So much has changed with our sweet little girl! We went from having a tiny little baby to a big baby girl who is growing quickly and learning so much. Some of the biggest changes have been introducing food, sitting up, growing into bigger diapers and onesies, and lots of babbling. Here are some of the wonderful moments we enjoyed during this phase of Holland’s life.

5 Months Old

Holland loved her bouncer all the way through months 3-7! She would sit in her bouncer while we showered and got dressed. Now that she can sit up, we’ve retired the bouncer but it was one of my favorite baby items in the early months! Holland was amazed by Reed entertaining her in this picture.

Holland also outgrew her infant seat that we loved so much. She didn’t like the idea of moving into the high chair, but we moved her into it and started introducing food. This was another one of my favorite baby items because it helped give Holland a place to engage with us during meals.

It’s blowing my mind that at 5 months, we were only practicing rolling over. I am amazed at how quickly things change! Holland does not like to be on her stomach, so we roll her onto her over and she rolls herself back. We did this nightly for a while until sitting up became way more interesting to her.

 

Holland became so playful during these last months! she really wanted to sit up but wasn’t able to by herself quite yet. We used the boppy constantly for support. We had a lot of fun hanging out at home together this month! April was still snowy and chilly, so we had fun indoors soaking up the final days of my maternity leave together.

Adding some pictures from our final snowy walk! With our Colorado weather, it still ended up snowing later in May but this was the last time we made it outside. I loved Holland’s snowsuit. The pink jacket was the first article of clothing that I bought for her when I found out that I was having a girl. I don’t think I’ll ever part with her snow outfit.

And a few more snuggles with my 5-month old. Can you tell I was getting sad that she was getting so big? Towards the end of the 5-month mark, Holland became even more cuddly in the morning. As soon as she woke up around 7-8 am, she wanted in bed with us. I could never turn down some snuggle time with our baby girl.

One of our big changes was moving Holland into her big girl bathtub. She had outgrown the foam tub that fits in the sink, but she was terrified to bathe in the tub seat I had bought for the bathtub. I felt so bad that we continued to bathe her in the sink and I bought another tub to try out. Holland was still very scared to use her new tub, but she warmed up quickly to it. She now loves her bath and also has little bath toys she plays with!

6 Months Old

Happy 6-Month Birthday Holland! She was so excited to watch Reed dance!

We introduced food starting at 5 months, but we found a better routine around month 6. I went from wondering how Holland would learn to eat, to having her try all kinds of different foods! We started with baby oats mixed with formula and then added on new foods, like avocado and blueberries mixed into the oats. She progressed quickly into being interested in grabbing food and bringing it to her mouth (with a lot of misses), so I added scrambled eggs and pieces of strawberries. Holland also likes to eat chicken and tiny bites of PB&J.

I realized that I don’t take many pictures with her eating since I normally have food all over my hands. Here’s when my mom was helping feed Holland and of course, Bear was right up in the action trying to catch a bite.

One of the cute changes was that Holland because much more interested in Bear. She would give him funny looks like she was analyzing him. I even got a picture of her smiling at him! She’s still not super excited about Bear, but she is definitely curious about him.

One of the big changes right around 6 months was that I went back to work. I didn’t go into the office, but I did start working from home during the day. Reed and I didn’t have childcare yet. We didn’t send Holland to her first daycare because of multiple COVID outbreaks and enrolled her in a new daycare. The new daycare didn’t have a spot for her until June. We made the difficult decision to watch Holland while we both worked at home. It was really tough, but we made it through!

I got Holland some new toys to help occupy her while we worked. The activity gym helped give me a few spare minutes. Even though Holland would babble a few different sounds, she mostly said “EEEE”. It was so funny. It was a short phase that’s already passed, but it was cute that she would yell out Es all the time. Another thing I loved was how much she liked rattles. I didn’t know babies would literally shake their rattles to hear the sound. I had the best little handheld rattle toys for her.

My mom visited us during some of the final days of us working without childcare. I am forever grateful for her help! Holland had so much fun and soaked up all of the attention! It was right around this time that Holland outgrew all of her 6-month onesies. She also moved into size 3 diapers. My mom helped me pack away a ton of her baby clothes that no longer fit.

We also took Holland to the Butterfly Pavillion for the first time! I’ve always loved visiting butterfly houses, and I hope Holland will want to go back when she’s older. She was curious about all of the butterflies and kept looking at all of the movement above her.

The fishbowl toy was a favorite since it made great sounds! When we first gave this toy to Holland, I had to pick up the fish from inside the bowl and hand them to her. Then one day out of nowhere, she started reaching into the bowl and grabbing the fish out herself! I was so surprised! It’s been fun to watch her gain new skills. When she does learn something new, she acts like she’s known how to do it the whole time. She also really concentrates on anything in her hands. Sometimes I catch a smile, but often she has a serious look on her face.

For Memorial Day weekend, we took a quick trip out to Steamboat Springs with Bear included to use our free IHG nights. We walked around the town and by the Yampa River. It was a little warm out for Holland and Bear, but we enjoyed the beautiful springtime trees and pretty day.

In Steamboat, we tried out the Old Town Hot Springs. The water was a perfect temperature for Holland and she was just one of several babies trying out the springs. She was very tired, but she seemed to like the warm water.

Holland finally started daycare during her final week as a 6-month old. We were a little nervous for her, but Reed and I were relieved to have Holland in a school so close to our house. Poor Holland was getting bored being at home while we tried to work. I could tell she desperately needed new activities and attention. I do feel like she’s able to get that now that she’s in daycare.

By the end of her first week in daycare, Holland was able to sit up by herself! We were so surprised! It happened when she was just 1-day shy of turning 7 months old. I can’t wait to see her reach other milestones. It was so sweet and made me feel like my little girl was growing up!

Keep growing big and strong sweet girl! It makes me sad that our first half of a year with you has ended, but I’m excited for all of the amazing days ahead. You are serious, funny, cute, and so smart! Let’s hope I can keep up with you as you become more mobile very soon.

 

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