Half a Year...What?!

Kim

Half a Year...What?!

Today is officially Henry's 6 month birthday.  What?!  How did that happen?  Seriously?  Weren't we just driving to the hospital at 4am to have our little guy?  Wasn't I just on maternity leave, completely sleep deprived and just beginning to get my bearings on being a mother?  Were we just acting like crazy fools every night trying to get our little guy to just smile at us once?  Wooosh....that is the sound of 6 months flying by.  It is so colloquial, but so stinkin' true: time is flying. 

Happy 6 months to me!

We had our 6 month doctor's appointment today.  More shots = no fun for the little guy :(  I know it will be worse when he can actually anticipate what's coming, but it is still so sad to see him get stuck.  Poor thing.  He continues to be long and lean.  He weighs 16.15lbs (40th percentile) and is 27.5 inches long (80th percentile).  He's very healthy and we continue to be thankful for that!

Henry is SO MUCH FUN now though.  I love watching his little personality develop and seeing him discover new things.  His favorite thing to do right now is jump in his exersaucer.  He has learned to manipulate all of the toys that are attached to it too.  He will easily spend 30 minutes in it, entertaining himself...mostly jumping like a crazy man.  It is too cute. 

I am so happy in this thing!

We're making big progress in the solid food eating arena too.  We've added apples and peaches to the mix and Henry seems to love them all.  When I give him a new food he always makes a little face the first time he tastes it.  Then it is like he realizes that it is pretty yummy and he opens his mouth and grunts for more.  Just yesterday, as we were eating peaches, Henry decided that he wanted to try feeding himself.  He grabbed for the spoon and before I knew what was happening, the entire spoonful of peaches had been flung to the floor.  I know this is just a preview into the messiness that lies ahead, but I will ill-prepared in that moment.  As a compromise, I gave him another (clean) spoon that he could play with/chew on between bites.  This helped some, but he's quick with those little hands - you really have to watch out.

But this spoon doesn't have any peaches on it, mom!

He's also teething like crazy, but so far it still hasn't seemed to bother him.  He is drooling and chewing on things constantly though.  His two bottom teeth are coming in, and I think I can feel a top tooth starting to come through his gums, but I am not sure.  He's just starting to like the cold teething toys.  The first time I gave one to him he made a funny face that told me he wasn't used to the way something cold felt.  Now he seems to appreciate them a lot more.

Preschool is on summer break now, so we're having to have babysitters during the week.  Luckily, we are very blessed that my mother-in-law is watching him a lot for us.  There are two other girls who are filling in the "holes" for me as needed.  I do not mind taking him to my mother-in-law's one bit, but I have found that it is hard for me to leave him at home with a girl close to my age, simply because I feel like I should be the one staying with him, not her!  It is silly.  I don't mind working, and truly this part-time schedule is so ideal.  I think it just feels like I am leaving him with a surrogate "me" and that annoys me.  He loves the two girls who have been watching him and they are wonderful with him...I don't worry at all...it is just the silly mama in me coming out, I think.  I don't get this feeling when I leave him with my mother-in-law or any other family members.  I don't know what it is.  So weird.  But I am very thankful for everyone who watches him for us and is helping get us through these last weeks of summer.  I will be glad when Labor Day gets here and he gets to go back to preschool though!

It is amazing how much we have learned in 6 months.  I think back to our first doctor's appointment that was just a few days after we brought Henry home.  I made Matt go with me, started preparing an hour early, and was completely paranoid that I would forget something or not have something our little guy needed once we got there.  Now, I easily throw the diaper bag in the car, strap Henry into his car seat and head out the door.  It is amazing how quickly all of this became normal for us. There is no doubt that we were meant to be a little family, and I am so thankful for all the blessings Henry brings us!