June - 7 months

We didn't get any great seven month photos of June since we are currently in Utah and Mister Owl is in a box somewhere in Las Vegas. Still, June needs a little post about her achievements.

June is sitting up mostly well, but I like to have a pillow behind her because she's not consistently steady on her own yet. She very much likes sitting on the couch instead of the floor so that she can see all of the action. Within about a week of turning six months old, June developed a textbook case of stranger/separation anxiety. It's killing me. What happened to my super social, smiley baby? She used to play for long periods of time by herself, but now if she catches a glimpse of me walking by - thus realizing that I'm not right next to her - she becomes quite sad and agitated. If anyone else tries to hold her, including Ryan, she screams and screams. Actually, she does sometimes have a little patience with Ryan if I'm not in the room or if he's walking with her - but mostly she screams for me, especially if she sees me. Now that we are in Utah, she is stranger shy of everyone and has the loudest, shriekiest, horrific scream you can imagine. It sounds terrible and you would think she's in intense pain except for the fact that she stops immediately when I pick her up or take her from whomever is holding her.

I think she must be a little bit of a drama queen. Willa was a very even-keeled baby. She was slow with her smiles, but generally content, though she was very attached to me. June is more dramatic. Big highs and lows. Laughing and smiling and then screaming when she doesn't get what she wants. I see this with her sleeping/not sleeping, on the airplane she is much fussier in take-off and landing than Willa was, and I'm nervous to see what traits teething and illness will bring out in her. It's very amusing except when I am a little tired of holding her and would like a break to put her down. In choir practice, she got to the point where she was happier sitting by herself on the pew with a few toys than having someone besides me hold her. Silly girl.

Sleeping is going better, she can do 10-11 hours, but sometimes likes to wake up before that just to keep me on my toes. Her better sleeping is directly correlated to her new ability to successfully re-insert her fallen pacifier by herself. Her eyes are still a dark blue. I kind of think of them as the color of a stormy ocean. I have no idea what's going to happen to them. Could they still turn brown at this point? Will they lighten up? My best guess is that they are going to turn into some sort of hazel. She has killer long eyelashes, which is probably a big reason why she looks like a little doll. She still gets many many compliments from friends and strangers wherever we go. Even though she doesn't like to be held by anyone but me, she definitely loves to watch Ryan and will whip her little head around so that she can follow him with her eyes. She will just smile and smile at him until he smiles back. She also loves Willa a lot (reciprocated about 20% of the time). I hope I'm not damaging her too much by second child syndrome, but there is only so much of me to go around these days and only so many uninterrupted naps she can have before we have to go to an activity.

Solids are going... not as well as I'd hoped. I just want a nursing break but that tongue-thrust reflex is strong! I've also spoiled her by giving her yummy fruits instead of gross vegetables. She's coming around, but someone remind me about this the next time I decide that I'm too lazy to make my newborn take an occasional bottle.