Mallory is so much fun these days. Gone are the days when I had no answer to, “What has Mallory learned lately?”
The first new trick was learning to “blow bubbles” and make sounds with her lips. If her lips are dry and won’t make enough sound, she can take care of that by working up more spit. Never mind the drool running down her chin. Anyway, you can get into a “raspberry” contest with her. That’s the closest thing to a conversation we can have right now so I’ll take it. ;)
We have started solid foods. There is a good side and a bad side to that. On the good side, she sleeps very soundly (she can now go from 8:30 or so until 6:00 or 6:30), and it’s a lot of fun to try new foods. On the bad side, her diapers need to be stored in one of those “biohazard” disposal containers. Good night! I had no idea that something that small could contain so much stink. We’re thinking of installing an exhaust fan over her bed. Now when I smell something, I have no idea if it’s coming from her, Major or Johnathan. ;)
The first food we tried was peas. Her eyes got big, and she wasn’t quite sure what to do with it (we have video to load so stay tuned). It didn’t take her long to figure it out. It also didn’t take her long to figure out how much fun it is to “blow bubbles” with peas in your mouth. Not only does it feel neat, but it gets a great reaction from your audience. They make a huge noise so they must be enjoying it, right? ;) And it didn’t take her long to figure out that there are things that are much better than peas (she accused us of holding out on her). The carrots and sweet potatoes have gone over well. So now the peas will just get mixed with one of those. It has the same effect as wrapping a dog’s pill in bacon.
The only fruit we have done so far is bananas. They were an absolute hit! (we also have video of that) She was smacking. It was hilarious! I thought she was going to suck her lips off. We’re not going to add anymore fruits until we have enough vegetables in her diet. We’re afraid that adding veggies will be harder if she prefers the sweetness of fruit. Typically, for dinner, she gets a jar of vegetables and then some oatmeal with bananas mixed in. . . like a dessert, but not too sweet. The other night, Johnathan decided to feed her. He started with peas and carrots. At one point, I noticed that he had given her a bite of the oatmeal. I said, “She finished her peas and carrots already?” He said he just thought he would mix it up a little. I believe I even wished him luck as he tried to give her the vegetables again. She looked at him like, “Ummm. . . no.” as the peas and carrot slowly oozed out of her mouth. I told him, “You know, if she was able to talk, this would be one of those instances where she would say, ‘Mommy always does this. . . ‘”. I think that he was finally able to get her to finish the vegetables, but it was a struggle.
The newest feat was displayed just this weekend. She learned that she could roll over multiple times in one direction and get places. . . like under the desk, under a chair, etc. She takes great pleasure in rolling right off of the blanket we spread out for her. Unfortunately, in most cases, that puts her on the hardwood floor. This morning, I was getting ready for work, and I heard her start crying like she was in pain. I went running (of course) and found that she had rolled over onto a toy. I guess that’s a hard lesson for a 6-month-old. But she’s having fun.
Last but not least, we just went to her 6-month check up last week. Her doctor said she is doing great. Developmentally, she is right on track. You can’t even tell she’s a preemie anymore. He said she is very accurate with her grasp (as she was trying to grab his stethoscope) and was really pleased with her progress. She’s still in the 25th percentile for weight. But she has jumped to the 50th percentile for length and about the 63rd percentile for head circumference. So she’s a long, skinny baby with a big head. It may take forever for her to learn how to walk because she’s so top heavy. Time will tell.