Snuggling under the warmth of a cozy blanket, I watch the snow fall gently through the window. Baby’s sweet murmurs, coos, and simple sounds fill the silence, punctuated by the occasional giggle. I can’t believe she is already six and a half months old.

This has been a season of firsts. In December, we celebrated Baby’s first Christmas. My wife’s family flew across the country to be with us and we spent our days eating and laughing and attempting to sled through the knee-deep snow in our yard. Our plan was for my wife’s brother and his wife and baby to join us. Unfortunately, their daughter was too sickly to make the journey. They have been struggling a lot with her. My sister-in-law gave up on breastfeeding after four days and our niece has not done well on formula. She developed serious acid reflux and was hospitalized over Christmas. We were all very concerned. My wife and I offered to donate our surplus breastmilk to them, but they were unwilling to accept it. Today, our niece seems to be on the mend, though she is being medicated for reflux and she gets sick often. We feel so fortunate that our daughter has been nothing but happy and healthy during these first few months of her life.

Although my maternity leave was too short and despite not wanting to work at all, I’ve been fortunate to spend the last six months working from home as a staff attorney for an international animal rights nonprofit. Although this experience was short-lived, it was wonderful while it has lasted.

The flexibility in my schedule allowed me to be present with Baby as she moved through her early milestones: rolling over, laughing, sitting up, and starting solids. We are trying a Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) approach, having Baby join us during our meals and letting her serve herself selections from some of the foods we are eating rather than spoon-feeding her purees. It has been a joy to watch her discover tastes and textures. So far her favorite foods are green apples, avocado-filled tortillas, and spaghetti.

 

In addition to BLW, my wife and I have implemented other parenting strategies, many that are Montessori inspired. For example, after never using it, we officially returned Baby’s crib in February and replaced it with a full-sized mattress we placed on the floor. We decorated it with bright colors and pillows, but when Baby sleeps on it, all those things come off. We are currently in the process of baby proofing the entire room. For now, the new setup is working great, but we will see how we feel about it when she becomes mobile!

We have also been practicing Elimination Communication (EC). This approach encourages learning and listening to Baby’s cues, and helping them to the potty when they need to eliminate. The idea is to help Baby avoid sitting in her own mess. Another benefit to doing this is that it often results in getting baby out of diapers much faster. In our experience, not only has Baby been receptive to this practice, she seems to enjoy it. We’re enjoying doing less cloth diaper laundry. In fact, we have not had to launder a poopy diaper in over two months!

Baby is a traveler. So far, she has been to 15 states! We recently did two trips to New York City and Brooklyn, toured Philadelphia, visited my grandparents’ grave at West Point, and visited my wife’s brother’s family in Virginia Beach. We have taken Baby hiking through the snow and watched as the flakes gathered softly on her long, dark lashes.

 

My wife and I spend every Sunday downhill skiing on our local mountain. We take turns hitting the slopes while the other parent watches Baby. Our daughter spends her time on the mountain charming everyone she meets, from other skiers to the cleaning crew to the lodge bar staff. “A little skier?” people ask. “As soon as she can stand!” we reply.

I have cherished every moment with Baby. In fact, I have been so present with her that I struggled to find time to update my blog. I am mesmerized by her—the way she discovers the world around her, the hard work it takes for her to do the simplest things such as bring a piece of food to her lips or manipulate her mouth and tongue to form the word, “Mama.” She is a wonder. Her next project is clearly crawling. Baby has been pushing her little hips up in the air from her tummy position, and using her Pikler Triangle to improve core strength.

As the temperature began to warm (they dropped again this week), I took Baby to watch the ice jams in the river. For those of you who are not familiar, it gets so cold in Vermont that the rivers freeze in thick, icy sheets. As the waters begin to thaw, they crack off loudly and are carried by the current until they are pushed into the river banks. There, they pile up and create what looks like a stone wall. I pointed and explained the phenomenon to Baby. She squinted her eyes in the sunlight and squealed with glee.

Last week, my mom flew out from California to spend a little time visiting with Baby and with us. We went for long walks, skied, and enjoyed an evening candlepin bowling. My wife decided having a baby on her hip was the key to success!

 

This Monday, I begin a new job with a firm in town. I’ll be focusing on LGBTQ and Family Law litigation, and possibly a little criminal defense. I’m excited to return to community-based practice and to the courtroom, but I am sad to be leaving Baby for nine hours per day. I just need to keep focused on the time I do have with her, remembering that while I may be a lawyer by trade, my primary job is Baby’s Mother. And it is the best job in the world.