Wow! Six months have passed. So has a lifetime, it sometimes seems.

So what is notable about Claire at six months of age?

• A week before she reached five months she began pulling off the bottle again, frustrated, and wanted to eat often. So I switched her to the bottle n*pples for six months+ of age. The first week the flow was a little fast, but she rapidly adjusted. She now consumes 25-31 ounces a day as opposed to her previous 19-24 ounces.
• Sometimes during a feeding Claire “gargles” her milk. She does this because she enjoys the sound and is experimenting. She smiles with delight as she does it. Some of her feedings are casual, slow-paced, and very social. Other times she guzzles her milk.
• She’s now coordinated enough to hold two rhythm sticks. She has even banged them together a few times.
• Claire babbles and says “baba” and “gaga.”
• She sits upright with support of pillows. Or when I sit behind her, she can sometimes sit without my support; I’m there “just in case.” She isn’t sitting all by herself yet, but she loves to sit.
• Claire adores interacting with the baby in the mirror. She greets that baby with enthusiasm and smiles. She coos and babbles to her. I tell her that the little girl in the mirror is her best friend.
• She enjoys peek-a-boo when I cover my face or her face (a scarf is especially fun). She’s yet to cover her own eyes purposefully, but loves the surprise.
• We broke out some new toys recently, one of them being cloth blocks. I stacked them in a tower, and Claire discovered the wonder of knocking them over. She laughed each time during that first encounter. She’s beginning to learn cause and effect.
• During a feeding, she will massage my face with the hand closest to me. She squeezes my chin and cheek, and pats my face. She will also rub her foot along the arm that is holding the bottle.
• Claire is ticklish just under her chin. She’s also got a little mischief in her eyes, when she’s being silly with me.
• I love her giggle and her full laugh.
• Claire knows just what the camera is for; when it’s turned on she hams it up, and she loves watching movies of herself.
• Claire is now mobile by rolling. A few weeks ago she rolled from her back to her stomach maybe half a dozen times; the past few days she’s just started rolling like a little stone.
• She’s starting to creep her way across the room; it looks a little like swimming on dry land; she will get herself turned 180 degrees to grab another toy or to see me.
• Claire spends a lot more time happily on her tummy. She’s especially willing when someone is down on the floor face-to-face with her, holding a toy or a book.
• She outgrew her aquarium bouncer about four weeks ago — not physically, but mentally; she grew bored being in it.
• She goes into a rapture when she’s put into her exer-saucer and is beginning to understand that when she pushes buttons, voices speak and music plays.
• Claire enjoys being held in a standing position.
• Claire now puts her head against my neck and nuzzles in, especially when she’s tired or upset. It generates a precious feeling in me.
• She’s a champion drooler. No teeth yet.
• Claire sucks her toes, plays with her feet.
• She turns to hear new sounds or watch things move. She watches when objects are dropped.
• Claire still naps in my arms. The last time we tried to transition to napping in the crib, we attempted for three days, three naps per day, which meant three hours of full-on crying and sobbing each day (her, not me, but I nearly went over the edge myself). Then she caught a cold. I don’t know when we’ll be ready to release each other (I’m just as attached to this, I think). My Pixie is a tenacious one.
• Progress happens rapidly. At a play date Friday, she sat next to another little girl and they reached toward each other and babbled together. She’s becoming very social!

Beautiful Claire, you’ve grown so much in just six months! I look forward to discovering more of the world with you over the next half a year and beyond.