Six months

Dear Mallory,

Six months! Half a year! Oddly, I’m not as teary-eyed right now as I thought I’d be. Maybe it’s because it really does seem like you have been around for that long – it hasn’t snuck up on me. And the reason why it really does seem like you’ve been around for that long? It’s because you’ve accomplished so much in such a short time.

This month, you made leaps and bounds in terms of your physical prowess. At the start of the month you were just rolling and squirming to move around. Within days you were inchworming, and then you learned the army crawl, and last week you took your first few real crawling steps. Last week you also figured out how to sit up on your own, and you even pulled up in your crib for the first time. The milestones are coming fast and furious!

You have 4, possibly 5 teeth now (I still can’t tell if one is ‘officially’ through or not). You started with a bottom centre tooth but then, true to Cook form, you cut one of your fangs – what is it with our family and getting these teeth early? Your teeth have been a source of woe for you this month. You are pretty miserable when they come in. You were cutting teeth on your baptism day, and so slept through most of your party. You were also cutting teeth when I took these six-month shots of you, and though they turned out well technically, you really aren’t your normal, smiley self in most of them.

On top of your baptism, this month you had your first Thanksgiving (in fact, they were the same day), first trip to the pumpkin patch and cornfield maze, first apple picking sojourn… all of the regular hallmarks of fall. You have also been enjoying a wide range of fruits, vegetables and cereals now that you are on solids. The vegetables are definitely not your first choice; you grimace something awful with each mouthful, but you do your best to choke a few spoonfuls down each time, enough to satisfy me that at least you are trying.

This is particularly important because at your six-month check-up, you clocked in at 15 pounds even and 27 inches long. The medical student who saw you first made a big stink about the fact that you haven’t doubled your birth weight; you should be somewhere around 16.5 pounds by now. When Dr. Bailey saw you though, she wasn’t concerned; she made a comment to the effect that we should all be so lucky to be tall and skinny! I’m sure it’s too early to tell what your final physique will be just yet, but you are certainly a healthy little girl and we don’t worry about you. You do seem to have fattened up in the past month; maybe those solids are kicking in and filling out your frame.

You know it wouldn’t be a ‘letter from mom’ if I didn’t gripe about your sleep habits, right? Well… stop the presses… they are getting better! Your normal pattern now is to have 2 feedings each night – still a lot by most standards, but much better than the 4+ times a night from even just a few weeks ago. There’s light at the end of the tunnel…

This month I have become more and more immersed in the girlie world with you. Your hair is finally long enough to put a few little clips in. I have a closet full of clothes for you for next summer, because I keep seeing adorable things I just can’t pass up (pink and brown is still my favourite combination for you.) I have things for you for right now, too if only this 90 degree weather would break and give you the chance: a sweet little pair of shearling boots, an adorable pea coat, hats to match… it sure is fun having a real live little doll to dress up!

And it’s not just about playing dress-up… you are growing sweeter and more irresistible day by day. Your smiley face and belly laugh add a lot of life to our family. We’re so lucky that you’re here.

Love,
Mom