Baby Blogging: Annabelle is 6 months old!

Did you see our first post of the year, a vlog update on Annabelle's first six months.

For some reason Annabelle hitting 6 months has helped us take a sigh of relief. All the SIDS (safe sleeping) guidance seems to say that after 6 month babies are less likely to die of cot death or something else in their sleep and as that is the the only time we aren't watching her like a hawk it has helped us relax. Phew!

Annabelle can also sit up and support herself meaning there is a lot less responsibility on us to support her neck. Although she does have the tendency to face plant or fall back when she is concentrating too much so we're not totally out of the woods. In fact only today she face planted so badly she bruised her head, I was cms away and couldn't catch her. #badmum

Six months is also a big milestone for us as we have managed to keep a human alive for that length of time and have adapted to our new normal. We thankfully still get to sleep in (thanks Annabelle) but there are still one or two or three wake ups in the night. Mainly for food, sometimes as she has rolled on to her front and can't get comfy! #hardlife

We still haven't plucked up the courage to put Annabelle in her cot for the nights, I say courage - I'm not sure it's that. I like having her near me, it's easier for feeds. Plus if she is crying and I can't reassure her I am a ninja at de-sleep suiting her and getting her in bed with us where she sleeps soundly. We always go straight back to sleep and sleep for longer.

Annabelle is eating - well starting to. Our weaning process have involved following Ella's Kitchen guide and the 'Young Gums - Baby Food With Attitude' book by Beth Bentley. It has a general guide as well as recipes that you can make one handed. Even better the recipes are also for adults and encourage you not to make separate food. So far we have tried:

• Mash potato
• Sweet potato
• Brocolli
• Green beans
• Egg
• Peas
• Suede

We are loving it more than Annabelle but she's definitely embracing it.

Six months of breast feeding. Way back when I first started I wrote this post - it was a simple but painful start. I always maintained I would continue as long as I could (well it's free) but I never thought I would be sitting here at 6 months saying I was still feeding. Thankfully it is still working for us both and so I will continue until it doesn't and she is getting all she needs from food.

And so without further a do a quick round-up of Annabelle's 'main' achievements so far:

There have been plenty of little moments along the way to and I never thought I would be the kind of Mum who spent her days posing her baby to celebrate each milestone but Annabelle seems to enjoy it - it doesn't take much to get her to smile and the ring light seems to be a source of interest and amusement.

Being her Mum is an absolute joy, the great, happy moments far outweigh the hard times and every day she'll do something new that has me amazed.

Six months really is a great age, all Laura and I want to do is make Annabelle laugh and smile. In fact it is literally what we spend the majority of our day doing. Lots of peek-a-boo, tickling, throwing around and general silliness....we haven't laughed this much, this frequently for a long time either.

So here are Annabelle's monthly pictures:

We can't wait for the next 6 months and the years to come!