Dearest Hatchling,
Good god! Yesterday you turned 6 months old. How the hell did THAT happen? You've already been around for half a year and I still don't know what I'm doing. That's ok, though - we're having a lot of fun figuring it out.
The biggest milestone this month was TEETH. You popped those two little bottom center ones and it must've been a big relief because man have you been talkative lately. You're big into prehistoric noises: pterodactyl-type screeches, velociraptor-style squawks, the occasional T. Rex roar. Your favorite place to converse is lying on a pillow next to me right after you've nursed. (Apparently a full stomach inspires your verbal eloquence.) You'll wax rhapsodic about ... well, we're not sure what about, but whatever it is, it's funny as hell. You even surprise yourself sometimes and stop in mid-speech to look at me or your daddy as if to say "who made THAT noise?"
Your eating continues apace. You can down rice cereal like it's nothing, and are now branching out into the exciting world of fruits and veggies. True to your genetic code, applesauce is by far your favorite (your grandma says your father smelled like apples for the first three years of his life due to his consumption of vast quantities of applesauce and apple juice). But you're pretty interested in just about anything you can put in your mouth: peaches, sweet potatoes, wine glasses, styrofoam coffee cups - you know, whatever. The new foods have also taken your belching abilities to a whole new level. I'd put you up against any beer-soaked barfly, any day.
The cats are also an endless source of amusement. Fortunately, we got the training models, so they're pretty patient about being grabbed in the face or having large tufts of fur pulled out of their tails. You get so excited when you get close to them, it's all we can do to grab your hand and say "gentle!" which you don't understand anyway so I'm not sure why we bother. I'm sure you'll be an animal lover when you grow up, but right now you're more of an animal stalker. God help the cats once you start crawling.
You were a big hit at your Tante Ellen's wedding a few weeks ago. I can objectively state that you were the cutest baby there (and there were a lot of cute babies), and you adjusted to the new surroundings like a seasoned traveller. Not only did you exhibit great patience with the hordes of people passing you around like a plate of sandwiches, you also charmed the pants off the flight attendants, security guards, and other passengers on the plane. I wouldn't say it's exactly fun flying with an infant, but you get major points for bumping us up to the front of all the ticketing and check-in lines. Good going, kid!
So anyway, your daddy and I are more and more smitten with you as the days go by. You're developing a very sweet and spunky personality, and while you do have the occasional moments of possession by the cranky demon, you're a pretty awesome daily companion. Can't wait to see what the next 6 months bring.
Love,
Mamala
