The firsts roll in...

So many big things to report in the lives of our girls.  Sam is doing well at school.  She seems to like the activities.  They had to make a star about themselves to share.  Due to printer issues and my not being willing to keep her up way past bedtime, I had to make the star (I know, already doing her homework for her :)  But she did decorate it with stickers the next morning.  

Here is a picture from Zoey's official half birthday.  I cannot believe 6 months have already passed since she entered our lives.  What a blessing!  Sam's school has color theme days right now and the day was blue day, so she chose this shirt and wanted Zoey to match.  Zoey seemed okay with her "you are my sunshine" onesie. She also seems to have read a book on what babies tend to do around 6 months, because she had started changing so quickly.  The first big one is that she erupted her bottom 2 incisors, which tend to come in between 4-7 months.  Sam was a late teether (not getting teeth until after 8 months, http://southernkellings.blogspot.com/2008/10/incisor-emerges.html) and Zoey already drooled so much that I would check periodically, but I was a bit surprised to feel 2 when there seemed to be a bit more drool.  She also seems to have some others just below the surface.  But she continues to be a pretty happy baby.

Her official 6 month panda pictures.  We will also have some done by a professional photographer if the weather ever cooperates.

Sam and Zoey in front of the panda.

And Zoey must have read that 6 months old is when babies sit up because within a couple of days she went from able to sit for a few seconds before toppling to being able to sit up by herself and stay that way unless bumped or reaching too far while distracted.  It was an amazingly fast change.

With Samantha, if people said "What a cute baby, what's his name" I would sometimes just say Sam to avoid embarrassing them if she was wearing pink or a long explanation if she had a gender neutral outfit.  With Zoey, I do not want to say Joey (which she actually was listed as for our neighborhood newsletter for a bit), so I bought her a hairbow.

And with 6 months came her introduction to "solids".  We started with oatmeal.  She loves it, leaning towards it and trying to eat it.  A lot still runs out, but she gets a fair amount.  Sam wanted to help feed her as well.

A video of her first reactions.

She really loves water.  Of course, most of that does roll right our of her mouth.  But she got mad when I took it away to try and feed her.

A video of water "drinking".

And since she sits so well, I thought she deserved a bath in the actual tub.  She had a great time.  She does love to splash and reach for toys.

After church today, we told Sam to change out of her dress.  This is what she selected.  Nick says she is trying to complete the mini me look by bringing back the 80's.  :)  It is probably something I would have worn.

A video of my 6 month old sitting.  She has changed so much, it is amazing.  What an amazing girl.  I sense that she may be a bit competitive, she already is flying by some of Sam's early milestones and really loves to watch Sam.  I imagine she will walk early and be right behind her big sister.  Watch out world, Zoey will be mobile soon.  She can already get all around a room by rolling and inchworming, basically getting up on all fours and flopping forward.  She can also crawl backwards.  And she has figured out one or two forward strides here and there.  I bet she will crawl really soon.