Um, hi there, Mr. Molar

Well, not exactly, but I see that huge molar just below the surface. And I also stuck my clean finger in that swollen mouth and felt Mr. Molar, which Dalia very much enjoyed. You might think I am crazy, but I am not. It is true that babies generally get their bottom front teeth first and then... (well, you know the drill)... but my Dalia likes doing things her way--she already is, my friends, a mini-momma.

So after ice cold teething rings, a lot of mommy/Dalia cuddling, gum massage, wash cloth straight out of the freezer, and an above average dose of my favorite teething tablets, I resorted to Acetaminophen (but not the Tylenol brand).

While I do not like the idea of medicating the little branch on our family tree, I don't want her to suffer unnecessarily. The things we battle with :)

So maybe there is a light at the end of the teething tunnel?

Play Space

So we have a small place and there is no place for Dalia to have her own play room, but we are so fortunate to be able to provide her with an adorable play space (move over, kitchen table!):

She loved her surprise! She knew it was hers--something in the way she looked at the colors and toys told us that she was blissfully happy. That content smile and little giggle was all we needed.

We could have spent a ton of money on this (I know people who spent over $200.00 on the floor tiles alone), but that was not in our budget, especially considering we are doubling the rent we pay in about two months. We decided to get some nice interlocking foam tiles from Buy Buy Baby and a few new age-appropriate toys that Dalia "tried out" on some of our play dates.

Fortunately, we aren't into excess and we don't like the toys-piled-in-the-toy-box approach. We would rather research and select a few toys that make sense for Dalia. Our goal is to show her through example that less is more and that is OK! This is not to say she won't have plenty of fun toys (believe me, she is already a bit spoiled by her Grandma, Grammi, Papa, Saba, Safta, Aunties, and Uncles), but we want her to know and appreciate what she has.

Daddy and Dalia enjoyed playing together:

We are so happy that she is able to have a space of her own.

That Precious Gummy Smile

Look at me!

I am six months old!

AND I love to smile for all of my fans ;)

But despite my crankiness (you wouldn't guess from this photo that I am miss cranky pants), I have ZERO teeth!

You might think that waking up several times in the middle of the night is quite inconvenient, and it is, but one good thing about Dalia never really having slept through the night is that we really don't know what we are missing. Our last full night of uninterrupted, blissful sleep is so far behind us that I don't think we could even imagine it if we wanted to!

Yes.

We are in FULL ON TEETHING MODE, and quite frankly, it is a test of patience! Dalia requires constant love, affection, and attention. It is exhausting! But you know what? We can see that little white bud just waiting to emerge from the mountain of swollen gum tissue.

Steve and I are in betting mode: Sarah=6 days until we meet the tooth Steve=2 weeks

Who will win the prize? What do you think?

Overdue

I am officially overdue.

For a blog post, that is. And I promise I will fill you all in on our family's week just as soon as I get some "free" time :)

Dalia Loves Sippy Cups and Oatmeal

I thought you all would appreciate this home video:

The Dream Doctor: 6 Month Check Up

If there is one thing we are sure of with regard to this parenting thing, it is that we selected a pediatrician that is exactly the right fit for our family. Our 6-month check up just reinforced this in a big way.

Robert Minkus is an attachment parenting parent's dream doctor. He is extremely supportive of (but does not force or look down on your for not) 1. breast feeding (extended breast feeding, even) 2. cloth diapering 3. co-sleeping 4. alternate vaccine scheduling (delayed Hep B and MMR shots) 5. baby led soliding 6. natural "remedying" before medicating. If this weren't enough, he is also the most reasonable, caring, compassionate, uplifting, knowledgeable doctor we have ever met. How lucky we are to have found his practice.

Our visit was great! Dalia weighs over 17 pounds and is in the 80th percentile for weight. She is 25 1/2 inches tall, which puts her in the 46th percentile for height. We talked about solids, waiting on administering the MMR vaccine until she is two or three, sleeping habits, and the hot "organic vs. not" topic. My preference (this is Sarah talking, and please do not think that I think my personal preference is right for you or your family) is to buy local over organic any day of the week. So much of the organic food sold comes from around the world, and while the idea of eating less chemicals is appealing to many, including me, is the process of buying, selling, and stocking these foods really in line with the supposed message of being environmentally friendly? It takes just as much energy to fly an organic mango around the world and into Whole Foods as it does an inorganic one. Perhaps the chemical free aspects do outweigh this for some people, but for me, the better option is local (which is often organic anyways, but that is another story all together).

We can't WAIT to start shopping at our local outdoor market-we can actually meet the people who grew our food. Now THAT is worth the extra buck or two (or four).

The one thing our pediatrician did say is to stick with organic milk (he listed tons of research and reasons, but I will spare you). So we will likely start buying a different, more expensive milk, but in the end, I think the extra money spent will be well worth it. H is having a hard time with this idea, but as always, he will come around. It is all about what works for you and your family, and that is the most important thing to take away from all of this.

Unfortunately, (but also fortunately) we are moving in July and are in the process of finding a new pediatrician (and place to live) for the year. No plans are set in stone, but we will probably venture back to the good old midwest after our year in DC. Not only will it be great to be near my family for a little while (we will probably end up on the coast again within 5 years), Chicago also wins for having the best "cost of living vs salary". The housing prices are affordable here, even for something in a hip and diverse neighborhood, such as East Roscoe Village, or a Jewish area close to Lake Michigan, such as Rogers Park. Perhaps we can be real suburbanites and get a nice place in Northbrook! Preliminary searching shows that we could get something fantastic in a great area for much less than what the costs are in the greater DC area.

So, if anyone out there knows of a Dr. Minkus twin practicing in the DC area let us know!

Breakfast at the Doula's House

We loved everything about the birth of our baby, Dalia. One of the best decisions we ever made was to hire a doula, or labor assistant. Our doula came to our house and helped us labor at home in our tub, selected music, and used various techniques to help facilitate the natural birth that we desired (including massage, whohoo!). We attribute much of our success in natural childbirth to having an amazing doula. She advocated on our behalf and provided consistent guidance and support. She told us that we could do it when others around us doubted it. She believed in what we were doing and reminded us that the decision we made was worthwhile. She was refreshing for us. She listened, cared, and was empathetic. She even came by our home on Thanksgiving for our post-partum check-up--now THAT is dedication!

Yesterday she and her husband invited us for breakfast at their lovely condo in Chicago. We had a wonderful time sipping lattes and eating a scrumptious meal. After a lot of solid food talk, sleep schedule talk, and mommy talk, we called it an afternoon and said thank you. Fortunately, they live quite close to Lake Michigan, so our family of three took a stroll to the icy blue water in the Sunday sun. Mommy had her camera in hand:

Marvelous Mommy Giveaway

One thing I love about blogging is that there are often lots of giveaway events. A blog I enjoy very much, Marvelous Mommy, is giving away one "Sweet Pea" hat . Not only are these hats adorable, they are hand crafted! Lets hope I win!

She is also doing a give away for an awesome looking sippy cup called the Tommee Timmee. I like the weaning cups (though we aren't weaning for a long time) and the drinking cups :) Lets hope I win this one, too!

http://marvelousmommyamy.blogspot.com/