6

When you have a 6 month-old baby, you (or at least me) start to realize you have a real child here, not just a cuddly little newborn. I feel like we’re at a place where the things around Emerson are really starting to have an impact on him. He’s always watching Mitch and me, and wanting to be a part of what we’re doing. I guess now is the phase where we say, Man, I hope we can really do this parenting thing. And I hope we can actually do a good job. Really.

I love you little guy; happy 1/2 year.

Here’s a recap of the past month:

• The stats: height: 27 inches (75th %), weight: 14 lbs (5th %), head circumference: 43 cm (50th %). So basically we have a tall and skinny little guy. I am always freaking out about his low weight to our pediatrician, but he keeps assuring me E is really healthy.
• E started waking up again in the middle of the night; it was really hard for me to go from getting better sleep to waking up again 2 times a night. We decided to start swaddling him again and did some long stretches of CIO and he is doing really well at night again. We put him down around 8pm and he sleeps until 4-5 am, then I feed him and he goes back to sleep until around 7am. The trick now is for Mitch and me to get to bed earlier, so I can actually get some longer sleep!
• E takes 3 naps a day: morning (1 – 1.5 hours), afternoon (2 – 3 hours), late afternoon/early evening (1 hour). I really am liking this schedule.
• He is eating solid foods like a champion; he scarfs down whatever we give him. Whether it’s peas, prunes, carrots, sweet potatoes or bananas, he seems to like it all so far.
• He’s still drinking water from his sippy cup, but also likes it from my glass as well. Sometimes when he wants to just suck on the cup, he gets water all over himself.
• He is almost sitting by himself; he sits for about 5 – 10 seconds then topples over. On his tummy, he scoots around but doesn’t seem ready to crawl yet.
• New favorite book: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
• He grabs at everything he sees; his hands are always squeezing together trying to grab everything. My hair, necklaces, toys, Mitch’s nose—everything.

Loves to eat his feet.

Most kids get stuck in the Bumbo with their chubby legs; not this kid! One twist and he is out of it. It’s really more of a death trap for skinny kids like Emerson.