6 Months! {A week ago!}

Time is melting away!  I cannot believe our little boy is 6 months old.  Holy cow.  It is going by way to fast!  Nate is such a joy to us and we are having a blast being parents.  Here is what he's been up to this month:

Yay! A smiling pic!!

• Weighs 15 lbs, 9 oz (20%), and is 25.75 inches long (25%).  He still has a little head (5%), but we don't exactly have huge heads. He's our little nugget.
• Wears size 2 diapers, 3-6 month and 6 months clothing.

• Eats about 6.5oz-7oz of primarily breastmilk every 3 hours.  I've started the weaning process, so we are supplementing a bit with formula for a couple of bottles; in those he gets about 1/2 boob juice and 1/2 formula. 
• He typically eats some rice cereal a couple times a day, although I think he is getting tired of it
• We've tried oatmeal (not a big fan), pears, bananas, apples and sweet potatoes.
• Sleeps from about 7 pm until 6:00 am, with NO feedings in between. {Although this past week we did feed him a couple of nights during the night--shots really through him off schedule this time!}.  We've successfully dropped the middle of the night feedings!  I noticed Nate was waking up about the same time each night, which means it was more of a habit than waking from hunger.  So we started just giving him is paci unless that didn't soothe him, in which case, we would give him a snack size bottle.  In only took 2 nights of him waking up frequently, before he adjusted to not eating in the middle of the night.  Since then, the number of times we have to get up to give him a paci has decreased, and now we are down to maybe just one paci push.  We've had a couple of nights where he has slept all the way thru until about 6 am.  Happy parents!! 

• Takes about 3 naps a day--two that are 45 min to 1 hr, and then one longer nap.
• Loves to grab faces, especially mom's & dad's.  When I feed him a bottle, he takes his right hand and runs it across my face/chin and strokes my hair.  Love it.
• Loves to jump jump when you hold him upright.  Its a favorite activity!  He loves his exersaucer!

• Is really interested in the dogs.  Loves to look for them and he lunges to pet them.  They're getting used to Nate's increased mobility.
• Can almost sit up on his own.  He can do it for a few seconds, but isn't quite there yet.  He is starting to "swim" and kick his feet when he is on his belly.  And he can scoot some on his back and belly.  He's working on getting mobile.
• As you know from previous posts, Nate has rolled over both directions.  But, he is pretty chill and doesn't really care to roll over much.
• Babbles and sings/screams up a storm.

•  We are pretty sure he is close to cutting teeth.  He loves to put things in his mouth, including his pointer finger.  So cute!

•  Is a curious, sweet, amazing little boy.

What is this thing?  A sticker, you say??

Hmmm, I think I'll eat it!

 

 We love you so much Nate!  Our hearts just burst on a daily basis!!  We are truly thankful for you and are so blessed to be your parents.

Our precious baby boy!

Happy Friday!

{Nate has started playing with his food so Amy decided it was time to start feeding him au naturale.  Love!}

Happy Valentine's Day!

Nate sent this card to all of his special girlfriends.

{Front}

{Inside}

{Back}

Hope your Valentine's Day is filled with lots of love!

Turning the Corner

So I think we've finally turned the corner on Nate's sleeping habits.  The past 4 nights, he's gone from about 6:45 pm until 6:00 am without eating.  Yay!!  Such a big boy.  :)

He hasn't slept this entire time and still wakes up a couple of times throughout the night.  When this happens, we've just been doing a paci-push (Lloyd-speak for offering him his pacifier first and then if this doesn't settle him back to sleep, giving him a snack-sized bottle).  The past 4 nights, he has quieted back to sleep each time after getting the paci and gone all thru the night with no bottle.  I think its a big milestone that he's consistently going 12 hours without eating.  Hopefully, he'll stop waking up and needing his paci in the next couple of days/weeks.  But, its a big improvement and a step forward!

And because I just have to share, here are a couple of our favorite shots from Nate's latest photography session (at 5.5 months).  Our photographer, Jonnye Bower, is awesome and we highly recommend her if you are in the Dallas area.

My kid doesn't smile for photos...but the serious/curious looks are still precious!

5ish Month Pictures

Check out the sneak peek to Nate's 5ish month pictures.  Our photographer Jonnye Bower is amazing!  I was worried about this session since Nate was pretty fussy and would.not.smile no matter how hard we tried.  But, she worked her magic and was able to get some great shots.  Love!

http://www.jbowerphoto.com/blog/?p=2153

Thankful

I've been reminded over the past couple of weeks how precious life is and how nothing can be taken for granted. 

Two friends of mine have lost pregnancies in the last two weeks, both at around the 8 week mark.  Although everyone knows how common this is and how thinigs always tend to work out, it doesn't take away the pain of losing something so wanted and already loved.  My heart aches for these women.  Hearing these stories reminds me how wonderful my little guy is and what a miracle he truly is; reminds me to take the time to snuggle him a little closer and enjoy each moment with him, rather than just thinking about the next step or stage in his life; reminds me that God is in control and we are blessed beyond words for our healthy baby.

In addition, a few days ago a classmate from high school passed away after battling a rare form of cancer over the past year and a half.  She was 31.  During her battle, she posted on Facebook often and always had nothing but positive things to say and a great outlook on life.  Her faith never wavered and she fought until the end.  I know she is in a better place now and free from pain, but I feel for her family.  Watching her go from a vibrant woman to frail and unrecognizable must have been unbelievably tough.  This reminds me to live life to the fullest and not take anyting for granted.  I am so thankful for my healthy and happy family.

Life is precious and each day is such a blessing.  Live it to the fullest.