Lyra Rose Half-Birthday

How did this happen! Six months have never gone by faster. Lyra just won't listen when I tell her to stay a sweet, squishy baby a little longer. Waaaaa!

She has the brightest little eyes around and I actually munch on her cheeks everyday. You hear that phrase plenty, but I mean I literally munch on her cheeks with my lips every. single. day.
Lyra jumps for joy when she's excited about something and it is adorable. Things that make her jump are #1, Rowan, #2 Other People, #3 Milk. She doesn't seem crazy about nursing unless it's nighttime.  Lyra is more interested in cooing at me or watching the never-ending show that is her brother and cousins.
She has gotten in the habit of wanting to sleep actually in my arms at night. She can't sleep near my arm or near me, but she must be in my arms. She rolls and wiggles across the bed whimpering until I hold her. It's tender, but exhausting. I miss the nights she would sleep in big stretches. Traveling is the destroyer of all good sleep habits.
Lyra's love for Rowan continues to remind me of a childhood crush (though comparing it to that will likely make them both disgusted someday when they can read). She is completely enamored with him and will track him around the room with her eyes all day. She giggles and laughs at everything he does. He is the first person she wants to see in the morning. Lyra seems delighted to just be near him or touching him in anyway. You've never really seen her biggest smile until you've seen her around Rowan. Row...likes her, but mostly doesn't know she exists. He is really sweet in the mornings and after her naps. He will kneel down right by her face and ask "How was your nap? Good?" in a sing-song kind of voice. Their favorite game together is to have Row run around in fast circles while I carry Lyra swiftly behind him. They both laugh hysterically and I can't get enough of it. I sometimes will put her on Row's shoulders, but she usually has to be removed within five seconds because she loves those luscious locks of his as much as I do. She is constantly pulling his hair, likely with the desire to glue it to her own fuzzy head. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered doing the same. That hair though.
Lyra is SO fast and coordinated. She's already doing the little pincer grip to try and pick up food or other random objects. Her sitting next to anyone during meals is sort of a disaster. Those chubby, quick fingers of hers will immediately grab the plate, fork, cup, food that is in her reach. She sadly toppled a salad over at Zoupa's the other day that I had been looking forward to eating for months. Luckily my hubs is the best in the universe and got me a new one despite my insistence that "they don't do that here".  She is doing mostly average with gross motor skills. She sits like a pro, has mastered the art of rolling to get things, and is pretty darn close to crawling. Have you ever thought what life would be like if you had to roll to get places? I think I would shave my head and take about 80 baths a day. I guess the no hair thing is hugely beneficial for babies so it doesn't hinder their exploration of the world.
Her eyes are still this gorgeous rainbow. She has all the colors! Brown, gold, green, blue, and grey. They seem to change hour to hour. She still tends to have one eye more dominantly dark than the other. I'm super excited to see what color they decide to be or if they decide to continue to be a kaleidoscope of colors. Her hair is also still a mystery. The hair coming in is a few shades lighter than the hair she currently has. I still adore rubbing her fuzzy head. It's gradually becoming less fuzzy which makes me a little sad. I just adore the 6-month stage. They are so squishy, happy, and lovable. Nothing in this world is sweeter than a 6-month old baby.
We haven't gotten her measurements for this month and won't until she's past 7-months because we are still partying in the West until late January. She is not nearly as garganutaun as Row was those first few months of life. She seems like a puff of air compared to Rowan's current toddler status. I find myself just wanting to hold and snuggle her when I need to be doing other things. There is always something that needs to be done, right? I recently talked to Sel's grandma who had 8 kids and her philosophy was to take the first year of each baby's life and soak it in. You can tell how much she loved/loves each one of her babies and how much joy they brought/bring her. Leave the house to itself because it will always be there, but that baby won't. I want to start doing this more. There are obviously a few things that need constant upkeep, but nobody was planning on nominating me for housekeeper of the year prior to my new baby philosophy. If I feel like picking her up and just squeezing her for whatever time I can spare, I'm going to do it. While I am so excited to see her grow and become more of this sweet, little person, I'm also heartbroken she's moving ahead so quickly while I can barely catch up. Six months has practically evaporated. I barely had time to soak her in. They just change so darn fast!
One thing that doesn't change is how deeply I love this little one. She is so good for my soul and our family. Happy Half-Birthday Lyra Rose!

She loves the baby in the mirror/phone

Those bright baby eyes!

Contemplating her first view of snow. I think she loves it

The love of her life

This was always my favorite view of Rowan too. I love seeing their adorable neck folds and the way their cubby cheeks hang lower than their jawline. 

Granny Lou and Lyly

In the most adorable outfit around

Trying to get the phone by using Aunt Sarah as a launching board

Sucking on Grandma Johnson's hand for lunch. Those thigh rolls!

He loves her so much it hurts

Lyra LOVES to eat shoes. Ugh. The other day a really kind Albertson's employee helped me load my current three under three (I get to hang out with my 18-month-old niece while we are out here whose middle name is Awesome) and he placed Rowan's shoe that he kicked off on her carseat. A kind gesture, but one I didn't notice until later. By the time we drove the three minutes to McDonald's for lunch, she had soaked through it with drool. Gah. 

Why doesn't the heart-eyed emoji show up as an option on my computer? Honestly, why don't emoji's exist on all keyboards by this point? I just feel like you can express so much with one tiny face. 

Stella's bananas were swiped shortly after this picture much to her dismay.