6 month check-up

Kaitlyn is 6 months old (well, she was on the 14th).  We had her check-up today.
She is 26 3/4 inches long.
She weighs 19.6 lbs (I could have sworn it was over 20 lbs!)
Her head is 43 cm.

She is just getting over Viral Croup, which started on our trip last weekend in Louisiana with a fever (102.3) and a barking cough.  I woke up in the middle of the night and thought it was my parents' old dog barking instead of my little girl.  It nearly scared us to death!

After a trip to the doctor on Monday, she has been on steroids for inflammation and a cough syrup.  We have had a few rough nights, but she is doing better.  Thanks to Grammy for putting off her Christmas shopping to watch her for us!  Now she just has a congested cough, so the doc gave me a pediatric expectorant.  Fun!

The doctor was so impressed with her good, calm nature.  He already projects that she will be a good student and an obedient, rule-following child.  We'll take it!  He attributes it to the calm nature of her parents (ha!).  We are thankful all the same, for our sweet little girl and hoping that our next child is not a terror!

In the last month, she has rolled all around the house, become a tummy sleeper, and started eating solid foods.  She now has eaten rice cereal, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, prunes, bananas.  We are taking things slowly and trying not to introduce too many foods at a time.  The doctor said that she is cleared to drink water, but so far, she doesn't seem to enjoy it by itself.  Mixed with breastmilk, she's fine with it.

She is vocalizing more, but doesn't seem to be a big talker.  She has said "mama" and "dada" and "baba."  One day, three times when she saw Micah, she coincidentally said "dada."  He claims it to be her first word!

Kaitlyn continues to be a good traveler.  She prefers a 6 hour drive to the 7-hour Louisiana drive, but if you get in the back seat with her and entertain her, she will make it the final hour.

Kaitlyn is now breastfeeding 3x/ day and eating twice per day.  She sleeps from 7 pm til between 6-7 AM.  We still have trouble with her taking consistently longer naps. She tends to wake at the 45-minute mark.  The doctor recommended having her try to take a longer second nap by allowing her to cry a bit to see if she will put herself back to sleep.  I'll try that when she is feeling better.  Making her room darker has seemed to help some.  Once her second nap is consistently longer, then we will likely drop the late afternoon nap.

She enjoys books.  We read her storybook Bible every morning and multiple other books throughout the day.  This week, we have been reading the Night Before Christmas book she got from Mamaw.

Here she is at the doctor's office today.

Church Pics

I was hoping these would come in by Christmas and they did!  Too bad they didn't get here at this time last week, so we could have brought them to Louisiana.

I think Kaitlyn is much more photogenic than her mother!

Thankful

A couple of weeks ago, our pastor challenged us to set our phones/ watches for every hour, and to take a minute to ATL- Acknowledge God's presence, be Thankful, and Listen to His voice.  So from 6 AM until 10 PM, our phones go off on the hour to remind us to do so.  It has been a challenge, but it has helped me to focus on the Lord more throughout the day.  So often, I spend time with Him in the morning through prayer and Bible study, and then as the day goes on, drift further and further away from the sound of His voice.
Usually, at Thanksgiving I spend at least an hour journaling about all of the things that I am thankful for.  I will give you the 3 minute version:
 I am thankful that I am a child of God- that He loves me, cares deeply for me, and wants to be actively involved in my life.  I can't imagine what my life would be like if I were not a Christian.
 I am thankful to be a wife of an awesome husband- who provides for us, who is encouraging, and who I love deeply.  I am thankful that he is also my best friend.
I am so grateful to be a mommy.  Kaitlyn is such a joy and has been long anticipated.  She is a miracle!
I am thankful for our extended family- parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins etc.  We are loved.  We have been provided for.
I am thankful for the friendships God has blessed me with- from my best friend of 22 years, to some of my closest friends in our church group now.  Being an only child, friendships have been really important to me throughout my life.
I am thankful for God's provision through our jobs.  That we both enjoy what we do and that we both like to help people.  We have never been without food, shelter, vehicles etc.  We are blessed.

Just because Thanksgiving is over, doesn't mean we should ever stop being thankful, on a daily basis (if not an hourly basis) for all that God has done for us.  Lord, help me to be "overflowing with thankfulness" (Colossians 2:7).