We celebrated Vivian's six month birthday on Thursday by flying home. Both kids were superstars for the trip, and Vivian particularly enjoyed the extended mama lap time.
Vivian had her six month appointment on Friday. She hasn't grown a smidge. In fact, she's lost half an ounce and now weighs 13 lb 12.5 oz. She measured 26.5 inches in height which is a half inch longer even though she has completely outgrown her six month footie pajamas in the last few weeks. Her head circumference is 43 centimeters and is the only measurement tracking in the percentile scales.
The solution: feed her more. Of everything. She started solid foods with avocado at five and a half months. But she got constipated, and that combined with parental laziness (and travel) means she was only eating solids once a day every other day or so. Now she gets three meals a day. Her diet includes banana and as of yesterday, homemade oatmeal cereal. We plan to add yogurt and sweet potato next week.
She is also allowed to nurse as often as she likes. That's nothing new except at night. She has probably been waking more frequently to eat and now if she even peeps she will be getting fed. We are also supplementing her twice a day with our frozen supplies.
Despite the lack of growth, Vivian is still our extremely happy girl. She definitely has a mama preference but is otherwise extremely sociable and friendly. What's more, she isn't bothered at all by commotion regardless of the source. Five kids under five at Thanksgiving dinner? (Four year old, two year old, 19 month old, five month old, and four month old - it was chaotic!) Vivian is the only one who wasn't crying at some point. She sat and watched everyone eat and talk and made no complaints.
Vivian rolls both ways now, but not more than one roll at a time, and sometimes she still complains about being horizontal. She prefers to be upright, and standing is best. She likes to be where the action is and hates gong into any room used for sleeping. She does not like getting dressed, particularly the head and arms portions. And unlike her older brother, she can not stand bath time.
She loves to laugh and smiles frequently. She hates the car, possibly because she can't see anyone else. But even having an adult in the back doesn't always solve the problem. She reaches for things, will sneak a bite of anything she can sink her teeth into before you even know she has a hold on something, and transfers things easily from hand to hand.
She can sit unassisted now although I would never leave her in that position. She's just as likely to lunge for something as to lose her balance and she is strong. She can chuck a toy across the room and launch herself towards things remarkably well.
She continues to delight everyone with her conversations. She has added a few consonants, mostly m. She may or may not be signing but routinely makes the sign for milk every time she is nursing and not noticeably any other time.
Vivian loves to go out and about and discovered the joy of swinging at her grandparents' house. (The swing set and slide were built especially for our visit.) She also loved swinging in the hammock.
Vivian's true obsession right now is tags. Any kind of tag. A removable after purchase one, a permanent one, plastic, paper - she is not picky about the particulars.
She also loves her brother and his curls, thoroughly desires his milk sippy cup and his lovie, and thinks Tetley is the height of hilarity.
We will continue to stuff her full of food and look forward to where the next months take us!
