sneak his way to the foot of the bed) have a cozy night together.
you are turning into quite the little lady, minka: exactly as i imagined but, at the same time, so much more than i ever could have. i’m so glad you are you.
love, mama
babies typically start getting introduced to solid foods at six months. we can’t wait to give ramona more and more of different types of food. we’ve already given her itty-bitty tastes of some stuff (usually squishy goods with not too much seasoning in them). when ramona was exhibiting signs of teething (the worst week of my life) the only thing that seemed to calm her down at night was a banana. she devoured that, was not satisfied or soothed, and went back to crying like a banshee. not sure when her first tooth is actually going to come in but i’ll make sure to have plenty of bananas on hand (a luxury!).
speaking of bananas: blogger and an old minnesota friend has bananas growing right in her yard!
in light of my last post, here is one about ramona with her toys.
she has two bins, one w individual toys and the other w wood blocks, a stacking set, and board books. we love these bags bc she can essentially crawl herself into them and have easy access to whatever toy she might like to explore.
the following are the toys she seems most interested in…
- green toys inc, recycled plastic stacker — made in usa
- blue and purple plastic bell — made in israel
- sassy look book — made in china
- plan toys, wooden xylophone — made in thailand
- felt balls — made by me
- little sapling toys, wood alphabet and number blocks — made in usa
- sophie teether (alas, we lost original sophie) — made in france (though couldn’t clearly find this info on their website so it very well might be made in china)
- skwish manhattan toy — made in thailand
- little sapling toys, ASL “i love you” teething ring — made in usa
- manhattan toy, baby wood beads — made in thailand
- bike horn (found in jp’s bike supply box in basement)
- rhino toys, oball rainstick — made in shenzhen, china
- anamalz wooden hippo — made in china
it was quite eye-opening for me to go through all of these and hunt down the appropriate links. i certainly learned a lot about the toys we have for ramona and just how much i have (or have not) been walking the walk. the only toys we have purchased for her are the felt to make the felt balls and i had picked out the manhattan toy, baby beads (lower right of above photo). but still, i had thought surely more of these beautiful toys we had were made in the usa. seems like thailand and china were popular locations. and israel? who knew.
i can’t wait for her to become more and more acquainted with these toys. right now everything just ends up in her mouth.
my dearest little bean,
you are now five months old. time is flying by and i hardly recognize that teeny blob of a baby in photos from months past.
this past month was the hardest one for me as a new mama. you were sick once. and then, as you were getting better, you started teething and then got two vaccination shots. these changes seemed to send you over the edge again and you got sick. again. and then i got sick. and there is not much rest for a mama taking care of a little one. with your teething you had a slight fever, poor appetite, excessive drool and were quite irritable and not sleeping so well. this, of course, was compounded by the cough and plugged/runny nose that kept waking you up during naps and nighttime.
your sleeping habits up until this point had been amazing. so all of these changes really rocked papa and i. i wasn’t prepared for this change and i spent a little time worrying i was doing something wrong to make you feel like this. now papa and i realize that you are still growing and going through so many changes that, like most things in this life, it is just a season. some seasons just happen to be easier than others. and you know what, ramona bean? we’re happy to go through all of these things, easy or hard, with you.
and thank goodness for the wonderful people in our life during times like this. amy, after receiving a pathetic text from me, came over and hugged you close and sent me to my room so i could take a much-needed nap. i was happy for the rest and it helped a ton! you and i got better shortly after that. you are so loved by so many people.
you still go to bed like a champ. last night you even fell asleep at root down and stayed asleep for the entire dinner. mama and papa got a rare chance to dine and commune w family without having to rush home to put you to bed. but you are waking up so so early now. 3:39 AM and you are wide awake and happy as can be. sheesh. i do not know how to be wide awake and happy at 3:39 in the morning. silly girl.
but even with all these crazy sleep changes you are still the most charismatic and engaging baby. your smile takes up your whole face and you give it freely to most anyone. generally, (unless you are in need of a nap or a boob) you are easy-going, charming, and filled with glee. you have a little giggle. it seems to come out in the evening or anytime you are naked. papa and i call it the little fat boy laugh: a low laugh that’s sort of a chuckle. it’s adorable, really.
you continue to grow long and, well, chunky. you are still in the 90th percentile for everything and we see that as a very good sign that you are healthy and thriving (as if we needed numbers to notice that). you have rubberband wrists and ankles: your healthy fat folds over into the most delicious rolls and your arms and legs look like sausages.
you’ve discovered your feet and toes (who knew you’d be able to reach them with all that chub!). you grab at the bows on your socks and hang on to your feet with both hands like a monkey, rocking around on your padded diaper butt. this gives mama a helluva time trying to change your diaper or clothes. it cracks me up really.
you exhibit a lot more independence and comfort in being away from me for longer periods of time. previous months i had to wrap you up snugly to keep you happy when out and about. now you are fine to ride alongside max for long walks in the stroller. you even fall asleep in there sometimes! also, it doesn’t faze you to be passed around from friend to family member to regulars at the shop. you are content to be in most anyone’s arms. it’s really been a slow but natural progression to have you less and less attached to me at all times. and humbling too. i know i’m still your world but you’re discovering that there are many more people and things besides me and i–so soon, too soon!–am learning to be ok with your explorations and acquainting yourself w the bigger picture. after you’ve been “away” from me–be it a nap in the swing or being snuggled up with someone else–i love nothing more than to cuddle you in close and wrap you up. i always will. stop growing up so fast!
silent night, holy night
all is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child
holy infant so tender and mild
sleep in heavenly peace
sleep in heavenly peace
love, mama
welcome
