We are all about the food this week. You are seriously getting the hang of eating, and while you are still not swallowing much (as expected), you are having a good time! We've added steak, Indian rice, green beans, pancakes, plums, and more to the list. We also took you to the 20th anniversary party at Aquerello and to the reopening of Limon and you snacked away happily at both places.
Brekkie!
Din din! You like green beans better than Mommy does.
Not a vegetarian.
You are working very hard at trying to crawl and have become so wiggly that we can't look away while you are on the couch or changing table. And you continue to be so happy and fun. It's hard to remember those first colicy months now.
All this playing is hard work!
Crawling...sort of.
Don't you want to eat him up?
What you should be wearing in August in California.
What you are really wearing in August in California.
Happy Six Months little guy!! What a great ride it's been. We just can't wait for the next six and all that comes after that. Every day I look at you and think, "My cup runneth over." You give us big, open mouth kisses on the face (cheeks, nose, chin...it matters not!) and smile that expectant little smile looking up from under those long eyelashes. Best thing ever, T!
This week we caught you playing with your aquarium while you were supposed to be napping. We watched you reach up and turn it off and on about ten times. I caught the end on video. Who even knew you understood what that button did?
We also finally got some video of the joy that is "baby crack." You take Prevacid for reflux, and we dissolve this artificial strawberry flavored yumminess in some water and put it in a dropper. No need to actually squeeze the bulb, however, as you grab hold of that thing and suck for dear life. If we didn't provide some resistance, you'd pull that dropper in to your throat. In a classic bad parenting move, we sing a song about baby candy while we give you the medicine. Just add it to the list of stuff we did to damage you. And remember that medicine is not actually candy, even if it tastes super duper delicious.
Eating continues to be an adventure. You've tried yogurt, brisket, figs, nectarines, mango, bananas, snap peas, and all sorts of crackers and bread just to name a few. So far fruits and carbs seem to be the big winners.
Nectarines are so slurpable!
Is there something on my face?
BBQ brisket?
I gotta think about that one...
We also went to try out a Gymboree class. You had a pretty good time despite being nap deprived. The slides were a no go, but balls and parachutes and bubbles were a big hit.
First off, let's welcome your new cousin Mason to the world! He arrived yesterday. Mommy will not tell you how old she feels seeing he baby brother with a baby. Nevertheless, it is a super special event, and I hope you will have as much fun with Mason as we had with our cousins. And don't forget Mason lives in the same place as Mickey Mouse, so be extra nice to him.
Today we had your 6 month check up. You are weighing in at 16 lbs 15 oz and you are 26 3/4 inches. You handled the latest round of shots OK and for the first time you made it all the way to the doctor's office in your car seat without crying. This, my friend, is a small miracle.
We are washing your 6-12 month clothes (and holy cow there are a lot of them) and will start transitioning out of the smaller 3-6 things. You are pulling up on elbows and knees and rocking like you want to crawl, and sometimes you get up on your tiptoes in this position, downward dog style. You also now reach up for us when you are lying in your crib and want out, which is pretty heartwarming.
Here you are playing hard:
Oma wears you out when she watches you!
At The Four Seasons for your first wine tasting (with Jeff and Jennifer visiting from Hong Kong!). You skipped the wine and opted for breastfeeding in the lobby instead.
Trip in a box!
A few of your favorite things:
Saying "Dadadadada." I am trying to teach you "Mama," but so far you just find that very funny.
Playing tickle. Baby hysterics and hair pulling are sure to ensue.
Taking baths in the big bathtub with me. You splash and swim. If I start to laugh, you splash harder. I laugh harder....it goes on and on until the bathroom is soaked.
Being upside down. If you are on a lap, you are attempting to flip upside down on said lap. If we hold you and let you hang upside down you squeal with glee. I seriously had to ask the dumb mom question to the pedi today to make sure so much upside down time is safe. She only laughed at me a little.
And naked time, sips of water and Sophie the Giraffe continue to be big winners.
A few of my favorite things:
Reading you stories. OK, you spend half the time trying to eat the book, but I so love having you on my lap in the rocker and reading to you. I hope reading will be as important to you as it is to us.
Nursing you. It is certainly convenient now that we have the hang of it, but the best part is snuggling up with you all day to feed you. Sometimes you stop to look up at me and smile or coo. And when I come home from work in the morning and all three of us are in bed, I nurse you and talk to Daddy about the night. You have to pause and roll over to touch and look at Daddy when you hear his voice. You smile at him, wait for him to smile back at you, and then roll back to eat some more. Bliss, bliss, bliss.
Watching you laugh and laugh and laugh, and seeing you try to make us laugh too. What's better than baby giggles? Maybe baby squealing.
The chatterbox you become at about 6 AM. After that nursing session some switch turns on and you start to give baby lectures. I don't know what you are saying, but I know it's important.
Meanwhile on the home front:
We have started solids!! Here's a glimpse at what you've tried. I am afraid your faves are all carbs so far. Definitely Mommy's kid.
Baby boy can bounce! Something clicked this week and you have gone from a bounce here and there in the giant-plastic-contraptions-of-fun to big ole' purposeful bouncies, complete with requisite sounds of glee. The bouncing seems to have made an impression on your memory, and you continued to bounce on my lap, on the floor and wherever else your feet landed for the rest of the day.
We are attempting to hold off on starting solids until you are six months old, as recommended by the WHO and AAP, but I admit I've let you suck on an apple and a bagel. The bagel was a HUGE hit. Leg kicking and baby cooing ensued.
You are also obsessed with drinking water. Whenever Dada or I has a glass of water you contort your body like a Cirque De Soleil headliner to get to the glass. If we won't give you a messy little sip, you will lick the beads of condensation off the outside. It's pretty funny.
We are planning to skip purees and go right to appropriate table foods, a method gaining popularity in Europe,Canada and among the most fabulous parents in America (just like us...LOL!). The idea is that you will be given a variety of most table foods in a baton or chip shape (think roasted vegetables, fruits, pasta, etc) and you can decide if and how much you eat. Since eating is just for practice at your age, we really like this approach. Supposedly it leads to a wider palette, less picky eaters and hey, it looks like fun! (Mortified friends and family can Google Baby Led Weaning)
Here are a few little videos of you checking out your new, super fancy highchair and the super cool Boon Spoon (the round part bends so that little guys can get food in their mouths easier...not that we think you will need that crutch since you are an extreme genius...but just in case).
We went up to Sonoma County to visit Oma and Opa and to stop by Scherrer Winery's open house. You had a pretty good time meeting Fred until the end, when nap time and wine tasting time collided. Unfortunately, Mommy did not get out the camera until it was impending crank time. Oops! Readers of the blog should rush out and buy lots of Fred's wine. It is super yummy.
No Fred, Please don't put American Oak in the Russian River Syrah!
Hmmm..Do I detect a note of loamy earth and blackberry in the Old and Mature Vines Zin?
