Dear Arianna, (6 months)

Dear Ari,

Your personality has come out in full this last month! Your best quality yet: You smile at anyone who smiles at you. I can't tell you how many people you have made happy because you smiled at them. You have had a lot of strangers play with you this month, and you have behaved wonderfully!

You still have no teeth, but you love to chew and drool! Your new favorite thing is to hang upside down. You love to lay across my legs with your head hanging over. It calms you down and you usually start cooing. Your hand eye coordination has really improved and you are able to grasp almost anything in front of you. I have had to be much more careful with what is within your reach. You can't sit up yet, but you are working on it. If you have something to look at you will sit up for about 30 seconds. I wouldn't be surprised if you were sitting up on your own in a week or two. 

You have also started to hold your own bottle. You have been doing this for a while, but recently you have combined the holding with "throwing" yourself backwards to eat. I am impressed that you have figured out the connection. You have finally started to use your arms to push up while you are on your stomach! That has helped you to be happier on your stomach, but you still get frustrated. I can't figure out why you don't just turn back over...you know how to, but you don't...

We have had some real adventures this month. We went up to St. Louis twice! Once for your Aunt Skylar's wedding shower and the second time for a Petersen gathering, wedding prep, and Skylar's wedding. I was so surprised at how well you did with lots of strangers, little sleep, and crazy meal times. You touched a lot of hearts. So many people love you, thank you for showing that love back. Most babies don't do that. 

We haven't gone to the doctor yet this month, so I will have to update later with the stats, but we did weigh you at a friends house. You weigh 17.2 lbs. You just keep on growing. 

Arianna, you are the joy of our lives and bring happiness everyday to those around you. We love you. 

Photo Shoot: 

Dress was a gift from Aunt Amy Wu! Thanks!

Oops! Can't sit for that long!

but long enough to get a smile!

I love her kicking legs!

I feel like she looks so old here...