The Graduate

(from Terri)

Last week Radha turned a whopping six months.  Ro and I sang "Happy Birthday" to her twice that day, but otherwise kept the celebration mellow.  (We're saving up for the big 1.0 next year!).  For those keeping an eye on the stats, here is an update from Radha's six month check-up:

Weight: 16 pounds (50th percentile)

Height: 27 inches (90th percentile)

Head circumfrence: 43.9 centimeters (85th percentile)

She's more than doubled her weight since she was born, making our arms all the more stronger these days.  Basically Radha is healthy and doing well.  Some of the things she's been up to lately:

• Obsessively following Mookie with her eyes and getting very animated when Mookie comes by or makes a move; we are trying to gradually teach Radha how to softly and gently pet Mookie.  Mookie seems to have taken on the "big sister" role well as she'll often sit right by us when I'm nursing Radha, or sit nearby when Radha and I are playing.
• Grabbing anything and everything in site; liquids are bound to be spilled around her and if you have long hair, I'm sorry if my daughter might make you bald sooner than expected.
• Sitting up on her own.  Well, for a few seconds and then she starts to lean.  Very close now.
• Various attempts at crawling, but mostly uncoordinated butt-in-air, legs-and-knees-move, and flailing arm movements, but not at the same time.  She gets frustrated and prefers being upright for now.
• Eating her toes.  She doesn't care if they're clean or have schmutz in them, and sometimes she doesn't mind a leather flavor if she's wearing shoes.
• "Graduating" from our moms group at the hospital (here's her serious graduate pose):

Since the support group is geared for new moms and babies, you get to "graduate" after six months.  On the last day it definitely felt strange to be considered a "veteran" mom at this stage and asked to share my words of wisdom with others.  I hardly felt qualified to offer any advice...I'm figuring this stuff out like everyone else. I just happen to be a few months further into it!