six months

oh, baby girl.

how can it possibly have been half a YEAR already since we first snuggled you? somehow, in the last few weeks, you seem to be growing up right in front of my eyes. your facial features are becoming more defined, you have favourite toys and books, you're sitting up by yourself (for up to ten seconds before you lose your balance!) and you're eating solid foods. your personality is becoming more apparent, too. you are the personification of chill ... generally relaxed, not necessarily smiling all the time, but not bothered by changes in your routine. 

thanks to your easy-going disposition, you were a champion traveler on your first set of flights to visit the Geiger Gang in Redmond. this was the first time you had met your Uncle John and Uncle James, and we were so lucky to spend time with the whole family (Auntie Kelli and Uncle Colin drove in from Spokane, Uncle John flew from Boulder, CO and his girlfriend Genesis traveled from Ellensburg, and Auntie Kira flew from Winston-Salem, NC). you loved getting smothered in kisses by your aunties, and serenaded by Uncle James' spontaneous ballads -- starring you, of course! one night, Grandpa Kyle barbecued for us all, and your great-grandpa Bill and great-grandma Jo drove down from Everett to join in the fun. (we missed seeing your great-auntie Kim and great-uncle Scott, who were in California celebrating the college graduation of your first cousin once removed, Nathan.) you slept just fine in Auntie Krista's old port-a-crib, and enjoyed playing with the colorful toys that Grammy Kim had saved for all these years! we also had wonderful visits with the Roddys, Knights, Kellys, Sovereigns, and Tiptons. 

this month, we took the leap and introduced you to your first solid food -- chunks of creamy avocado, oatmeal cereal, carrots, prunes, dry toast, mashed potatoes, and pears. so far the only thing you don't like is pears. you still eat them, but you pull some very dramatic faces. i think you may take after your daddy, with a palate more inclined towards savory foods than sweet! 

and speaking of your daddy, he finished up the school year at Franciscan University of Steubenville this month, and even though he's still busy directing the music ministry at our church, his summertime load is a little bit lighter. lucky for you, he decided to stay home with you on Mondays and Wednesdays until classes start back up in August (and if something comes up at the parish on those days, you get toted along!). i'm so grateful you have this unique chance to bond with him. he loves you so very, very much! 

you are definitely developing a sense of humor. you love to "honk" our noses with your little hands, and sometimes i swear you make silly faces just so that we'll laugh. more often, though, you'll carefully study a toy or book with a very serious expression. when you are really concentrating on something, you stick your tongue out just like your daddy does. and if we try to distract you, or if you just want to be left alone, you show us some sass! i'm a little worried about how you already have The Look perfected.

sweetpea, it is so much fun to watch you develop into your own little self. and hearing you babble ("ba-ba-ba-ba-ba", "ma-ma-ma-ma-ma") makes us so excited for your first actual words. we love you ... to infinity, and beyond!