Oh no - Christmas and New Years have come and gone and that means that I am officially on the last half of my maternity leave! Time to enjoy every single minute (or at least recognize that I am enjoying it) of my time at home with Ryan. She's 6 months old now and I can't believe how fast she is changing and what a beautiful little girl she is.

The holidays were a perfect combination of lazy and busy. We went to Bathurst the week-end prior so that we could spend time with family and then we were back to Freddy so that Santa would know exactly where to find us! We have spent Christmas in Fredericton the last couple of years but it was especially fun being our first time as a family. Santa did find Ryan... Rumour has it he worked very hard putting her new toybox together on Christmas Eve. When she woke up on xmas morning she (or should I say we) were delighted to find her toybox and a great new sled! She did pretty good opening her presents as well. We sat her on the couch and gave her a little head start by ripping the paper a bit and then she ripped it a bit more! With a little help from Mom and Dad we were in a pile of paper in no time! December 30th was Jason's b-day and Ryan helped Mommy make Daddy a special card and then came the New Year which we rang in as quietly - just the 3 of us, and enough food for a small army (can you say New Years Resolution?).

So what's up with Ryan you might ask? She has personality to spare and wakes up with more every morning. We began introducing a bottle to her and by December she was taking to it quite well. Another bottle here and another bottle there and all of a sudden she was completely weaned. It was very easy in the end and I am so thankful for that - I hear it is not always the case... She had her first cold with the runny nose to prove it. I think it was more traumatic for Jason and I than it was for her. The nurse says she can get between 8 and 10 a year so we better get used to it. Ryan began eating 'solids'. I have to laugh because her first 'solid' food was runny oatmeal. She took to it great at first and is now acting somewhat (totally)disinterested. Today we might try sweet potato. Maybe it will be more palatable? She is showing lots of interest in various little toys and is almost as big a fan of Dr. Suess as her mother is! Zippered sleepers have become quite the challenge as she seems to know that if she locks her knee then we can't change her diaper - what a smart little cookie!

All in all we are plodding along well - always marveling at how much someone can change in such a short period of time!