Six Months

Dear Joey,

Today, you turned six months old. Six! Half a year! I can hardly believe it. The last six months have been an absolute blur. They are right - time really does speed up when you have a child.


Yesterday, we had your 6 month well-baby checkup. You only gained 4 ounces since your last visit to see Dr. M, making you 15lbs, 8ozs. You are 26.5" long. I was a little shocked that you hadn't gained more weight, because when I am carrying you in your car seat, I feel like I might as well be carrying an elephant! OK, maybe not an elephant, but you get the point. Anyway, Dr. M didn't seem too concerned about it, since you are growing lengthwise, and your noggin is getting bigger, too. He did ask me to bring you back in a week or so though just to make sure you are not losing weight. I sent daddy a message saying you had only gained 4 ounces, and he said you must have a good metabolism, because you are a piggy! He meant it in the most loving way, I'm sure. (And boy, you sure do love to eat!)


This month, you took two trips up to the Bay Area for Auntie Alli's baby showers. You got to stay in a hotel both times, and you did really well considering all the time in the car, all the new people and new environment. Unfortunately, you also decided on these two trips that you are afraid of your Uncle Ben. We have no idea why, and we hope you will get over it soon, because even though I'm sure he won't admit it, it probably makes him pretty sad to see "the lip" every time he comes near you! On your second trip up, we also met our good friends, Meagan and Memo, and their baby girl, Sochie, at the Oakland Zoo. You slept for about the first half of the trip, and woke up just when we got to the giraffe exhibit. After we all had lunch, Meagan and I set you and Sochie on our laps, and let you get to know each other. You grabbed her by the face and gave her kisses! It was so sweet. Mommy forgot her camera, but Meagan took some pictures, so I will be posting those soon.

You are still scooting and spinning around on the floor, and you are SO close to crawling it is scary! You will put your arms underneath you, and lift your whole body up onto your toes - like you are doing a push-up - and scoot yourself forward. Dad's DVD collection is in serious trouble! I am excited for you to crawl, but scared, too, because once you start moving, I know you won't stop.



You are incredibly curious about everything around you, and you love being outside. Watching the sun reflect off of leaves blowing in the wind puts a big smile on your face. You reach for everything now, and you love paper, and books - a man after my own heart! Nothing on my desk at work is safe. You have started to bang on things with your hands and with toys. Just this past Sunday, you figured out that you could use your hands to splash in the bath tub (before, you would just move your feet around in the water). You still love music, and it still helps calm you down most of the time, especially when I sing to you.


You are "talking" more than ever, and you started making "B" sounds this month. It is pretty funny to hear you say, "Blah, blah, blah, bong, bong!" You are also still growling and grunting, and you will say "Da Da" and "Ba Ba," although at this point in time they are still just sounds to you - we don't think you are relating them to anything in particular. You babble a lot when you are getting tired - just like your mom!

You have tried a lot of different foods now since we started you on rice cereal a couple months ago. Bananas, peaches, avocado, carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, mango... Any time you see us with a spoon, you open your mouth as if to say, "Where is mine??"



We took you to the park near our house, and we decided you were ready to try out the swings. You loved it! You would get the biggest smile on your face whenever the swing came forward towards daddy. (By the way, daddy is still your absolute favorite person!)



You also got to meet one of the oldest members of our family, Charlie the tortoise. I thought you might be scared of him, but nope! You were curious as always.


I know the next 6 months will bring even bigger changes than the first 6. And no matter how much I try to stay on top of these changes, I know you will always be one step ahead of me. I guess all I can do is hope I don't miss a thing.

We love you so much, baby.



Love,
Mom

Joey, Meet Charlie

On Saturday, Joey met one of the oldest living members of our family: Charlie the Tortoise. Joey's great uncle got Charlie when he was about 10 years old, so this makes Charlie at least 50. Charlie has been on countless show-and-tell days at school, and I'm sure Joey will probably take him one day, too. Believe it or not, Charlie has actually run away a few times (yes, I know he's a tortoise, and "run" and "tortoise" are not often found in the same sentence, but believe me, this guy can really truck!). Thankfully, we found him each time. He is very curious - the moment I put Joey down on his blanket, Charlie saw him and immediately headed his way - and he even responds to his name when you call him. It really is one of the funniest things. So, without further ado, Joey, meet Charlie!

Five Months

Dear Joey,

Last Saturday, you turned 5 months old. As with the past four months, I don't even know where to start! You can roll from your belly to your back, and your back to your belly, but you haven't figured out that doing this can actually get you places. Instead you scoot - mostly backwards or in circles though. You are so interested in everything around you, and you get royally frustrated that you cannot get to them. I will set you down on the floor, go in the kitchen to grab a drink, and when I come back, you have managed to spin yourself 180°. I am in SO much trouble when you figure out how to crawl!


You are figuring out how to entertain yourself more and more, and you will sit in your portable crib at the shop and play with your toys while I get a little work done. Part of me is so happy that I don't have to entertain you constantly anymore, but another part of me is sad that every day you grow and you don't need me a little bit more. Or maybe you just need me in different ways. As you continue to grow and change, so will our relationship.


You laugh at the weirdest things these days. Today, you had the hiccups, so I jokingly tried to scare them out of you by grabbing your tummy and saying, "BOO!" It didn't get rid of your hiccups, but it did make you laugh, so of course I did it over, and over again. Your daddy still makes you laugh more than anyone, and listening to the two of you is the best sound ever.

When you are in a bad mood, I can usually sing to you or put some music on, and you cheer up (even if it only lasts for a brief moment). I am hoping this is a little hint that you might love music just as much as I do some day. You also love to "dance" with me, and you smile and giggle when I sing to you, twirl you, and bounce you around.


You are no longer a floppy little baby, but you you are not yet a toddler. And yet you have already developed such a strong personality and opinions about everything. You know what you like and dislike, and you have the facial expressions to match. Sometimes you look so concerned, that I wonder what you are thinking about. Wondering what could make your brow furrow so deeply. I tell you, "Don't worry! You have the rest of your life to worry. Enjoy being a kid!" Wow, I sound like your grandma!


You are trying lots of new things these days. We started you on rice cereal after your last appointment with Dr. M. You were having some issues with what I thought was acid reflux, and after talking to him, he said that I just might be right. He said he could give you some medicine for it, or the cereal might help. I decided not go the medicine route, and try the rice cereal instead. You absolutely hated it the first time you tried it! I don't know if it was the texture, or the taste, but you were not happy with it at all! It took about two weeks of trying (and some mashed banana) to get you to eat more than a bite, and you haven't looked back since! We have added some other solid foods to your diet, too. Bananas are definitely your favorite, but you also love sweet potatoes and peas.


I have been making all your food so far, but I picked up some pre-prepared baby food to toss in the diaper bag for when we are out and about. Peaches, bananas, and peas. You tried the peaches first... and hated them! I thought it was just the peaches, after all, peaches do have kind of a different flavor (what am I saying, everything has a "different" flavor to you!) and I don't like them too much, so I figured maybe you just weren't a "peach" kind of guy. Then we tried the bananas. Now, it is true that whatever is in that little Gerber container is exactly what I make you at home (well, there is some vitamin C, and what have you in there to keep them from turning funny colors, but basically the same thing). But I must say, those bananas didn't really smell like bananas to me, and you were not fooled! You spit them out, and cried, and wanted nothing to do with the food in the jar. Again, another strong opinion!


One night this month, mommy went out with her friend, Meghan. Meghan brought Phoebe and her daddy, Geoff, over to hang out with you and daddy while we were out. We left the two of you in "Daddy Day Care" for a couple of hours. When we got home, you were asleep in your crib, there were toys and books all over the floor and Phoebe and the daddies looked exhausted! Daddy told me that he walked you around and around the kitchen island (his usual calming technique), and Phoebe crawled and followed wherever he went with you!


I have a feeling you will be crawling soon, too, but I'm in no rush for you to. I really don't think I will ever get used to how quickly you change - on one hand, I wish I could stop time and you could stay little forever, and on the other hand, I am anxious and excited to see what you will achieve next. For now though, I will cherish each time you fall asleep on my lap, or give me a big kiss, or laugh at the most simple thing.

Love,
Mom

Why I Love Mike

This afternoon, Mike had a friend from work over for a couple of hours. Joey was in a good mood, and actually laid on the floor and played for a while. At one point, I looked up from my work, and Joey was playing with toys and would look up at the TV from time to time. Since no one else was in the living room, I changed the TV to Noggin, you know, just so I'd feel better that my 4.5 month old was watching TV. Ha ha. Anyway, he eventually got cranky, so I put him in his crib for a nap, but didn't change the TV. Mike and his coworker were talking in the kitchen, and I was milling around and cleaning. When I was doing dishes, I heard Mike go, "I'd never leave my kid with that guy." 

Immediately, I think Yo Gabba Gabba is on, so I peer around the pantry to take a look. And it's Blue's Clues. Really? He wouldn't leave our child with the Blue's Clues dude? I didn't ask why - frankly it's funnier to me if I don't know.  

Writer's Block

I haven't been posting nearly as much as I'd like lately. My initial intention was to write about our married life - I mean, that's what this blog is called, right? Duh. OK, so things happened - all part of our married life, so they're fitting, I guess. I just feel like the last 4.5 months have been so wrapped up in all things baby, that I forget about all the other things that are going on. Like the awesome night Mike and I had at The Black Cat for his birthday. We took our time. We lingered at the bar before out table was ready, ate multiple courses, had that extra glass of wine - Mike even drank a martini! It was his birthday, after all. I guess that having time to myself these days is such a rarity that I don't know what to do next when it happens. I mean, I get a new magazine in the mail and think, really, it's been a month already? I've barely cracked the spine on last month's issue. (Thank goodness Real Simple comes with a bookmark, 'cuz you know, someday I'll make it through that whole pile of unfinished reading, right?) 

Tonight, Mike is working, and the baby went down at 7:15. I actually found myself thinking, should I do this, or that, or take a shower... or can a shower wait until morning? As you can see, so far I've chosen this or that and not the shower. My house is a mess. My laundry is sitting in front of me here on the table. I have work to do. But a glass of wine and watching Janis Joplin and Neil Young on vh1 classic got top billing tonight. 

Milestones: Back to Belly

Joey finally rolled from his back to his belly! Something I thought would be far down the road, considering a good mood is short lived whenever we put him on his tummy. I was in the kitchen, and Mike had just walked in the front door. He said, "Wow, he's on his belly, and he's not screaming!" I said, "What?! He's on his belly? I left him on his back! HE ROLLED OVER!!"

Way to go, little man!

Four Months

Dear Joey,

On Wednesday, you turned four months old. You had another well baby check-up with Dr. M, and you weighed in at 15 lbs, 4 ozs, and you are 25.3" long. Dr. M said you definitely did not forget how to grow! I think you have changed more this month than you have in the previous three combined. You are grabbing everything within your reach like your toys and blankies (good) and handfuls mom's hair (not so good). One of daddy's co-workers let us borrow their Excersaucer, and you are really enjoying it. You are very curious about all the toys that are attached to it, but you do get kind of frustrated that they do not come off. You pull on and yell at one particular little turtle that spins around - it is pretty cute to watch. 

A few weeks ago, you figured out how to roll over from your belly to your back (and a few days after decided that you no longer wanted to do that), and on the same day you figured out that you could make "raspberries" at will. You have also discovered your feet, and you enjoy playing with them, kicking your legs, and occasionally sticking them in your mouth. You went swimming for the first time in Grandma and Grandpa's pool, and you seemed to really like it! One of your other new "tricks" is to give kisses. Or at least we think that's what you are trying to do! You grab our faces and come at our cheeks, chins and noses with an open mouth. I love your kisses, even if I end up with a nose full of drool. I know someday you will not think it is cool to give your mom hugs and kisses, so I cherish each and every one. 

You were doing pretty well with sleeping - going down at about 8:00 every night without a fuss - but right around the 4th of July, your sleep patterns began to take a turn for the worse. It was like we had a newborn again! I had to rock you and sing to you, and wait until you were totally asleep before I even attempted to move you into your crib. I knew it was not a good habit to get into, but it was the only way I could get you into your crib at night. If I even attempted to set you in there before you were completely asleep, you would act like I set you on a pin - screaming the second you hit the mattress. I spent some more nights on the couch (something I hadn't done for a couple of months) so that I could be close to your room, as you were waking up about every two hours. I started to keep a log of your naps and feedings during the day, and your wake times at night. I planned to take it with me to your well-baby exam to show Dr. M. I don't know what I thought he was going to do with it - I guess in the back of my mind I thought he would look at it and say, "Oh yes! I know exactly what is wrong, and here is what you do!" But, alas, he laughed when I pulled it out of my folder, told me how organized I was, and said I should frame it just in case we ever decided to have more kids. After all, you are just doing what 99% of infants do when they are learning to sleep through the night. And then, about a week and a half ago (and right before your doctor's appointment), your bottom two teeth broke through. And you started to sleep much better. I'm hoping your next set of teeth do not come with weeks of sleepless nights again!

You are becoming so much more aware of the things that are going on around you. Now, when you hear a loud noise, you get startled and you try to find where it came from. Usually, this is accompanied by "the lip." Things that you would previously sleep through, like the vacuum cleaner and blender, now surely wake you up. Daddy has graciously given up having smoothies in the morning when he is on day shift just so you will sleep as long as possible in the morning, and I can, too. 

When you see something you want to explore, you reach out and grab it, and it immediately ends up in your mouth. When we are out at a restaurant (yes, daddy let us take you out to dinner with us, and even lunch and breakfast!) we have to push our plates, glasses and silverware out of your reach, and make sure there are no paper napkins near you. When you are at work with me, you reach for my mouse, and pull papers off of my well organized (yeah right) stacks of work orders. You are so active, and you want to be able to move around so bad that you get frustrated and scoot yourself around in circles when we lay you on the floor to play. Dr. M thinks you will be crawling by the time you are six months old. It scares me a little to think that he is probably right! 

You took a trip to the Valley to meet our friends, Aaron and Crystal. Daddy has known Aaron and Crystal since he was in high school, and they are really more like family to us. It was the longest car trip you had ever taken, and you did great. I made sure you had a full tummy when we left the house, and you slept the whole way there. It was very hot, so we spent most of the day inside the house, and you played happily on the floor most of the day. On our way home, you woke up a couple of times, but went back to sleep quickly after. All in all, you did great for your first "vacation" day! 

As you continue to grow and learn, I do to. I am learning to be your mom, and each day brings a new lesson and a new challenge. I have begun to relax a little bit more, and go with the flow - I now understand how much our lives have changed. Daddy can't help but laugh at me - that it took me this long to realize this fact. Perhaps I had already realized it. Now, I have accepted it.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Love,

Mom