My little girl turns six months old today! On one hand, I can't believe that it's already been half a year since she entered our lives. On the other, I can't wait for what's to come. I'm eagerly awaiting her first steps and first word. I'm even looking forward to the teenage years, if you can believe it. (Toy courtesy of the super-thoughtful package Other Pieces of Me sent us soon after Claire was born) I thought that Claire was still behind on most of her developmental milestones, but upon more careful examination of the chart, it seems that while she is behind on some (eg, she has not rolled since the day she rolled twice, and she has yet to roll front-to-back), she is...

I wish my daughter was one of those babies that can sleep anywhere. I wish she were a naturally good sleeper. But she is neither of those things, as she is a highly sensitive child who is always so transfixed by the world around her that she needs to be in a dark, quiet room free from stimuli (and in her own, comfy crib) in order to fall asleep and sleep well. And I am pretty certain that this isn't something that you can "train" a baby to do. I am a firm believer that every baby — every person — is different, and as a result, some are naturally more sensitive sleepers than others. Take my sister and I, for instance. When...