Watch Me Grow...6 months!

Have no fear...here it is!!! Maria celebrated her 1/2 birthday on July 6! It has been a bit crazy since then, as I have been on retreat with 23 teens and attended a conference with 2400 teens the following weekend!

(She's catching up to Tigger!)

*Maria is 17 pounds, 4 ounces (75th percentile) and 26 1/4 inches (70th percentile)! She is the same weight Greg was at 6 months, but an inch shorter!

* The doctor said she was "perfect" (for real, a true quote!) Her appointment went great! This girl did not even cry with her two shots...CRAZY!

*Maria is in size 6 month clothes.

*She wears a size 3 diaper!

*She eats oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, a 6 ounce bottle around 11, 2 Gerber foods (a fruit and veggie) for lunch around 2, another 6 ounce bottle around 5, and her last 6 ounce bottle with oatmeal around 8:30. Maria has LOVED all the food she has tried (except for peas)...hello...have you seen her thighs and cheeks?

(What a silly girl!)

*Maria takes a morning nap around 9 for about an hour. She naps for 2-3 hours around 1130, and takes another cat nap in the evening after her 5pm bottle! She is down for the night at 830 and sleeps until 730/8 in the morning...BEAUTIFUL!

*Maria still sucks her thumb!

*Maria has her two front bottom teeth...although they have not pushed all the way through...just the tips!

*Maria loves Greg...she follows him every where he goes and wants so bad to get his attention!

*Maria sits up unassisted VERY well.

*Maria gets up on all fours and rocks. Uh-Oh...here we go...it's time to crawl!!

*She scootches backwards to get around.

*Maria smiles and laughs and talks ALL THE TIME!

*She is fascinated with necklaces.

*She gets very excited when she knows you are preparing her food.

*Maria is phasing out of her swing. She would rather just be laid in her crib to sleep.

*Maria loves to chew on everything!

*Her favorite toys include anything that lights up and makes noise!

*Maria loves her Mommy and has started showing this when others are holding her.

*Maria drools a lot! We have to have a bib on all the time!

Maria has such a sweet disposition. She really is such an easy baby!! She goes with the flow in all we do! We are so in love with her! This 1/2 a year has flown by, but each moment with her has been a true blessing!

Cutie! :-) And she knows it!

AND....as a fun little 1/2 BDAY present Mommy and Daddy got her.....

...her ear pierced!! They are SOOOO cute!!!

Her pediatrician asked me if we were getting her ears pierced...I was thinking maybe around 2 or 3. She then told me that the best time is now or when she is out of the toddler/preschool stage. She said that little toddlers and preschoolers come in with infections because they constantly play with them and it is harder for them to sit still to let the parents clean the ears. So....we decided to do it now!! She cried when we got them done, but as soon as I stood up with her and we walked to the register she had stopped!! She is even more adorable with little earrings in her cute little ears! :-)

Busch Gardens!

Last month, we took Greg on the Girl's Trip with some of my family from Colorado on my Mom's side. We usually take our trip in the mountains of Colorado, but this year my mom, Grandma, Ronda, Eryn, Greg, Maria and myself ventured out to Virginia. It was great! I love time with these girls! While up in Williamsburg, VA, we headed out for a day at Busch Gardens! They had a whole kids zone based on Sesame Street!! It was AWESOME!

They had rides for the kids, too! You had to be 36 inches to ride alone...Greg is 35 inches...but you can ride with a parent if you don't meet the height requirement. And let's be real...most kids are not 20 months and 36 inches...but like 2, 2 1/2 and 36 inches....Greg was the youngest rider for sure! First stop...Elmo's freefall!

Here we are waiting for the ride to start...he had NO idea what was going to happen!

We held hands...the entire time!

Here we go up!! Hello down there!! Now...this wasn't a typical free fall...it lifted you to the top, and dropped you a little bit slowly...then raised you up and dropped you a little faster and a little lower...and then worked you up to the drop from the top to the bottom. It seriously was like a 3 minute ride!

Here we go!

This makes me laugh...sign me up for Mom of the Year...first big kid ride....Free Fall equals FAIL! This picture was after the dramatic drop from top to bottom. He really just cried for like 2 seconds...and maybe he was shaking when I took him off of the ride...oops!

Let's try this. This ride just kind of swings you in a circle at a not so worrisome speed.

Here we go...this could be fun! (Yes this is me and my cousin Eryn. Eryn is a rising sophomore in highschool...yes...we are dressed the same...don't judge me...it was hot! She looked way better though...maybe since she hasn't had two babies within 15 months!)

Holding on tight...and maybe getting a little nervous!

All was going pretty well until we switched directions...not a fan...but he didn't cry!

This ride was way more his style...it seriously went 1mph...he loved it...maybe we should have started here? Perhaps next time I will start with slow rides and work our way up to the free fall...oops! Needless to say... skipped the roller coaster...it was going a little too fast!

On we went to meet the gang from Sesame Street...these POOR POOR people in massive costumes had to be MISERABLE!!! It was SOOOOO hot!

Greg met Zoe first...he did not know what to think...

(please excuse my beyond super pale legs)

This is Abby...he stared at her a long time...

and then Abby pulled Greg in for a hug!

Greg saw Ernie and went straight to him...he did not reach out his arms...he just leaned on him until Ernie hugged him! SOOO sweet!

He really loved Ernie!!

Our day at the park was great! We all took turns with the stroller so we could all ride the big kid rides, too! :-)