Thomas is 6 Months!

Sweet baby boy somehow turned 6 months last week.  I have literally blinked and here we are--half of his first year has flown by.  This boy has stolen my heart...all of you mamas with boys--you were so right, there is something so sweet and special about a boy and his mama!

 Thomas' Stats:

Weight: 16 lbs (23%)

Height: 26 1/4" (40%)

Head: 9%

His weight gain is definitely slowing and I am beginning to see he may not be my little linebacker after all!  Dr. Dobson was pleased with his charts and said that breastfed babies often follow this pattern.  Solids should help him bulk back up a little.

 His typical schedule at 6 months is the same as 5...we are phasing out one bottle in the coming month as we are adding solids to his diet.  

He has a bottle or nurses at 7, 10:30, 2, 5, and 7.

He naps at 8:30, 12, 3:30 and sometimes a catnap around 5.

He goes to bed after bath and bottle around 7:30.  He turns into a pumpkin and he is down the count until we wake up in the morning.

 Naps have improved significantly this month.  We started waking him at 7 in the morning rather than letting him sleep until he wakes up and between that and having a small break from teething, he has slept well.  He will take a good 1.5-2 hour nap twice a day--his third nap is typically around 45 minutes to an hour.

 He is in sizes:

Diapers: size 3

Clothes: 6 and 9 months 

PJs: 9 months

 Foods:

Bottles: 6 oz

We started solid introductions a week before he turned 6 months.  He was so ready and the maturation difference between when Ellie started at 4 months and him starting at 6 months was huge--he has handled the solids well and seems to enjoy eating with us.

We are doing a combination of baby led weaning and purees.  He has had bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, carrots and peas.  Avocados seems to be his favorite (they were Ellie's least favorite) but he has eaten everything we have offered.

 Gross Motor Milestones: 

Sitting up by himself

Rocking on his knees--scooting--trying so hard to crawl.  I feel like he'll be crawling by the end of this month.  He is watching his big sister move and he does not want to be left behind!

 Language Milestones:

imitation pre-vocalication sounds--motorboat and raspberries are his favorite

Lots of sounds with "b"

Imitating "bubba".  I'm declaring it his first word.

 He has found his feet this month.  Loves to grab them and pull them close to his chest.  

He has his two bottom middle teeth.

His hair is starting to grow in evenly...it was a bit "old man" when he was born and some of that fell out so it's finally filling in.

 When we wake him up in the morning or when he wakes up for naps, he just looks up at you and grins the cheesiest smile you can imagine.  The sweetest.

We are working on some fine motor/sensory skills with him...extending his thumbs (rather than keeping them curled in), uncurling his toes, and transferring objects from hand to hand.  Also working on pincer grasp and coordination with grabbing food and bringing them up to his mouth.

 He graduated to the high chair...in restaurants and at home.  Ellie is thrilled to sit in a "big girl" chair at the table now.

Favorite toys: bells, Sophie, Zubels football player; teethers

Will not take a paci anymore.  I have tried Soothie and MAM.  May try the Nuk before I give it up altogether.  He does suck his thumb when he's in his crib to soothe himself but won't in the car.  Looking for a car "mute button" solution!

 His tummy is his most favorite place to be.  He doesn't mind sitting up but after a while he will lean forward and try to figure out how to get from the sitting up position to his tummy.

 Bubba, we love you so!  

The Good Stuff

We are slowly introducing solids to Thomas.  He has been patient long enough and he is more than ready!  I decided to try more of a baby led weaning approach versus only pureed--so far he is loving it! We've skipped cereals altogether and just give him chunks of food for him to feed himself.

 He has tried bananas, sweet potatoes and avocados--avocados being his favorite, bananas being his least favorite.

 Those who know me, know that letting this free for all MESS happening below has the potential to send me into anxiety mode.  Trying to let go a little.  Maybe he'll feed himself before Ellie did because of it!

Our Plumpkin

We have nicknamed Thomas "Plumpkin".  Can't get enough of his rolls!

 He has hit so many milestones this month!  Can't wait to do his next monthly post.  His little personality is blooming and he is so much fun these days!

 He is the smiliest little thing...always so happy, loves to giggle, loves attention!

Ellie's First Clemson Game

We did what we said we weren't going to do and took Ellie to her first football game before she was 8. Funny how I didn't really think she was anywhere CLOSE to being ready a year ago, and then felt like she could handle it this year.  She really did great and loved it!

 We thought waiting until October was a good decision--that the weather would be cooler.  Not so much.  It was blazing hot but she was able to wear a bubble one last time.  Sad.

 We tailgated behind the West End Zone--she didn't care one thing about the food.  She just ran up and down the hills.  Over and over again.

 Walking to the stadium we caught the end of the parade into the stadium and she got to give the Tiger Cub a high five.  She loves him so.

and man does she love a parade!

She loved watching warm ups and the pre-game festivities, complete with the tigers running down the hill.  She was a bit over it by the end of the first quarter so Grammy took her around campus and rolling down the same hill that I grew up rolling down was a highlight!  Already looking forward to next year's game with my big girl.  Something sweet and special introducing a place that I think is a little slice of heaven!

Pumpkin Patch

We made the long trek to Main Street Simpsonville for some pumpkin patch pictures and to pick up Ellie's mini pumpkin for her Harvest Party next week at school.  There's not much to it, but this is the 3rd year that I've taken Ellie and she loves running up and down the aisles of pumpkins!

 Ellie has the world's most fake smile right now when we ask her to "smile for the camera".  Not sure how to break it...any ideas?

 She has been under the weather the past week or so...we're not sure what's going on.  We pray that it's just a virus (the original diagnosis) that keeps lingering.  She has woken up at 5:30 three mornings vomiting...continues to vomit for an hour...and then is completely normal by 8am.  So weird.

 She loved posing with her buddy.  He's sitting up now, making sibling pictures so much easier.

We are so happy that FALL IS HERE!

Thomas' Baptism

Sweet Thomas was baptized at our home church, John Knox Presbyterian, last Sunday at the 11 o'clock service.  We asked David Howell, one of the associate ministers, to baptize him for us and Kathryn Ferguson--one of our dear friends--was our elder representative.  

 Ellie was very concerned when David walked Thomas down the aisle following the baptism--she looked at us and said "he needs to bring my buddy back."

 Thomas didn't make a peep throughout the entire baptism.  I don't think he was thrilled about it but he didn't let the whole congregation in on that.

 Our dear friends, the Tapps joined us as well as our families.  We had everyone over for lunch following the baptism.

 His cake was HUGE.  I had no idea how big it was going to be until I picked it up.  Poor baby wanted a lick of that icing so bad...already researching dairy and soy free cake for his first birthday "smash cake".  

 The best we could muster of Ellie and her "buddy".

It was a sweet, sweet day for our Thomas.  Thankful for all of those that celebrated and rejoiced with us!