life according to the diaz's: 6 Months Old!

Elena Elizabeth turned 6 months on May 30th! I attempted to take some photos of her with her 6 month sticker on her onesie, but she was not a fan of having pictures taken the other day. Now that she is aware of the things she wears and the sounds certain objects make, instead of just laying there with a scowl on her face before taking a picture, she had to make sure she played with the sticker on her onesie. I admit, I was getting kind of annoyed that she wouldn't stop playing with it so I could get a good picture, but I suppose that is what 6 month olds do, right? Geez, settle down mom...ha ha I'm sure we'll have just as much fun at the end of June for the next round of monthly photos. The hard part, honestly, is that these monthly pictures seem to come by too often. Our little baby is growing...and too fast!!
Elena went to see the pediatric dermatologist this past week to check on her birthmark on her outer left thigh. When she was born, it was just a red birthmark (I think it's called a hemangioma, but don't hold me to that), that was even with her skin. Ever since birth, though, the mark has raised a little off of her skin. So, to be sure nothing was wrong with it, our pediatrician wanted us to see the dermatologist just to make sure there were no other growths under the skin to worry about or the possibility of infection. Everything turned out just fine and the dermatologist is not expecting to see us again anytime soon. I was relieved to know Elena's mark is totally normal and may even go away after a year or two. We go back to see our pediatrician this coming Wednesday for the 6 month well baby check up and more shots. I'm hoping Elena does just as great with this round as she has done with all the others. We've been SO fortunate to have such a healthy, happy baby so far. We are truly blessed!
Last weekend was Elena's first Memorial Day weekend. We were SO glad that it was hot out so we could go get our famous baby pool and fill it up for Elena's first swim. I must admit, I got butterflies in my stomach when we were filling up the pool last week because I was just remembering how just one year ago we were doing the same thing and I was struggling to stay balanced on a raft in our little pool. Now we have a baby girl to balance on her floaties. It's amazing how much things can change in one short year...and make your life so much better. The water was SO cold getting in the pool the first time, but it felt great because it was so hot and sticky outside. After getting Elena all dressed up for the pool, we got out there and took a dip. At first, she really didn't know what to think. She preferred to have me hold her while she held onto the sides of the pool and proceeded to "eat" the side of the pool. At this point, everything new goes into her mouth, so why would the pool be any different, right?! When I showed her how to splash a bit, that's when she got more comfortable in the water. She even started splashing and giggling at herself. It was so much fun. Too bad it's just a little too chilly today for a dip in the pool. I guess we've got all summer, though!!! It still doesn't seem real to me that I don't have any school this summer. I get to stay home and be with this baby. Wow.
Juan starts summer school on Monday and he is really excited about it. It's going to be a fast month with lots of activities and we are looking forward to everything. I'll post more later next week after Elena's six month appointment with how much she's grown and if we're ready to move onto REAL baby food!! We are SO excited. She continues to eat huge bowls of cereal now and taking 6 oz bottles with no problem. We are ready for the good stuff. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to make some home made baby food or buy some. My gut tells me to do a little of both, especially since I'll be home more often now to do some of these "stay at home" mom activities.
Happy Summer Everyone!!