Happy half-birthday to you
Happy half-birthday to you
Happy half-birthday my darling Caroline
Happy half-birthday to you!

Or if you prefer, the other song I’ve been singing all day

OMG HOW ARE YOU SIX MONTHS OLD ALREADY?
STOP GROWING! STOP TRYING TO CRAWL!
AND WHY WON’T YOU DRINK FROM THIS DAMN BOTTLE?

You are again (still) a delightful baby, who loves smiling and being smiling at. You’ve enjoyed both the aquarium and the seaport this week, plus Stroller Strides and knitting group – it is SO NICE that I can take you places without major meltdowns. Your teeth are still not through so I expect a few more crying fits before we’re through the woods but they don’t seem to be bothering you as much as this time last month. I could really do without the gnawing my nipple raw though. Not cool.

Although I was expecting you to be as chubby as your brother was, instead you’ve turned into a little munchkin, still fitting into your 3 month onesies most of the time. I’m thrilled, since all your cutest summer hand-me-downs are 6 month sized and I was afraid your leg chub would get so out of control I’d have to pack them all away. It’s kind of nice that you’re still small – it’s keeping me from feeling desperate for a teeny tiny baby again too soon. Also, it makes your already HUGE EYES look even huger in your itty bitty face.

You still don’t like bottles but you did eat some rice cereal so I’m hopeful you’ll like solids better than your brother did. The avocado didn’t go over very well – WHY don’t my babies like avocado?! – but I’ve got a bowl full of fruit to try out this week.

Some of your new favorite things include riding in the big girl seat of the stroller, being worn half on my hip in the Ergo (I should really figure out the RIGHT way to do a hip carry), stealing toys from your brother and play with the dog’s tail. You dislike the sun in your eyes, shoes, bottles, 7:30 pm and getting stuck under the couch.

Mobile baby is hard to keep in the picture

Look, I'm sitting up! Such a big girl!

Whoops. Fell down.

This picture is straight out of the camera, no touch ups at all

6 Month Milestones (from BabyCenter, as usually)

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Turns toward sounds and voices – Sounds, voices, music, everything. And half the time she tries to take my nipple with her.
Imitates sounds – I guess? She babbles a lot but I’m not sure if I would say she’s IMITATING anything.
Rolls over in both directions – CAN roll over in both directions, but prefers to just hang out on her belly although JUST TODAY she started barrel rolling to get across the room

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Is ready for solid foods – I dunno. Maybe. She sort of gummed an animal cracker the other day. I’m going to start offering stuff this week.
Sits without support – Yes, although she’s still a little unpredictable with the falling over.
Mouths objects – HAHAHAHAHAHA Yes.
Passes objects from hand to hand – Yes, but I’m not sure it’s exactly on purpose.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Lunges forward or starts crawling – Lunges and faceplants, although she is getting SUPER close to crawling and can get both knees under herself for several seconds.
Jabbers or combines syllables – Coos like crazy but nothing that I would call syllables.
Drags objects toward himself – Yes, she spins herself around on her stomach then reaches for her toys. I can scatter them around the floor and it keeps her entertained for close to an hour.

Those skills seem sort of weird, right? How is “drags objects” a MORE advances skill that sitting up? Sitting up is HARD.

Sunday:

Why even bother to post the rest of my pics when this one CLEARLY wins?

Caroline got dressed up to attend a friend's birthday party.

It took him a while, but Little Evan figured out how to blow through the noisemaker to make a noise. Sadly, it "broke" and had to be thrown away.

Monday:

On our way to Stroller Strides! Little Evan actually says "Soller Siiiides!" now when you ask him if he wants to go. It's super cute.

I got two boxes for Valentine's Day. The one from my husband contained these beautiful purples roses (my favorite, and the kind we had at the wedding)...

...and the one from my doctor contained a giant orange jug for me to pee in. Very romantic.

Tuesday:

I packed some books to read at the pediatrician. We've moved past basic board books and I could not BE more excited.

I got some awesome mail. Uff Da and BH&G!

Solo Target trip! It took ALL my willpower not to buy the blue & white cow. I already have TWO of the plain white ones.

Wednesday:

We met some friends at the extrememly uncrowded aquarium for a playdate. That's Little Evan & an employee standing by the most popular exhibit.

Evan has discovered stickers. The end.

Thursday:

See the time? 9:00 am. That's what time it was when I got to Stroller Strides, a full 15 minutes early, even with 2 kids.

ROCKET MAN

I cleaned out the freezer & threw away the 2 year old breastmilk. This is just what I've pumped since December 20th.

Friday:

Helping me vacuum the bedroom

This is the picture I tweeted @MarthaStewart for her blog when she asked for baby pics. We'll see if Caroline shows up there on Monday!

The yarn I bought for our ribwarmer knit-a-long play group. I'm obsessed with it.

This was my desk when I was a kid. It's been in our basement for years - my parents threatened to throw it out - so I finally dragged it out for Evan. I think he likes it.

Saturday:

One more time at Stroller Strides. Caroline sleeps through all the classes.

A little trip to JoAnn's for some 2nd birthday party supplies

It was a pretty busy week & I definitely felt it. I wish I could sleep for a week. E actually has a FOUR day weekend so the chances of getting a nap in the next couple of days is pretty high. YAY!!

Did you take any camera phone photos this week? Link up with one or lots using the linky below and grab the code (so it shows on your blog too!) over at Amy’s. It’s really fun!

Wednesday.

Win: Caroline went to bed at 11 and slept until almost 5 (then snacked and went back to sleep). I felt very well rested.

Lose: I was so sore from Stroller Strides on Tuesday I couldn’t straighten my legs properly. It feels like tiny gnomes are stabbing me in the calves with knitting needles.

Win: Evan let me change and dress him without kicking me in the face.

Lose: Evan refused to eat anything for breakfast, choosing instead to sob into the open refrigerator demanding more more more…something. I packed extra goldfish in my diaper bag.

Win: We make it to Stroller Strides (again!) on time.

Lose: I still cannot do one single sit-up during the abs part of class. Not. Even. One.

Win: Gymboree is having a FANTASTIC sale and I had a 20% off coupon. Little Evan will be sporting some absolutely fantastic plaid pants in a couple months.

Lose: Caroline thought Gymboree sucked and expressed her displeasure by screeching like a rabid hyena.

Win: I found a comfy semi-private spot in the play area to nurse the baby while Little Evan played on the slide.

Lose: Little Evan got bored with the slide after about 20 seconds and took off running into the mall. I managed to flash at least eight people, squirt milk all over my shirt, almost drop Caroline, trip on the stroller and lose a breast pad while trying to chase him down.

Win: A nice mom grabbed him and brought him back because she felt bad for me. Or maybe she was just tired of looking at my boob.

Lose: I had to wrangle TWO screaming children into their coats, into the stroller and through the mall wearing a soaking wet t-shirt. Even a deaf person could have heard us.

Win: Little Evan was so exhausted from our morning he willing ate tuna fish for lunch and then slept for 3 hours.

Double win: Caroline and I napped on the couch.

Lose: It’s 9:30 and I am SO EXHAUSTED I want to cry, but there is no way I’m going to get to bed until 11 and I’ll be up again at 5. For at least the next SIX MONTHS.

I need a vacation.

Breastfeeding baby #2 is a piece of cake compared to the first time around. (Mmmm…cake. I would like some cake. I would like a whole cake and no I don’t want to share because I am SOOOOO HOOONGRAAAY from the nursing.) All the stuff I struggled with during Little Evan’s early days made me an expert on boobs. A Boobspert, if you will. I figured out Caroline’s latch sooner, my engorgement went away sooner, I recognized the thrush and knew how to treat it sooner, we’ve  introduced a bottle sooner, I’m building up a nice little freezer stash of pumped milk sooner. It’s been almost 2 years since I first started nursing and I have FINALLY got the hang of it.

But in the process, I have confused the hell out of my toddler.

Hello, I'd like some more milk please.

Little Evan was exclusively breastfed until he was almost 13 months – and when I say “exclusively” I don’t mean that’s when we switched to milk, I mean that’s when he started eating ANY solids. The first time I ever saw him eat enough food to be considered a meal was his birthday cake. The child hated baby food, threw up Cheerios, screamed at sippy cups and lived entirely on boob power for more than a year.

I don't see what the problem here is, I know you've got milk in there. Do I need to say PLEEEEEEESE?

When I got pregnant the second time, my supply dropped dramatically and he weaned in a matter of weeks, just after he turned 15 months. We started with rice milk and eventually made the switch to organic whole milk. He LOVES his (fancy, expensive) milk and drinks it like it’s going out of style.

Fine, if you're going to be that way I'll just do it MYSELF

Now that he sees Caroline nursing all the time, he’s started to wonder why his milk comes from a cup instead of straight from me. I haven’t had to flat out refuse him yet, but he keeps patting my chest and saying “mama milk”.

Yes yes, put the milk in my belly! Wait, I don't think this is working.

I’m pretty sure he’s going to be OK in the long run, no permanent damage from his cold, withholding mother who won’t nurse him any more. Actually, one day he’s probably going to DIE OF SHAME that I talked about breastfeeding on the internet at all.

Sharing!

Sorry baby. Send me the therapy bill.

This week was B O R I N G. Too much snow made us lazy and housebound, so you get lazy housebound pictures.

Sunday:

I made Thai Chicken Pizza for dinner. It's freakin' delicious. Next time I make it I'll blog it so you can enjoy it too.

Monday:

Sleepng baby enjoys a few minutes of quiet before our crazy day of craziness started

I cleaned out my diaper bag. The pile on the right? All trash. I need to get organized.

Tuesday:

My only picture from the day - nursing baby. That's really all I did, all day.

Wednesday:

Someone was literally bouncing off the couch with energy after four days inside.

Snapped a monthday pic with my iPhone too

Thursday:

Pediatrician's appointment. E got home from work in time to watch Little Evan so it was easy-peasy with just one kid.

Friday:

The antibiotics for my kidney infection gave me thrush (basically a yeast infection on my nipples). I'm treating it with Gentian Violet, which unfortunately dyes everything purple.

Including poor Caroline's face. It fades after a few hours but she's still pretty purple.

Saturday:

I got dressed up (to go to Target and BJ's)(leaving the house is a Big Deal these days) and discovered my hair is ridiculously long. Also, someone explain to E that big belts are fashionable and not stupid.

Did you take camera phone pictures this week? Link up one or a whole bunch below and grab the code for your own linky over at A Good Life Blog.