Once again, I am cheating. I am not even gonna promise to hand-write this one, since I never did the last one. You are changing so much each day, growing and learning so much every day, moving more every day. This has been a month full of FIRSTS: first foods, first "words" (signs/understandings), first boo-boo, first tooth, first rash.
Right now, we are trying to teach you some simple sign language gestures, such as "eat" "more" "done/all gone" "milk" and "bubbles." I think you are starting to understand that these signs are attached to an action or thing, which is so exciting for me. You are so very smart! You watch my hands as I do the signs and, especially when I do "milk" and "bubbles" you show understanding. "Eat" "more" and "done/all gone" are all happening when you are way too busy eating so I am not sure you are connecting them yet, but I have no doubt you will before too long.
As for eating, you have now tried rice cereal, bananas, sweet potatoes and pears. Today, you start acorn squash. You LOVE bananas, enjoy pears and don't much care for sweet potatoes. We stopped the rice cereal because you seemed indifferent about it and it was just messy. You've also tasted the cherry candy cane (at Christmastime- YUM!), apple slices, orange slices, vanilla ice cream, orange juice and water. Whenever someone is eating and holding you, you reach for their food/drink and take it right to your mouth. Hard to believe you ever had a hard time eating!!!
Your newest trick is arching your back. You have found that this is a good way to get out of your seats or wiggle away. You are a pro at it and I have to make sure you are fastened carefully in any seats or that you are set in an area where you have lots of wiggle room. You wiggle all over the place. I don't even know how you do it exactly, I guess it's kind of a scooting motion. You haven't really tried crawling, and you don't roll over very often, in fact- last night at board meeting was the first time you rolled over from tummy to back without having any kind of elevation. You still love to stand and are so strong that you can pull yourself up just holding our hands. I almost wonder if you'll walk and completely skip crawling? Wouldn't surprise me, you always seem to have places to go and people to see. You also still love to do your flips with mom. I kind of worry about it, afraid I might be jumblin' that little brain of yours, but you love it and you are always the one to initiate it. In fact, at your 6 month doc. appt., your daddy told the pediatrician about your flips and she wanted to see it, so we waited to see if you'd do it, and, of course, you did. And then you kept doing it so that all her nurses could see. You are so silly! They all laughed and said how crazy you were. But none of them seemed concerned about it being bad for you, (as long as we didn't drop you, of course!), so I guess your little brain is tougher than I thought. You love being watched and being the center of attention. If you know there are lots of people around, you will pretend like you are going to flip, then look around to make sure they are watching you before you actually do it.
Earlier this month, we went to see the Harlem Globetrotters. I was worried that you'd get fussy half way through so you can bet that I was prepared with my Snugli pack and lots of toys, but you were so amazing, just sitting on our laps the whole time. You loved all the action, noise and chaos. If you weren't people-watching, you were staring at the megascreen. When the game was over, you were thrilled as people left their seats and started up the stairs towards us- you were so sure they were all there to play with you! As we were leaving and wading through the crowds of people, you were squealing in absolute delight. You are definitely your daddy's child. You could have stayed and visited with everyone all night! You were the same way at dinner a couple weeks back. We went to TGIFridays and sat right near the entry way. You were in a sling and as people passed you, you greeted them all with smiles and quiet squeals.
Momma is getting a little bit better at being apart from you. I've even let people other than Grandma and Grandpa Perkins babysit! You spent a couple hours with Aunt Allie one day while Grandma had her hair done. From what I can tell about the day, it looks like you might have had a little bit of fun. I think Aunt Allie did too...
Another night, daddy and I went to dinner with friends and left you with Grandpa Beck. He was so excited to have you. I think you had a good time with him, but your smile for me when we got back was priceless. Awww, you love me! You've had a lot of these sweet smiles and cuddles for me lately and they just make my day.
I may have made you into a little bit of a momma's boy...
You're little cuddles go a little too long into the night. You do NOT want to go to bed! You will fall asleep and be completely out, but as soon as we set you gently into your crib and walk away, you are awake and ready to party. It's made for some really rough nights. You've had some great nights in your crib too, though. So it's hard to tell what the problem is. Are you lonely and afraid because you are in your own room? Are you uncomfortable for some reason? Are you teething and in pain? Are you still hungry? Are you having nightmares? I think it's really a combination of them all. Lately, you've been crying every 3 hours or so. Usually I have to pick you up out of the crib and feed or rock you back to sleep. Sometimes a shush/pat or your music will work.
You are so funny about your music. I've spent all this time trying to get you to love the Beatles, but being the little rebel you are, you love your Elvis lullabies that my friend Soquel got us. In the car, you can be screaming but as soon as your music starts, you hush. It doesn't work quite as well in your bedroom, but it did work last night. In fact, my goal today is to make several copies of this CD.
I really do think you are a rebel mischief. You are a little tease! The other morning, you were teasing daddy and would not look at him. He would get right in front of you and sing-song play with you and you would deliberately look away. Over and over and over. For about 2 or 3 hours, you completely avoided him. Poor daddy's feel-goods were hurt. Personally, I thought it was adorable (shhh!) but if you were doing it to me, I would have been sad too. Li'l stinker! You have soooo much personality in that little body of yours! You are a flirt, a mischief, a tease, a cuddlebug, a sweetheart and a curious little genius. You are all boy. You got your first boo-boo this month, a scratch just under your eye. With your flips and wildness, you have a habit of head-diving. This time, you head-dived into a ledge on a countertop at Sears Portraits... luckily, it wasn't too bad, and we had just finished pictures. You cried for less than a minute (a very sad cry) and then you were over it. Your beautiful eyes are still gray, with an occasional blue or green tint. I wonder if they'll change? I hope they don't, they are so unique and pretty right now. I think your mischief and sass comes from your redheadedness. Yes! I think your hair is going to have at least a red tint to it, yay! I've always wanted my little ginger boy! It's funny, your hair will look a darker brown in one picture, a bright red in another, and almost blond in yet another, so I guess it's still up for debate as to what your hair will be like. Either way, you are the most handsome fella I've ever known. One thing that hasn't changed is your sweet little lips and pinchable cheeks! Your lips are absolutely perfectly formed. They are the perfect color, with a perfect little "m" and a perfect little pout. Inside that perfect little mouth of yours, you now have 3 teeth, two bottom, one top. And you're a biter. Yesterday, you bit your grandma twice! Must be working on more teeth. You have little dimples on your sweet cheeks. When you smile, it usually starts out a little lopsided, with the left side always venturing a little higher into your dimples. Your eyelashes are a mile long with a perfect curl. Unfortunately, you got an ugly mix of both mine and daddy's skin, so not only are you alabaster white and prone to sunburns (thanks daddy...), but you are also prone to rashes like eczema (sorry kiddo!) Lately, you have had eczema all over your little tummy and back. I think we've neutralized the cause (laundry detergent spill), so now we are just using Cetaphil creams and wash to keep your skin moist. At your 6 month well check, you weighed 16 lbs, 13 oz and were 26.8 inches long and in the 50th percentile for growth... "PERFECT."
So, to sum it all up, at half-a-year-old, you are practically perfect in every way and completely and utterly loved and adored by anyone and everyone who takes a minute to know you. No surprise there.
Remember though, mommy always loves you most!! ~ Mommy
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