6 MONTHS

Six months -- hard to believe. As always, you change very quickly. You've really started to have seperation anxiety, which normally starts around 4-5 months when babies can really recognize people. You do this thing now where you'll be in your jumper or on the floor and you start staring at me. You don't really smile, you just stare. Then all of a sudden you burst into sobs. No warning, nothing, except maybe a frown. When I come close and pick you up you stop immediately. It's like your little brain thinks: "Wait. Mom is there and I'm way over here. Why is she so far away? Waaaaah!!" Supposedly this round of seperation anxiety is fairly short, and then it starts again when you start crawling very well, then walking. Then you realize you can move away from me, instead of me moving away from you.

The one thing that hasn't been changing very much, and that I've been observing you and considering since you were born, really, is that you seem to be a highly sensitive baby, with high needs. I'm not sure if everyone thinks this about their baby, since babies are in general demanding, but Dr. Sears (the pediatrician and baby-expert I trust the most) lists qualities of "high need" babies in his book, and you seem to fit all of them. I keep thinking maybe you'll change, but so far you haven't -- I think it's the way you are and will always be. Some of the qualities are: supersensitive (easily bothered by changes in their secure environment), "Just can't be put down," "not a self soother," "intense," "wants to nurse all the time," "awakens frequently," "unsatisfied, unpredictable," "draining," and "demanding." Dr. Sears also says that these children often become "bright," "sensitive," "capable of develping deep and intimate attachments," "interesting" and "challenging" as they grow, as long as their needs are "accurately read and appropriately responded to." These babies, he says, have the potential to exceed in people-places such as school or daycare and develop multiple interests and talents later in life, though meeting their needs in the early years can be difficult and sometimes tiring.

Mulling this over in my mind helps when you wake every couple hours at night, protest when I put you down or stop rocking, awaken instantly when I try to lie you in your crib for a nap, squirm about when you're in my arms or when I change your diaper, and want/need to nurse for 45 minutes to go to sleep. You are not a "mellow" baby, that's for sure! You're intense and active, curious, highly alert, sweet, squirmy (you're about to crawl and sit up at once), and vocal -- although you don't cry much at all any more unless you are left alone (which is understandable!).

We've started feeding you some solid foods, although you aren't overly interested yet. Grandma Janis has had the best luck feeding you pears and rice cereal, but today Dad fed you some green beans that you ate as well. You usually spit most of the food out, but sometimes take good bites. You're still much more intersted in nursing than eating food -- fine with me. It's a sweet time together.

More to come!