Catchup: Six Months

September 23:

Dear Finn,
You seem so very grown up to us this month!  We've had so much fun, and the time is just flying by.  It's crazy to think that you've been a part of our family for six months now.  Sometimes it seems like it's been years since we brought a teeny tiny newborn home, and sometimes it seems like yesterday.  We loved you from that very first moment, but you were a stranger to us in a way.  Now we know you inside and out, and we love who you are becoming.

This month kicked off with you experiencing your very first earthquake, and four days later you got to see your first hurricane.  Thankfully it passed by us pretty uneventfully, and thanks to your grandparents' generator, we didn't lose a single ounce of frozen breastmilk (your mom was a bit worked up over the thought of that).  You spent the time indoors perfecting your scooch (you are getting much faster!) and learning how to sit up on your own.  You still topple over every now and then, but your balance improves every day. 

While we waited until the very end of this month to start you on solid foods, technically you started yourself on them a bit earlier when you stole a handful of mashed potatoes off of your grandfather's plate!  You had them in your mouth before we could stop you, and your reaction was priceless.  A bit shocked that a flavor besides breast milk exists in the world, perhaps?  Yes, we've been holding out on you a bit, but we are so excited to introduce you to a whole new world of tastes very soon!

You gained two new teeth this month, a pair on top to match the ones on the bottom.  Once again you didn't mind the teething process all that much, and we could only tell they were bothering you on a select few fussy evenings.  I think your amber teething necklace definitely helped.  You think it's quite fun to click and grind your teeth together now though, a noise that we could really all do without!

One of your new most favorite things in the world is watching us sing you the ABCs.  You stare and stare at our mouths as we form each letter, as if you're trying to figure out how each different sound is made.  It's one of the only things that will calm you down when you're fussing on the changing table... you stop and look up wide-eyed, and the slower we sing it the better.  A drawn out "esssssss" or "exxxxx" gets you giggling like crazy (and can be thanked for most of the mid-laugh pictures this month).  Your dad likes to throw in Amazing Grace or America the Beautiful just to mix it up sometimes, but your mom is going to keep it simple with those ABCs just as long as you are interested.

We took you on your first road trip this month, to upstate New York for a wedding.  You did great in the car and staying overnight in your pack'n'play.  You got to meet lots of your relatives, play with your cousins, and even hang out on the dance floor (you actually fell asleep in your Aunt Robbin's arms while she was dancing with you!).  You were quite a charmer that weekend, little man.

As far as sleeping goes, your overnight sleep continues to be really great.  You're definitely transitioning this month from three naps down to two though, and it's a slow and tricky process.  When you just take two naps your bedtime is closer to 7pm, a big change from the 9:30-10pm bedtime we're used to.  You'll usually sleep in your crib until around 4 or 5 am, when you wake up and come in to bed with us to nurse and fall back asleep for a few hours.  It's nice to wake up to your smiling face, but you have become such a wiggle worm that I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to have this be our routine!  I used to wake up to your warm little body snuggled up to me, but now it's more likely to be a flailing arm or leg that interrupts my sleep.

Six Month Stats: you're right around 18 lbs, and I'm not sure how tall, but you are outgrowing everything in length this month!

Size:  Lots of 6-12, some 9 month sizes.  When you wear disposable diapers (like on our weekend trip), you're in a size 3.  We still have you on the medium adjustment of your BumGenius diapers.
Nicknames: Finno, Mr. Finn, Bubboo
Must-haves: Bright Starts Around We Go Doodle Bugs Activity Station, Bumbo Baby Seat
Milestones:
August 27: Hurricane Irene, your first
August 28: Sitting up by yourself
August 29: You helped yourself to some mashed potatoes
September 4: You're rolling across the floor now, back to front to back
September 6: Tooth #3, your top left pokes through
September 7: You're up on your knees rocking back and forth
September 9: Tooth #4, your top right pokes through
September 10: you attend a wedding in NY, your third!'
September 17: we cheat by a few days and you try your first real food- avocado!
September 19: you skip your third nap for the first time

We can't wait to see what the next month will bring. Getting to know you is one of the greatest joys we've ever had.

Love you so much I can't stand it,
Momma