Six Months

A Reflection

These past six months have been the most meaningful and fulfilling of my life. Six months ago, my daughter entered the world. Half a year! I can’t believe we have been parents for half a year. I am still amazed that my body has begotten life. This astonishing little baby. So much could have gone wrong along the way, and yet—here she is. The easiest miracle of our lives. She was ready to be our daughter as much as we were ready to be her parents. Everyday we are so grateful. She is the most beautiful blessing of my life. I love her fiercely with every fiber of my being.

She is strong and smart and chatty and smiley and determined. She already has the best taste in music, turning to watch her daddy play whenever he picks up his guitar. And she has the best comedic timing, whether it’s sneezes, toots, or coos. I love her fuzzy head and her chubby legs and her soft belly and her long eyelashes and her kissable cheeks and her pouty lips and her gummy smile—my god, her smile! It is the best feeling in the world, to make her smile. Luckily, it is not too hard to do—especially if you are willing to make silly faces and weird noises, or sing her good morning. Lately she has been rolling across the room, sitting up on her own, putting everything in her mouth, making a sound like a high-pitched Wookiee, rocking on all fours in an attempt to crawl, and laugh-squealing on special occasions (usually when I pretend to eat her).

She is my favorite everything.

Yesterday on the winter solstice, my husband and I exchanged our birth stories that we had written down—each of our perspectives of the day I went into labor (on the summer solstice) and the delivery. It was so special to relive that life-changing day.

Today, I made homemade salt dough impressions of the baby’s hands and feet (something I wish I had done when she was just five pounds and that much tinier… But alas, time went faster than I asked it to). I also took the monthly photos that I do of her, and she is eating her milestone card in the most adorable way in many of them. We had lots of snuggles and playing and book-reading and music-making as a little family today too. It is incredibly special to spend these lazy holidays off together.

It has been an honor and a privilege to watch her grow and slowly-yet-rapidly evolve into this little person in front of my eyes these past six months. It will be an honor and privilege every new day, too. I love you so much, my baby girl.