for Thanksgiving

we joined my family in Utah

(my siblings are all at school in Provo or Rexburg so we decided to head their way)

travelling with our new accessory is far from stress-free, but totally worth it...
(Clara actually does really well on flights, it's any car ride over 1/2 hour that she's a nightmare)

we stayed with my grandparents in Alpine, had Thanksgiving dinner with cousins in Ephraim, and travelled all around to catch up with both sides of the family

Grandma and Grandpa Goodfellow

Dustin's Uncle Matt

Clara's cousin Leah

Aunt Kim (Dustin's sister)

My (now 4) sisters!

just because

we love her.

she really does look like Dustin.

it's very rare that someone says she resembles me.

although she did inherit my baby baldness.
sorry, hun, someday you'll have hair...

proudly eating peas. (take that, Grandpa G)

(I couldn't get her to look at the camera, and take her arm out of her mouth, and smile... so I'll take one out of three.)

oh, and today we found a bottom tooth peeking through! 

(this explains the constant chewing on everything...)

@ 6 months

At half a year Clara...

Sits. She starting sitting supported with her hands around 5 months and now sits all on her own- with only the occasional sideways tumble.

Chews on everything. I keep thinking she's teething. But according to her pediatric dentist (Dustin) there are no signs of teeth erupting yet. (These teething rings are awesome.)

Loves her daddy. Used to be scared of him and cry when he came home in the evening. Now she lights up when he walks in the room and smiles huge at the sound of his voice. If I didn't have milk I think she'd chose him.

Is doing much much better on reflux meds. We're figured out an appropriate dose of Zantac and how to actually get the medicine in her. (Takes perfect timing and coordination to squirt it in the side of her mouth just before she latches on to eat.) Less pain, less spitting up, less gurgling and hiccups... we're all happier!

Began sleep training. After sleeping great for a few months she decided it was fun to wake us up all night long. So we've started a modified approach to sleep training. We go in and comfort her every so often, but she stays in bed and we let her cry it out for a while. First we conquered the bedtime waking. Then the middle of the night eating. And currently we're working on eliminating breastfeeding before naps (this has proved the most challenging and resulted in the most screaming- but it's also helping her reflux so I'm sticking with it). Her nights are far from perfect, but we're back to 10-12 hour stretches pretty regularly. And she still sleeps peacefully swaddled in her Woombie.

Started solids. (documented here) It's only been a week but she's chowing down on everything I've offered. (So far only fruits and veggies- avocado has been the biggest hit.) She also loves taking sips of water from glasses or her sippy cup (although we don't permit much of it because she doesn't technically need water yet).

Still breastfeeding. 5-6 times a day. Still takes her forever to eat- like 30-45 minutes. Is this normal? I thought they were supposed to get quicker with age. I suspect she could be faster but she likes the comfort it brings. I think she'd nurse all day long if I let her.

Joins me at the gym. She's finally old enough for the childcare at the gym. (Just in time for winter, thankfully. I've been taking her running in the stroller but it's starting to get COLD.) She did great on her first day... she just hung out in the exersaucer and stared at the other kids.

Likes it when I sing. I started singing while nursing her at bedtime to keep her awake longer. It worked great for a while... her eyes would pop right open and she'd smile. Now I think it lulls her to sleep. But I still get big smiles. She obviously can't tell that I sing off-key. 

Still won't roll from back to belly. I think she could if she wanted to. Every time we plop her on her tummy she immediately rolls onto her back. So proud of our lazy girl.

Stats @ 6 months + 1 week...

weight: 15 lbs. 10 oz. (~40th %)

height: 26 inches (~60th %)

head circumference: 44 cm (~90th %)

from above

View of Chicago from the top of the Hancock tower...

 Facing east over the lake towards Navy Pier.

 Looking South.

Southwest. (Trump tower is the tallest on the left and the Sears/Willis tower the tallest on the right.)

To the west.

And north towards our home. 

And a few other photos taken over last weekend (my parents were in town again- my dad dropped my mom off to stay with us on his way to San Diego)...

We tried the famous Lou Malnati's deep dish. Sorry Chicago, I love you, but I think I'll stick to thin crust from now on.

At some point I started letting Clara take sips of our water at dinnertime. (Probably because I felt bad that she had to stare at us eating.) Now she gets so excited about it... I can't refuse her (most of it usually ends up on her shirt, anyway). She won't take a bottle even if she's starving, but a tall glass of water- anytime.