Six Months - Harrison

Dear Harrison,

This month has had so many fun and exciting changes!  I just can't believe how big you're getting.  Both in size and in your development.  We celebrated your first Christmas this month.  You won't remember it at all, but it was fun for the rest of us.  You actually really seemed to enjoy tearing the paper off of your presents.  It was so fun to watch you experience something new.

I took you to a Kindermusik class for the first time with Annelise.  You seemed to enjoy yourself.  I can tell that you like music, because you like when Annelise and I sing.  I plan on taking you to more classes and I hope that you grow to love them like your sister does.

You can sit all by yourself now.  I started working with you shortly after you turned five months, and within a matter of just a few days, you were sitting very well on your own.  Your strength gets better every day.  Every once in a while you'll have a little balance issue, but not too often.  I feel pretty comfortable leaving you to sit on your own.  But, I still try to avoid a hard surface, like the kitchen floor, just to be safe.

Remember how last month I said that I hoped to be talking about what a great crib sleeper you are this month?  Well, I got my wish!  Daddy worked with you on getting you to sleep in your crib and you adjusted amazingly.  I think that you were ready for it.  You like to sleep with your arms all sprawled out, but sometimes you tuck them behind your head.  You only sleep on your back.  One time, I laid you down and as I did, you turned on your side a little bit.  So, once you slept on your side, but that's it.

You have zero interest in rolling.  You despise tummy time, and will usually only tolerate it for a minute or two.  If I'm being honest though, I don't make you do it nearly enough.  I'm going to have to start making you do tummy time more though so that you can learn how to get into the crawling position and learn to crawl.  I'm sure that you'll do it in your own time, but I know that you'll enjoy learning how to become mobile.

You finally kicked the sickness that hung around for about six weeks.  I took you to the doctor earlier this month to have you checked out and he said that it was just a common cold and that it can last a long time in babies your age.  Now that it's finally gone, you've started talking again.  I missed hearing your little coos and screeches.  You don't have any recognizable sounds or syllables, just screeching.  I will look at you and slowly say "mama" and you watch me so closely.  You have also developed the habit of spitting your lips.  I mock you back and you think it's hilarious.  When I blow raspberries with my tongue, I can see you trying to figure out how to do it with your tongue.  You're so cute when you're trying to concentrate!

I gave you some solids yesterday.  I bought a few containers of pureed foods, and decided to try some squash first.  I put a bib on and you spent more time trying to eat the bib than the food.  Once I was able to get the bib away from your mouth, and get the squash in, you just kept spitting like you do.  I think you liked it, you just weren't sure how to use the spoon and eat it.  Doing purees is definitely not my idea of getting you to eat solids.  I plan on moving on to more of a baby-led weaning approach this month.  I think that you'll enjoy eating food.

I just switched you into 12 month clothing.  You are still wearing a size 3 diaper.  You weigh 19 lbs 1.5 oz (74th percentile) and are 27 inches (67th percentile).

I can't believe that a whole half a year has flown by and that you are already six months old.  I always tell new parents that the first six months are so hard with all of the different changes, but now we've made it through.  I know that there will be more challenges coming, but we have a lot of the hard stuff behind us.  I love you so much buddy!

Love always,
Mommy

Looking Back

The end of the year is always a time for reflection.  The expectations of the coming year are exciting.  I usually spend the week between Christmas and New Years thinking about the past year.  All of the changes, memories, good and bad times.

We had a great year!  We welcomed Harrison to our family in July and he filled a spot that we didn't know existed.  It's been amazing to watch Annelise embrace the role of older sister.  I love watching the two of them together.  She loves him fiercely.  Although, sometimes too rough!  He watches her with such wonder and amazement.  I look forward to watching the two of them together everyday.

Drew changed jobs, and then changed jobs again!  Hopefully this last change will be the last one ever.  He is working for a great company that he plans to retire from.  That's so exciting.  Of course, with that new job came the news that we would be moving.  Houston is waiting for us, whenever our house here sells.  I am saying so many prayers that it sells quickly!

This coming year is going to be so full of changes.  A big move, a new state that I've never been to, two young kids growing up, and making memories as a family.

Goals are usually set at this time of year, and I'm no different.  I want to work on blogging more consistently.  Life is flying by and it's hard for me to remember it all.  This little piece of the internet is a place for me to document life so that I can look back and smile and remember all of the times.

I plan on working on me a lot.  My patience is the suck and my time management skills could use some work.  I need to remember to count my blessings.  Someone posted a saying the other day, "There are people who would love to have your bad days".  That is so true.  I get very overwhelmed with the task of taking care of two young kids basically by myself, and I let my frustrations get the better of me.  There will be bad days, and I need to take them with the good days.  I am so blessed to have the two children that I do.  It wasn't too long ago when I was deep in the trenches of infertility praying for these days with these kids.

I want to make memories as a family.  I want my kids to look back and love the childhood they had.  Simple things make them so happy.

I am so very excited to see what this next year has in store for us.  God does amazing things and has amazing plans for us.