Happy 6 Months Annie!

The kids keep asking how many more months until you are one year old, and it is crazy to think you are already halfway there!

This month included lots of firsts, and many milestones showing how much you've really grown since you were born.

At the beginning of the month, you took your first flight and made your first trip to Disney. You did great on both flights! You also did well at Disney - generally only fussy when it was meal time for us (I think Murphy's law was in effect here!). You hung out in my Ergo carrier most of the time, and every now and then the stroller (though you weren't a huge fan of the stroller).  At Disney we got you a Minnie Mouse pillow pet . . . although you are still too little to have Minnie in your bed, you really liked it and were pretty cute playing with it.

During our time at Disney, you sucked on your thumb a few times, and I was sure it meant you would become a thumb-sucker. However, since then you've maybe only gotten your thumb once or twice and you seem MUCH more interested in sucking on your toes! You also continue to love to chew on your Aden and Anais swaddle blankets, and you've also enjoyed a new Aden and Anais lovie we recently got you.

 

You've become an expert roller in both directions, and can roll on any type of surface (including my lap!). We recently got a video monitor, and we watch you flip all around in your crib as you try to settle down to sleep. Amazingly, you often end up sleeping in the same end of the crib no matter where I put you down. We've officially transitioned you out of your rock n' play sleeper and into your crib this month. It wasn't easy at first, but I'm SO glad we've made the transition. You fall asleep fairly easily most times when I put you in your crib. Although you still don't sleep very well through the night, you have started taking MUCH better naps now that you are in your crib. I think it really helps to be removed from all the distractions (also known as your siblings)!

You've really started loving solid foods this month as well. You've liked pretty much anything we've given you including green beans! You didn't love carrots the first time I gave them to you, but I haven't tried them again. You've also gotten pretty good at picking up puffs, and are fairly content to sit in your high chair and attempt to get them in your mouth. :) As is evidenced by the fact that you can pick up puffs, you've gotten really great at grabbing things, including my phone!



Your core strength continues to amaze me! You are doing well at sitting up - I'd say your skills are somewhere between tripod sitting and full-on unassisted sitting. We had Vacation Bible School this month, so you got lots of practice in your chair for Bible class, and you do a really good job sitting in the chair. The hardest part is when you got excited or sad because you start throwing yourself around and you don't have good stability then. You started playing in your jumperoo this month, and you like it pretty well although you aren't interested in hanging out in it for long periods of time.

You continue to love to be talked to, and have really been enjoying lots of daddy tickles this month. It is easy to make you laugh, and we love the bright smile you show. You have two cute dimples that peek out when you grin big, and you even have a dimple up by your temple on one side. You are too cute!

 

You are still small  - in fact at your 6 month appointment, you'd only gained 4 oz. from your 4 month appointment coming in at a whopping 13 lbs. 10 oz. (10 %). I was concerned, but your pediatrician reassured us that you were dong a good job growing because both your head and length had grown showing that your bones were growing well. Your bottom two teeth have yet to poke through, but I think they could pop through any day now.

Playing with Ella


Phantom "sucking"


Annie @ 5 (and 4) months
Luke @ 6 months
Troy @ 6 months
(I didn’t start writing these monthly posts for Ella until she was 17 months old)

Happy 6 Months Luke!

Six months is one of those milestones that seems really big – halfway to no longer being a “baby.” Many days you remind me how much less you are like a newborn and how much more you are like a one year old. You don’t have to eat as often anymore. You grab and knock my phone out of my hand when I’m holding you. You smile when you see my face or hear my voice. You watch me as I walk away, and even cry sometimes too.

You started using your jumperoo this month. Generally, I think you like it, but you’d prefer if someone sat by it and talked to you while you are in it.

Your interactions with Ella and Troy also show how much you are changing. You love (most of the time!) when they talk and play with you. Ella, who has recently learned to read, loves reading books to you. Troy randomly kisses and hugs you many times a day. One day Troy told me, “I like Luke better than I like my big pillow.” And, he really likes his big pillow!

You started going to Bible class at the end of last month, but I forgot to mention it in that post. You were pretty unsure at first, and I had to hold you quite a bit the first couple of classes, but you have gotten a lot better in just a month in sitting in your chair and being content a good part of the class time.I think you are going to be our first non-blue-eyed baby. Though your eyes have been blue, they’ve been darker than Ella’s or Troy’s from the beginning. Within the past month, the color near the center of your eye has started changing to brown. Maybe your eyes will be like mine – brown near the center and green on the outside. Only time will tell!You started sleeping in your crib at night as well as during naptime this month. I was anxious about the transition, but once you figured out that your crib was OK for sleep, you’ve done pretty well. Your dad figured out that you prefer to sleep on your belly – crazy to me since you have not been a fan of tummy time (though you’ve started liking it more lately). You have gotten pretty good at holding yourself up during tummy time lately as well.I LOVE your smile – it is infectious to me. It reminds me SO much of Ella’s smile at the same age. I also love your laugh, and love that we can make you laugh easily. I got a good video of you laughing recently (at the end of the post). You started rolling over this month, but you aren’t a very “rolly” baby yet.

You are getting pretty good at grasping toys (and hair!) as well as putting toys in your mouth to chew on which is a good thing since your front two bottom teeth popped through about a week before you turned 6 months. Your teeth are pretty cute. : ) We tried to give you food again a couple of times this past month. You didn’t hate it, but you also didn’t love it. We’ll keep trying though!

Luke @ 5 months

Troy @ 6 months

(I didn’t start writing these monthly posts for Ella until she was 17 months old)

Happy 6 Months Troy!

Wow, now that you have hit the 6 month mark I’m having a hard time keeping my mind focused off of the fact that you are halfway to a year old. Time flies way too fast!

You started playing in your jumperoo this month, and you really seem to enjoy it! The picture below was the first time you were in it – it looks like it swallows you up! Now you are much more stable as you play in it. I love watching you grow stronger and stronger every day.

I love your smile, and I love listening to you laugh. You love to fly in the air (be held up high), and I can almost guarantee a big smile when you fly in the air.

You’ve always enjoyed singing, but this month I’ve also discovered that you enjoy listening to me read to you. I think you would be happy with anything where you could hear my voice (or other’s) talking to you.

 

You haven’t had a lot of solids yet, but you have started getting really excited about your food when I feed you. You wave your arms wildly and try to grab at the spoon.

You’ve been going to Bible class regularly now, and I think you enjoy the class for the most part. You still get tired towards the end, but it really is a long time for a baby to sit in a chair!

You are getting really good at grabbing things as well as holding things. In fact, you can even hold your own bottle now! You grab at almost anything . . . when I was taking your photos below you grabbed the grass, dirt, and blanket, and tried to put all of them in your mouth!