Half a Year's Gone By

Today is Miss Mia's half year birthday! I'm amazed at the pace in which life moves after a baby enters one's life. Although some moments seemed to last forever like the days when it took at least an hour for Mia to go down for the night, other times life just flies by. The amount of time in which Mia can wear pretty dresses that were gifted to her by lovely friends was so short-lived. I'm sad to say that I didn't capture the moments with our trusty camera.

At Mia's 6-month check, she received six shots, three in each thigh. My girl was brave though. She only cried while the vaccines were being administered and stopped crying immediately afterwards. I was a bit sad that she didn't need me to nurse her to calm her down. I nursed her anyway which is exactly the type of thing that results in a baby whose weight is in the 80th percentile, and you know those charts are based on Caucasian babies, so that makes my baby a GIANT. But it's good to note that Mia's height is in the 90th percentile at 27 inches!

Here are snippets of what I remember from each month of Mia's life so far.

Month One: We finally met our baby and took her home to get to know her. It was momentous. Recovery was not a piece of cake. I felt bloated, my privates were torn up and swollen, and bowel movements were literally a pain in the ass. We were worried about Mia's jaundice and hematocrit levels. Feeding took forever because Mia was a sleepy eater. She was so little she could sleep comfortably across the width of her crib.
Month Two: Freedom came as we were able to venture out of the house. I enjoyed rejoining the world at large. Mia made her debut at church, we went on walks around Green Lake and other fun places around town. Grandma Chow was still around to help us and Papa and I were able to go out a couple of times after Mia went to bed. Sadly, Month Two was not a pretty month for Mia as her cradle cap and baby acne peaked. Poor kiddo. Mia began to sleep longer stretches at night. We took a fun trip to Oregon with Mia. It was her first road trip! But not easy as Mia was still eating every 2 hours or so.
Month Three: Mia began to smile and coo. Her bowel moments still went up for 4-5 per day. We enjoyed spending time with friends and going on short excursions to Vancouver and Deception Pass. Mia slept like a champ wherever we went. I took an extra month off at work to enjoy time with my sweet babe. We celebrated Mia's 100th day with a party at home. During the party, Mia blew out onto her borrowed swing. Sorry Maddie!
Month Four: Mia begins her Kindermusik class which she loves. It wears her out so much that she konks out immediately after class. The world around her becomes so much more interesting to Mia. She loves watching her pup Kona walk around the house. I let Kona sneak some licks on Mia's face. We begin having Mia cry it out at night and for naps though Mia usually puts herself to sleep. Luckily she cries for less than 10 minutes a couple of times a week.
Month Five: Mia's teeth erupt from her gums causing all sorts of fussy behavior. She makes it hard for Mama to get her work done at church, but we get through it. The teeth or being hungry might be to blame for Mia waking up earlier than her usual time around 7 AM. So we introduced some rice cereal. We begin a baby tour through California and Michigan. Mia makes some cash for being cute as it's a Chinese tradition to give money when one first meets a baby. Mia does not always enjoy all the new faces as she begins to cry when held by a stranger. It was not easy traveling via plane with a baby and dog in tow.

Oh Miss Mia, you are my darling and I thank God for knitting you up in my womb. Mama wishes she could keep you with her forever, but she knows you have to grow up. Always remember that my love will follow you wherever you go.