Six months old!

(Warning: Post a tad redundant since Daddy got to it before me but oh well!)

Elora has turned six months old! She has hit a lot of milestones in the past month and it's very exciting. To start with, she had her six month check up with the pediatrician. Her current stats are:

Weight: 14 pounds, 10.5 ounces (25th%)
Length: 26 inches (50-75th%)
Head: 16.6 (25-50th%)

The doctor was very pleased with her overall condition. She got four shots and one oral vaccination. The appointment ran long and she fell asleep before the nurse could come in with the vaccines. She woke up briefly to shriek when she was poked but quickly fell back to sleep. Thankfully she had no adverse reactions to any of the vaccines. :)

In the last few days she has recently begun saying, "mama"! She says it deliberately now while looking at me, not just as a random noise. I'm so excited! We also caught her sitting up by herself from a flat on her tummy position. She's become very mobile. She's not crawling quite yet but she can roll across the room easily. She is also getting up on her knees and rocking and sitting up on her own with no support. She is very interested in playing with toys and other babies and really loves going to baby yoga.

We began Baby-led Weaning a few weeks ago and have been quite successful at it. She didn't show any real interest being fed with a spoon but she loves being able to pick up chunks of food and feed herself! So far she's eating everything from soft fruit and steamed veggies to potatoes in curry!

This is a very busy time developmentally for her and, as can be expected, her attitude has changed quite a bit. While she's still a very sweet, happy baby she has become much more prone to fussing. She wants to be held as much as possible and lasts much shorter periods of times in restaurants. She has no teeth yet but we're expecting some any time now. I love watching her grow but I'm starting to think this stage is harder on me then it is her! Thankfully most nights she sleeps in at least 8 hour stretches.

-Amber

Six Month Checkup

Elora is 0.5 years old! As usual, we reward this milestone with a doctor's visit. A real marathon visit - an oral medicine and FOUR injections. Elora handled it with grace; a few mild cries, and immediately calm again!

Weight: 14lb 10.5oz (25-50%)
Height: 26" (50-75%)
Head Circumference: 16.6" (25-50%)

Weight is under the trend curve, but apparently this is quite common when babies first become mobile and start burning more calories.

Mastered:
Bedtime. Elora can put herself to sleep at night with minimal intervention, and sometimes even sleep through the night!
Rolling, not just to change position, but as a method of travel to reach a destination.
Grabbing items, and passing off from hand-to-hand.

Starting:
Rocking. Being able to get up onto one's knees and start rocking back and forth is a sure precursor to crawling.
Sitting up. Elora can, when pulled into a sitting position, can stay sitting while interacting with people or toys.

Feet are so four months. This is far more fun to get in my mouth.

(PF Changs, watching Giggle Bellies)

Introducing Elora, Canadian

It is my pleasure to introduce Elora, now officially confirmed a Canadian citizen.

As my daughter, she was automatically a Canadian citizen at birth. However, being born outside the country, a citizenship certificate is the only formal proof that she is Canadian. Despite predictions of six months or longer, we received her certificate in approximately four months (three months from the date they acknowledged receipt of the application). The result is a decroative letter-sized certificate declaring Elora to be a citizen, effective the date of her birth.

Documenting Elora's citizenship was certainly not a necessity, but was an important emotional step for me (Dad). While I may not live in Canada right now, many of my family and friends still do. I still visit Canada regularly, and I have a great deal of pride in the country of my birth. I hope establishing Elora's citizenship will allow Elora to share that pride with me... and of course insist that she gets to take days off school during important hockey games.

I actually get asked a fair number of questions about this topic, so the rest of this post is dedicated to FAQs.

Q: Does the US even allow dual citizenship?
A: Yes, the US allows multiple citizenships, and allows citizens to hold multiple passports. Particularly in Elora's case (where no naturalization is involved), US law and policy is crystal clear.

Q: Will you be getting Elora's Canadian passport?
A: Not right away - her US passport is more than sufficient for travel (even to Canada). Infant passports in Canada are only valid for three years, and minor passports only for five, so that's a lot of renewals for a document she wouldn't really need to use. Once she is sixteen and eligible for (what will hopefully be) a ten year passport, it may be a more interesting discussion then.

Q: What about the recent changes to Canada citizenship law?
A: The changes are specific to second-generation inheritance; so it does not apply to Elora, but would impact her children.

Q: Is Elora eligible for UK citizenship as well?
A: No, similar to Canada's (recently changed) law, the UK limits second-generation inheritance of citizenship.