six months old

Dear Tabitha,

Your fifth month was quite a busy one and a growing one for you! As I mentioned last month you had some pretty significant stranger danger that meant that even friends could not make eye contact with you for long periods of time ( and strangers?! definitely not!) without you bursting into dramatic tears. I was starting to think it was going to go on forever and we'd have to buy stock in Kleenex, but lucky for you and us, we had a month stock full of visitors that basically FORCED you to become more social.

We had about a three week period where we had some College friends of Brett's come visit us before starting more of their training to become missionaries in South America. Your namesake Tabitha visit from Canada and your Papa and Spicy from Nacogdoches. At one point we had five adults and two other children in the house with you. Through sheer survival you learned that other people deserved your smiles and the privilege of holding you just like your family. Well done!

On June 6th ( so barely into your 5th month) you laughed for the first time. It was pretty cute. I was holding you while Ransom was "doing his business" on the potty. I was also reading the book "Blue Hat, Green Hat" to Ransom. It seemed like, for the first time, Ransom got the humor of the book and started belly laughing. You in turn started laughing at Ransom laughing and it was like a bathroom comedy hour! Now you laugh quite frequently, but mostly at Ransom or other children.

The other thing that you did for the first time this month was sit up by yourself! You still can only do it for about 10 seconds at a time before you start to leeeeean forward for support, but you're pretty adorable and look very grown up when you're practicing.

You had your very first Independence Day in Nacogdoches and you were very good and allowed all sorts of strangers to look at you and hold you! You seemed to really loved meeting many admiring fans and family members and we hope that you'll start to show the love more and more in return! Afterall, pretty is as pretty does!!

We are still struck by what an easy going baby you are and how, even when you haven't gotten good sleep or you are hungry, you really are very good about not making too much of a fuss! You still light up when you see your Daddy or Mommy or Ransom walk into your view and you love to chew on anything that is within your grasp!

You are our Angel and our little Miracle and with thank God for you every single day!

Much love, Mommy