Six months!

So, after your baby is born, it's customary to take a six-month blogging hiatus, right? :]  Gosh, it's been a while!  I guess I need to do some serious catching up here.  I'll do my best!

-- Caitlin was born on April 23rd at 7:52 AM.  She was nearly 7 lbs., healthy, and beautiful.  Her birth story is kind of a long one, so I'll save that for a separate post, but basically: I labored at home until my water broke, we checked into the hospital, and then 27 hours later, she was born.  Other than 3 individual doses of Nubain to help me get my rest (my labor was SLOW and steady!), I was completely drug-free.  I delivered her without an epidural and it was the most amazing experience of my life.  No exaggeration, my first thought after giving birth to her was, "I want to do that again!"  The rush of happy hormones that you get afterward is astounding and unlike anything else I've ever felt.  My heart fills with joy every time I think about it.  I could not have done it without the amazing, unwavering support of my husband, the wonderful, patient birthing staff at the hospital (who respected my wishes detailed in my birthing plan), and the fantastic HypnoBirthing course I took, taught by the nicest doula (although I'm sure they're all super nice!).
-- Chris was able to take a couple of weeks off for paternity leave and it was really wonderful to be able to have that time for us to bond as a family of 3.  The days and nights all ran together, which is to be expected of bringing home a newborn, but somehow we survived!
-- Breastfeeding was TOUGH for me in the beginning.  I was in a lot of stress about it because I was worried about getting the "perfect" latch.  I would wince in pain, so I was worried she wasn't latched properly, and if she wasn't latched properly, I worried about the potential damage it could cause to myself, but more than that, I worried about her being able to eat adequately.  I had many, many times where I would be in tears trying to feed her and I wondered if it would ever get better.  But I kept at it because I heard the voices of other moms in my head: they all promised it would get better.  And it did.  It took me a good 3 weeks, maybe 4, but it did.  I stressed about getting the perfect latch every time, but it turns out that it was just a sensation that I had to get used to.  Now, Caitlin and I are pros at it!  So, if you struggle with breastfeeding, know that it's okay.  Although it's "natural," realize that it's a learning experience for both you and baby.  Give it time and try your best to stick with it because it really is worth it.  There are so many benefits to breastfeeding!  Plus, it's built-in bonding time with your baby!
-- I have to briefly mention the awesome technique of BabyWise.  (And I'll go ahead and put out the disclaimer that what worked for us, may not be right for your family.  Trust your own judgement.)  There's a book which goes into more detail about it, but basically you adopt a routine of *eat, wake/play, sleep.*  We've done this from the start and I can happily tell you that Caitlin has been sleeping through the night consistently since she was 8 weeks old!  (Except for the occasional growth spurt when she needs an extra feeding, of course.)  We don't use any "sleep props."  We don't own a baby swing, our bouncy seat doesn't vibrate, and we don't rock her to sleep.  We lay her down when she's drowsy, but awake, and she falls asleep on her own.  BLISS.  I should also mention that swaddling has been a key component to getting her to sleep through the night.  The SwaddleMe blankets are worth every penny!
-- Caitlin was baptized on Father's Day in the same church that Chris and I were married in 6 years ago.
-- Caitlin has been sleeping in her own crib and has been in cloth diapers since she was 12 weeks old.  Both have been going swimmingly ever since!  [If you're curious about cloth diapers, check out Shawna's blog post: http://styleberryblog.com/an-accidental-passion-cloth-diapering-for-the-modern-mom.]

More recently:
-- Caitlin has started to sit up on her own.  She still nurses about every 3 hours during the day, sometimes it's 4.  She goes to bed around midnight and wakes up around 8 AM every day, which has been the case for a couple of months now.  She can reach out and grab things more easily.  Some days she's really quiet and others, she's blowing bubbles and squealing up a storm!  She loves being read to and she loves polka-dots!  At 6 months, she still has her blue eyes, much to our surprise.
-- We introduced solid foods this weekend, on Sunday.  (Again, I'll say what we're doing may not be right for your family.)  We've decided to adopt the Baby-Led Weaning approach.  There's a book about this too, but basically the concept is that babies can feed themselves when given the opportunity.  We're skipping cereals (rice cereal isn't very nutritious anyway; check out the WhiteOut Campaign) and purées.  Instead, we're starting with steamed veggies and soft finger foods to allow Caitlin to feed herself.  We'll eventually spoon-feed her yogurt and applesauce, but for now, it's up to her what goes into her mouth and how much!  I'm very excited for this new adventure and so far, it has been extremely entertaining watching her explore food!  I love it!  [If you're curious about another couple's take on baby-led weaning, check out John & Sherry's post on BabyCenter: http://blogs.babycenter.com/life_and_home/our-take-on-baby-led-weaning/.]

That's the quick update from us for now!  Caitlin is a very sweet, adorable baby and we're very blessed to be her parents!