Miller at 6 Months:
Callen at 6 months:
I cannot believe we are here! Six months! I want to cry just thinking about it.
I think you always want your baby to grow up to see them do new and exciting things, but once they do you wish you could go back to the newborn stage.
A few things have changed since her Five Month Update.
6 Month Update
I broke this up between Miller and Callen so you could see exactly where each baby was at 6 months! I highly recommend that you document things like this so you can go back and see how your babies differ! It is so fun!
Updates
M-She has doubled in size! Her appt isn’t until the 23rd, but I cannot wait to see how much she weighs and how many inches she has grown! I bet she is still >99% in height for sure! I will update you, and this post, after her appt!
C-Callen just had his appt. Can you believe he weighs almost 19 pounds? He is 76% in weight and >99% in height. He and Miller seem the same length wise, but he is muchhhh heavier!
M-She is sitting up unassisted. The first time she sat up and stayed up unassisted was at 6 months 1 day. She still can’t stay up for long. If she leans over left or right she usually goes toppling. She also still thinks she has back support so she will lean back often.
C-Has a ways to go before he can sit up unassisted. We are practicing with him daily, but Miller seemed much further along at this stage. The dr said they like to see them sitting unassisted by 7 months so fingers crossed!
M-She has rolled over a few times and we have missed it every time! We just hear commotion and walk over and she is on her belly! I am sure it will happen a lot more now that we are back home. She didn’t have much room in her pack n play at the resort and we didn’t leave her on her back for long while we were in Mexico.
C-This is so funny. Callen is ALL OVER THE PLACE. He has been rolling back to front and front to back since he was 4 months old. We will lay him down in the middle of the room and 5 minutes later he will be across the room getting into something!
M-She still HATES tummy time. She will go longer but still has a long way to go in upper body strength. We have been slacking doing it so we are going 3x a day now. We still think she will walk before she crawls. She loves to stand up (assisted).
C-Callen doesn’t mind tummy time since he has been rolling for a couple of months now. We honestly just lay him on the ground and he usually finds himself on is tummy and he sleeps on his tummy in his crib. He also hardly puts ANY WEIGHT on his legs when we try standing him up, unlike Miller who loved standing up at the coffee table with our help.
M-She is definitely teething but I cannot feel or see any teeth yet!
C-He has his two bottom teeth already! Seems to still be teething so some others may be on there way.
M-She found a few consonants like mmmmma or bbbbbba or ggggga. I don’t think I have heard a D yet, but Troy probably will say he has haha!
C-Callen is saying MAMAMAMAMAMA and sometimes just MAMA! So happy!!! He also likes WAWA and baba.
M-She has to CONSTANTLY be entertained. She always has to have a toy to play with or suck on. She wants us to be right next to her or holding her at all times.
C-He is pretty independent. He isn’t at the clingy stage yet but definitely needs to have toys around him or in his hands to be content.
M-She knows now when you leave the room and will NOT have it.
C-He doesn’t seem to mind yet.
M-She throws a fit when you take a toy away.
C-Could also care less. Which is good bc Miller snatches his toys from him all day long.
M-She also throws a fit when you change her.
C-He has never fussed once on the changing table.
M-Lately she discovered her tongue so it is basically out all the time now.
C-Same!
M-She is still a thumb sucker and will not take a paci.
C-Opposite!
M-She had her first diaper rash between 5-6 months and seems to get them every so often now when she poops.
C-Had his first and only diaper rash at 6 months 1 week.
M-She still has the same schedule as always, so we will need to work on dropping a nap now. Wish us luck! Should be easier now that we will be starting her on formula and solids.
C-We started Callen on solids at 4 months so we dropped a nap then! He now naps 3 times a day (the third one may be for 30-45 min if we are lucky!)
Lately With Mommy
M-
Miller doesn’t seem to ever be full. She is growing soooo fast and I just can’t keep up. I also don’t think I am giving her enough fat in the milk I do give her. I have decided to stop breastfeeding as of today. She is already used to taking a bottle so I don’t have to ween her off the boob, I just have to let my milk slowly dry up. I will do a blog post once it is done to let you guys know what I did and how it went!
We have a big supply of milk we are still going to give her. We will start mixing the milk and formula at first for awhile to get her stomach used to it. I will let you know what formula we decide on!
Solids start this month and I am going to mix puree with finger foods. She still has a bit of a tongue thrust so I am just going to take our time with it until she is comfortable.
I feel so extremely guilty to be done breastfeeding. Read THIS POST on why I decided to STOP BREASTFEEDING. I have gone back and forth with myself now for a month. Troy and I discussed it for a long time in Mexico and weighed the pros and cons. In the end, it is better for our family for me to stop. Every family is different and I hope you guys can respect my decision!
Oh and between last month and this month my left nipple has been killing me ONLY when she feeds. It is a sharp pain. Do you guys know what this is? Do I need to see a dr? It only hurts when she is nursing.
I have gained a lot of weight. At first the breastfeeding knocks all of the baby weight off, then you slowly gain it back, then I worked out hard and was really fit and lean, and then I let myself go and it piled on hard and fast because I am still nursing and always ravenous! No idea what will happen once I stop. My sister said she gained so much weight when she stopped but others have said they lost it. All I know is that I need to start working out again and get healthy again. I don’t feel fat by any means but I could get some muscle tone for sure.
C-
I stopped breastfeeding at 3 months. He is a big, healthy boy. Two totally different experiences and I wouldn’t have changed either.
Callen had colic and my let down was too fast for him. I stopped breastfeeding and switched to a bottle and he was a totally different baby.
When I stopped breastfeeding with Callen I definitely shed weight fast. I also did a collagen supplement for weight loss and I worked out harder and faster with him than I did with Miller. Again, wouldn’t have done anything different. I did what my body told me I could do each time.
Products We Swear By at This Age:
Miller-
1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I 13 I 14 I 15 I 16 I 17 I 18 I 19
1 & 2. These work hand in hand. When your baby gets a bad diaper rash use the Lotrimin (recommended by our pediatrician) and then put the Mustela cream on top! Goes away so fast! If the rash is still there in three days call your dr. They will prescribe Nystatin.
3. Still use the Owlet every time we put Miller down for the night. It ran out of batteries at 2am from traveling yesterday and I barely slept the rest of the night! People ask about the false alarms. We haven’t had one but I would much rather have a false alarm than no alarm at all.
4. We use this to keep her drool rash at bay. When it gets really bad we mix a little cortisone with it.
5. Honest diapers ALWAYS. We just love them!
6. Our favorite bows are from Cru & Co. It is an Etsy shop! Her big headband-like bows are from Baby Bling.
7. Magnetic Me Modal footies are the absolute BEST AND EASIEST! So hard to find. When they release new colors you have to buy them asap before sizes run out. HERE are some new ones on Amazon. Only the first 4 prints are the modal/spandex so only choose between those 4. The rest are cotton and not near as good. The modal footies stretch with your baby so they can wear them for a reallllly long time!
8. Still our favorite sleep sack. The ones from Marks & Spencer are just so extremely soft, wash well, last forever, and are the perfect thickness. Plus they have really cute prints!
9. She has to constantly wear drool bibs now! These are our favorite.
10. She is LOVING these cups! I thought there was no way she would be interested but she pulls them apart and chews on them all day! They are amazing and only like $4! They are apparently great for learning too!
11 & 12. We keep these in the freezer and they really help her when she seems to be hurting! She can grasp them easily and the remote is so cute. She always tries to grab our actual remote so I knew she would love it!
13. Still her favorite carrier and we have tried a few! Also comes in black and grey.
14. This is still helping her get through tummy time!
15. Still keep this play mat on rotation. The elephant that plays music is a godsend. We bring it everywhere with us. Once she can sit up completely unassisted we will put the balls in there for her to grab.
16. She is just now loving her activity center! I recommend putting your baby in there with just their diaper or with footies that have a lot of grip at the bottom. She gets frustrated when it is hard for her to plant her feet. Oh and I found it on major sale!
17. Still loving this chair for eating and for playtime!
18. For some reason she LOVES the Doona. We bring it to restaurants now because she prefers sitting in it over her stroller. I just wish it was lighter or we would have taken it with us to Mexico. The Uppababy carseat is super light so we brought that instead.
19.Love this travel stroller. It is sooooo light! We picked it because we live in Texas and frequently travel to the beach. We needed the mesh backing. We use it for walks now as well just to keep her cool. Other travel strollers that you can put in the overhead bin are great too, but they don’t have this mesh backing. The black is finally back in stock!!!
Callen-
1. I would add Kyte Baby. I love their onesies and sleep sacks for Callen.
2.These are the drool bibs we use for him. Much better than the ones we used for Miller!
3.Definitely the 4moms high chair. This is what we feed him in.
4.A ball cap (bc it is so cute & keeps the sun out of his face.
5.And this is so funny to see because he is almost in size 5 diapers! Shows you the difference in their body size!
Please let me know if you have any questions!!
xox Amanda
Comments
You might have a milk blister. I had them a lot when my daughter first started nursing without the nipple shield. It can hurt a lot! They just look like tiny white or blood filled spots on the nipple.Try the Earth Mama nipple butter or saline soaks (literally dunking the boob in a salwater solution) for at home remedies. Otherwise, the doctor or LC can prescribe APNO (All Purpose Nipple Ointment) which also works really well. However, if you are weaning I bet the Earth Mama would take care of it.
Ah never thought of that! Could definitely be it! Thank you! xox A
Is there a good swim diaper that you like using for Miller? I need to start looking into that for my 5 month with summer almost here.
no we tried pampers swim diapers and we were holding her and she peed and it went all over me and then troy was holding her one time and she pooped and it exploded all over him :/ haha xox A
Is she drinking from a sippy cup yet? If so, which type does she use?
No not yet! I just stopped breastfeeding this past week. She is still drinking from a bottle! A
Love love love these updates! The hurting while nursing could be a bleb or thrush? But it sounds like a bleb to me. I’ve had 2 and the freaking hurt while nursing! You can try your haakaa with hot water & epsom salt to pop it or (a sterile needle 😖 this is what I had to do)
Kudos to you figuring out what works best for your family! I’m anticipating the drying up process/update.
Much Love!
It could be but I don’t see anything in her mouth. I am going to have the dr check it.
A
No need for you to feel guilty or worry about being shamed for quitting breastfeeding. You have to do what’s best for you and Miller and only you and her know what’s best.
I couldn’t breastfeed either of my girls. Don’t know why, just didn’t really work – well one had to go into the NICU at 3 days so that was part of the problem with her- but both of them are doing just fine even being formula fed.
Us women can be pretty hard on our tribe at times but if you know in your heart that you are doing the right thing, that is all that matters.
Thank you sooooo much Susan! This means so much to me! xox A
Totally support your decision to stop BFing. My little one is almost 5 months and sometimes I feel like if I even look at my pump again I’m going to scream lol. Would love a post on your decision and pros and cons to stop!
Yes I will do a blog post on weening and everything for this! xox A
My daughter, Marianna, is exactly 1 month older than Miller. I love reading your updates and posts, because I can relate in real time. I am literally going through the same decision with breastfeeding/weaning/supplementing. I am curious to hear what type of formula people are recommending and how you plan to wean!
Thanks again for your posts!
I will do a blog post for you guys on this! xox A
I feel the same! My baby is 5 1/2 months and I feel like my weight has fluctuated so much too. Also my nipples are getting sore every so often too.
Also you do what’s right for your family! Try not to feel guilty, you are doing great and you are still the best momma to Miller. She is growing and healthy, you’ve done a great job so far and will continue to do a great job!
thanks so much Jessica!!!! So sweet of you to comment to tell me that! xox A
Hey! New mom of a 14week old girl, breastfeeding, and I love your posts about Miller! Curious what sunscreen/bug balm you used for her in mexico!?!
~Angie & Stella
I used Tubby Todd sunscreen and we just used OFF but we only sprayed her stroller, never her directly! A
I’m in the same boat as you right now! My baby is 6mos on Saturday and I’ve really been struggling with the thought of breastfeeding for another six months. I also don’t think he’s getting enough fat from my milk. I absolutely love the bonding time we have while breastfeeding in the morning, so it will be hard to give that up, but I think its best for me to regain some control over my body.
Dani, Please just do what is best for you! I think we tend to overthink things a lot when it comes to our babies. You will know what is best for your family overall! Sometimes letting go is best! xoxA
The pain while nursing could be due to you having thrush, especially since you mentioned that Miller has had some diaper rash’s too.
Fed is best!! Breastfeeding is not for the weary! Everyone and every family is unique and as long as baby is healthy and happy, then that’s what matters!
I am definitely going to have the dr check her tomorrow for thrush in case I am missing it! xox A
All of these items help do much! I got more than half 🙂 thank you!!!
I am so glad Jen! Congrats on the babe!! xox A
The pain could be she’s flattening it … Do some extra nipple prep LOL and see if it makes a difference.
I did the same thing with my first- dropped the weight while breast feeding and then when I stopped it rebounded back like 10 lbs bc I was still eating like I was breastfeeding lol but you look amazing. So no worries! 🙂
Thank you so much! I am a professional at hiding what I want to hide when it comes to clothing haha! Everything I brought to Mexico was high waisted or one piece! xox A
I would highly recommend Triple Paste for diaper rash before calling for Nystatin. Having had 3 babies Triple paste is the only thing that worked for them and it was just one lotion to apply not multiple layers.
Miller is precious and I love her name! Don’t have any guilt for stopping nursing when you decide (even though you will….mom guilt is real lol)! Fed is always best! Breast milk or formula! You have to do what is best for your family and not worry about anyone else. I did a combination of nursing and formula for all 3 of my girls and they are just fine! Ha!
Your support means so much to me! Thank you!!
xox A
Awesome, thanks for letting me know!! I will try it!
xox Amanda