FAQs

Too often I talk to parents of slightly older kids who cannot remember when their kids started to roll over, smile, crawl, etc. And these are BIG things. There are also little things that they do on any given day that I think I am never going to forget but then cannot remember to tell my mom about it when I talk to her on the phone the next day. That is why blogging seemed like such a good idea to me. All these things are too precious to forget, so I took a piece of paper and over the course of a few days came up with this list that I called ANASTASIA FAQs: The First Six Months. I put them down as they came to my mind, so forgive me if it seems a little bit random.

ANASTASIA FAQs: The First Six Months 

• born at 8:23 pm on April 10, 2009 (Good Friday)`
  
• came home on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009
• her name is of Greek origin and means "resurrection"
• in Russian her name is pronounced Anastaseeya
  
• slept through the night at 4 weeks
• started smiling responsively and cooing at 4 weeks
• rolled over from back to tummy at 7 weeks
• grabbing at, batting at and shaking toys and objects at 2.5-3 months 
• sitting up with support at 3 months
  
• rolled over from tummy to back at 3.5 months
• started rocking on her hands and knees at 4 months
• able to sit up on her own if I put her up at 5 months
• pulling up to sit on her own at 6 months
• creeping around in a caterpillar-like motion at 6 months
• is starting to attempt to pull herself up to stand (so far she can only get up on her knees and then slides down, but the intent is obvious - I am sure it won't be long ;)
• will take a few steps if we hold her hands

My dear Anastasia, at 6 months you

are "talking" in different tones and love to blow "raspberries"

say "ga", "wa" and "rrrr" (like the French ;)

squeal in delight and growl

recognize words kitty, daddy, Anastasia and baby

like to "talk" with your mouth full (of toys or toes) cry with real tears when truly upset or hurt and without tears when just mad

cry when a coveted object (like mommy's watch or computer) is taken away from you

for a while you would smile really wide every time you heard the little song I used to sing to you in the hospital but by 3 months you forgot it

are starting to learn baby sign language: mommy, daddy, milk, all done, etc.

can grab and hold on to really small objects

swat and grab at anything mommy or daddy are eating 

can pinch (ouch!)

suck on your own toes

smile and flirt with random people at the store or restaurant and make their day

get very excited to see daddy after his long (very long) work day

love Harley the cat (you took out a lot of hairs and one of his whiskers while "petting" him)

think Shasta the dog is just hilarious

love watching daddy make silly faces and sounds at you

laugh and squeal at the blue Nessie on Baby Einstein DVD and smile at the sloth we occasionally see on PBS

know how to wave Bye-Bye and are learning how to clap (love watching others do it, and starting to bring your hands together and gazing at them for a while, unsure what to do next)

like to splash in a bowl of soapy water (fascinated with suds)

enjoy the games of Peeka-Boo and Little Piggies

favorite food - sweet potatoes, least favorite - peas

favorite books - Guess How Much I Love You, I Love You Through and Through (anybody notice a pattern here? :))

favorite songs - Чебурашка, На Ладони Божией, Звездная Страна

favorite toys - musical nursery rhyme book, TV remote, cell phone, breast pump, mommy's watch, the computer, anything with lights and/or sounds

your first little friends - Ethan Smith, Alex and Leah Samo, Silas from church nursery, your cousins when they are in town

nicknames: Bunches (short for Honey Bunches), Little You, The Girl, Little Lady, Princess, Анастейжечка Грейсик, Мамино Солнышко (the first one is a variation on her name and the second one means Mommy's Sunshine in Russian)

sleep on your tummy most of the time, but when really exhausted - on your back with arms raised up above your head

don't like taking naps

if mommy has coffee or Coke (only occasionally) you become very playful and alert and will stay up until very late at night

are a burping champ

are a little explorer - love to get into things that get left around, like mommy's purse, a stack of CDs, the basket of kitty toys

like to explore different objects and textures with hands and, especially, mouth

love your orange pacifier - will find it and put it back in your mouth if within sight/reach

are going to be an angel for your first Halloween

have been out of state once - to Minnesota (IKEA)

are the apple of your parents', grandparents' and great-grandparents' eye

have never seen your Russian family yet :(

apart from the initial scare right after you were born you haven't been sick a day in your life (praise the Lord!)

weigh 17.5 pounds and are 27 or 28 inches tall

have curly blond hair with a slight reddish tint that is long enough to be put in pig tails

wear 12 month size clothes and size 3 shoes

gray eyes

no teeth yet ;)

Uff, that is all I can think of so far. I might add a few items later if I think of more.