birthdays, babbling, and boo-boos

Yesterday was the big day - Elliott Rose's six month birthday! For good times, and to indulge her mommy, let us take a look at Elliott when she was first born and again at (just about) six months of age:

So tiny and peaceful (5/12)

I'm growing up so fast! (11/11)

Ellie and I started out her half-birthday by playing with a new toy, the beloved Rock-a-Stack that has been around for eons. Here she is, checking it out for the first time:

Playing with her new toy (11/12)

Next, we went to the pediatrician. Judging by this picture, Ellie seemed to know something foul was afoot from the moment we sat down in the waiting room:

Something's up, and I don't think I like it! (11/12)

Turns out she was right - she had to have four shots in her pudgy little legs. Oh, how I hate to hear her scream from the pain. It breaks my heart every time!

But the doctor said she is in great shape. Here are her six month stats (it seems she is still freakishly long with a tiny head):

Weight: 15 lbs. 14 oz. (47th percentile)
Height: 26.75 in. (82nd percentile)
Head: 16.5 in. (33rd percentile)

In the afternoon, as if she had been secretly reading the baby books and discovered it is now time to step up in the babbling department, Ellie started talking up a storm. Her favorite sounds include: baa-baa-baa-baa-baa... and maa-maa-maa-maa-maa... The latter makes me especially happy, though she prefers to say "maa-maa" only when agitated. I'll take what I can get, though. (Unfortunately, every attempt to record her babbling has been thwarted by the appearance of the recording device. As soon as she sees the camera or cell phone, she stops talking.)

The waterworks came again later that evening, when Elliott banged her head, just above her eye, on the step in her nursery. It was her first baby boo-boo, and it left a sad little bruise. But mommy and daddy made up for it by bringing her over to her baby friend Ava's house to hang out. The dads stayed in to watch the babies while the moms went out for dinner and some much needed R & R:

Jennifer & Ava with me and Ellie (11/12)

Now, some more on the boo-boo front. Today it was my turn to injure myself. I am not always the smoothest of women when it comes to wielding kitchen knives. As I was slicing some cheese for Ryan's lunch today, I thought to myself, "I should be cutting away from my hand, not towards it," when WHAM! The knife sliced right into the top of my hand. It was more gross than painful, really; the cut was about an inch wide and the top layers of my skin were pushed back really far. Before the blood started oozing out, I could see into the deep recesses of my hand - a place no eye should ever see. Nasty! I remained uncharacteristically calm and informed Ryan of my wound. He cleaned and bandaged me up and I seem to be healing quite fine (though I haven't yet removed the bandage to verify that.) I will spare you photos of my injury, don't worry!