Half a Year Old Already

Morgan is 6-months old today! Mommy and Daddy both asked, "How has it been a half a year already?" It is hard to believe how much she is grown and developed in these few short months; it is quite amazing when you think back to the earlier memories.

Milestones

* Sitting - Morgan is starting to get the hang of sitting and like most things does really well when she wants to. :) It doesn't hurt (literally) to have a little help from Mommy, Daddy or the Boppy, otherwise, because at this point face plant is inevitable.
* Cause-and-Effect - She is also starting to realize and recognize cause-and-effect. For example, she has learned how to turn on her Aquarium in the crib (especially when it is supposed to be nap time) and loves to roll over, push the button, and watch the fish swim. With sleeping going so much better, sometimes the sound of the aquarium is the only way you know she is awake!
* Sleep & Food - Two big milestones that were already posted of the blog and huge steps for this month were sleeping through the night and starting solid foods.
* Practice Makes Perfect - In addition to all the new things, Morgan is definitely perfecting all her older skills; for example, rolling over, tummy time, playing with toys, grabbing items and putting them into her mouth, and interacting with the world around her.

Social Butterfly

It is hard to keep track of Morgan's calendar sometimes. She is such a social butterfly and loves getting out, meeting people and seeing new places. Being home for the summer, we are having a great time fitting in a ton of activities (as you can see from all the blog postings :) ). Last week for example, we had a couple lunch get-togethers with Mommy's friends (aka members of The Morgan Fan Club), a playdate, and a wonderful visit from Grandma B, Aunt Hillary, and cousin Sophia. The week was complete with a fun pool party at the Criddle's (Kaya's house).

With the month countdown till Mommy goes back to work already started, there are a lot of things we still want to do. We are also making sure to have plenty of one-on-one time too. Some of our favorite activities have been just playing around the house, walking in the park with the Baby Bjorn, and taking the stroller out for a spin to the library or, if Mommy is lucky, to get a smoothie. We also joined the community pool at the park which has been great especially with all the heat waves this year. Morgan loves the pool and observing all the action there. She really enjoys playing with this simple set of plastic keys and splashing in the water. Daddy just taught her motor boat and for the past week she has been making the mouth sounds at home too...somehow "keep the pool games at the pool," was not part of the lesson. :)

Sleep, Glorious Sleep (finally!)

If you can believe it...the Brown family is actually getting some sleep! Morgan is finally sleeping through the night (for now anyway). Yeah! Although we hope we didn't just jinx ourselves by announcing that. ;)

She has been gradually getting better since the 4th of July weekend (when we had enough activities that she literally passed out at night)...first eliminating the 2-3am feeding but with screaming for an hour at 5am, after that week we had crying at 6am, and finally we arrived at this morning when she probably woke up somewhere between 6:30-7am and waited patiently until Daddy greeted our smiley little girl at 7:15. Can't describe how great it feels! The days aren't always that perfect, but we definitely are enjoying the ones that are.

Morgan is getting the hang of our consistent sleep routine of: jammies, medicine, mini-baby massage, story, lullaby, and feeding at around 7:30pm (and a second feeding at around 10:30). Naps are getting easier too...for today's AM nap, she actually fell asleep on her own!

Food, Glorious Food

I finally got to try solid food this weekend! Ok, maybe the word "solid" is a bit of a stretch since it was basically a little bit of rice cereal mixed with a lot of milk, but hey, I used a bowl, a spoon and a bib so that is a big step. Still need a little practice with the whole swallowing thing; I think I got most of the cereal in my tummy by tilting my head back and letting it slide down, but not bad for a first shot.

I can't wait to try food with some color. Although I am sure the cleaner-upper and diaper-changer are not as excited as I am. ;)

Philadelphia First Timers

Our friends had never been to Philly before so we took the train and spent a day in the city, giving them the "insider" tour. It also happened to be Morgan's first time seeing the city as well!

We packed in all the sites that we could in one day...Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, lunch at Reading Terminal Market and a quick stroll through Penn's Landing, Society Hill, South Street and Avenue of the Arts with a final stop at City Hall.

Whew what a day! We had a lot of fun with the girls. Morgan was hamming it up as usual, especially when she had her sunglasses on. We even had one tourist who couldn't resist taking a picture.

4th of July

We really enjoyed Morgan's first 4th, celebrating with Todd, Cindy and Olivia (our friends visiting from OH). The day was complete with a traditional cookout and despite the small amount of wind, a spin out on the boat at Peace Valley Park.

We even ventured out for fireworks in the evening. It was a late night, but the girls did really well and loved the lights.

My Friend Olivia

I had a ton of fun meeting my new friend Olivia when her family came to visit this past weekend from Ohio. Born just a month before me, she is just my size! We had a great time celebrating the 4th of July, seeing Philly, and spending some time playing together.

We also managed to fit in some swimming at their hotel. I loved the water! I think I am going to be a lil' fish like my Daddy.