6 months...ish...and Kidneys

Lots of pics and video's in this one... I say that all the time.  This time I mean it.  :)

Well, Emilyn is 6 1/2 months now.  That is just CRAZY!  I feel like I was just waddling around praying for her to finally come, and now she is already half a year old.  People always say time flies and you think, yah yah...but it's true.  Time truly does fly.  

At 6 1/2 months, Emilyn is SO MUCH FUN!  I mean, don't get me wrong, this whole experience has been amazing, but her personality is really starting to come out and she is SO MUCH FUN!  She is c.r.a.z.y., has so much energy, loooooves to talk and smiles at everyone.  Seriously.  Everyone.  People always comment on how she is such a happy baby and how curious she is.  She watches everyone, follows people and things around the room, and stares at you like she's playing the staring game determined to win.

Recently we've started swinging with her.  She's now graduated to the baby swing on her own, but from the first "lap swing" she's loved it.  She smiles, kicks her legs, giggles and would stay in the swing for an hour if we let her.  Below are one of J.D.'s favorite pics with him and her, her swinging in the baby swing with the BEST look of joy on her face (probably my favorite picture of her to date) and her talking and giggling while swinging.  

On her six month birthday I decided to have a "photo shoot" and this pic below is the gem from that morning.  

I also wanted to post a video of her interacting with one of her toys because she's so active.  This video is actually a pretty mellow version of her play times.  

These videos of her giggling and in her bouncer are more like her typical energy...and boy does she have a lot of it!  

She L.O.V.E.S being in a bouncer...I think that's pretty obvious!  :)

At Emilyn's six month check up she was a happy little camper and everything checked out great!  She is now 16 1/2 pounds and, I think, 26 1/2 inches.  (Maybe 27)  This puts her in the 52nd percent for weight and 75th for height.  She is eating oatmeal on a regular basis and our Dr. wanted us to start introducing other solids as well.  So far, she's had sweet potatoes, squash and carrots.  Tomorrow we start pears.  I have to say, I feel like the luckiest mom in the world because she is so so so easy.  No fits, no tears, no screams.  She's eaten everything with complete ease, opens up for the spoon with no problem and loves everything she's tried.  Below are pictures of the first time she sat in her high chair and the day we went to the Dr.  

Emilyn also has learned how to sit up and hold herself up standing.  (She can't pull herself up to stand.  I prop her up and she holds on.)  Below is a pic of her standing in her crib, looking oh so cute on Mother's Day and sitting up on her own.  

Speaking of Mother's Day (my first ever!) we had a lot of fun at church in the morning, eating at my favorite breakfast spot in Portland (The Jam) and spending the afternoon lounging in our backyard drinking iced coffee and eating an amazing cake from Beaverton Bakery.  It was a nice, relaxing day.  

The final thing I wanted to talk about in this post is Emilyn's kidneys.  We had another ultrasound today to check out her Kidney Reflux.  We think everything looks ok, but there is one possible problem that we will find out more about in six months.  One of Emi's kidneys has shrunk since her first ultrasound in December.  This is most likely not a problem because when the first scan was done she had an infection which causes the kidneys to swell.  It can take three months for the kidneys to go back to normal size, so it's probable that her kidney was swollen, and during this scan it was normal.  If, however, in November, we find that her kidney hasn't grown it will mean immediate surgery because the two infections she had have permanently damaged it.  Our Urologist is one of THE best in the northwest and has awards posted all over his office for being so.  We feel confident about his prognosis, and are not worried at all.  We are pretty convinced, as is he, that she is healthy and growing normally and had a very swollen kidney in December.  

Below are two pics from today, during her ultrasound.  She was, of course, a perfect angel and let the tech do her thing without any tears or screams.  

We feel so so SO blessed to have Emilyn in our lives and are enjoying every minute of being parents.