1/2 Year Old

A half a year old.  Amazing!  Jude’s personality is coming out more and more each day.  He is a ball of smiles, not just the little grins but the big, wide-mouthed kind that take up your entire face.  He smiles upon seeing a familiar face or hearing a familiar voice without fail. Don’t let this confuse you with the idea that he is laid back.  He is a very good baby but will not hesitate to let you know that he does not want to be buckled into a car seat or be left alone for one minute.  He’s perfectly happy and content as long as he is being held, and if being held means that he is dangling in a headlock-like position while I cook dinner or pour a sippy cup of milk, that will do.

One of the big milestones we’ve observed this month is mimicking sounds.  He concentrates so hard to form little noises while watching our mouths form the sounds.  He is also practicing sitting up.  He is still wobbly but he can hold himself up in a tripod for a few seconds.  He plays with toys, grabbing for them and trying to move toward one’s that are just out of his reach.  He gets where he wants to go by rolling, often getting stuck against the legs of a table or a shelf then screaming for help.  He spends a lot of time in his swing or bouncer.  I keep him trapped and safe (safer) from Owen there.

He sleeps most nights all night.  I like that he is finally getting into a predictable routine.  I lay him down for two naps a day.  His morning naps are often very short.  Sometimes I wonder if he even sleeps at all during them.  Its no wonder...this house is never quiet and the sound is always amplified after I get him down.  His bedtime is around 7 and he sleeps until 7:30.  When he wakes up it is usually around 4 and after I feed him he’ll usually sleep in until 9.  He is easy to get to sleep and always has been.  Really, he is very low maintenance in many ways.

He is eating three meals a day with us.  He has learned how to open his mouth for a bite and is getting better and better at swallowing without spitting half of the bite out.  He has tried apples, squash, carrots, pumpkins and pears and likes them all.  We are also supplementing him with one 6 oz. bottle of formula each day.  He doesn’t always seem to be satisfied after nursing.  Although I do not like paying $25 dollars for a container of formula, I do like having a hand at feeding and there are plenty of eager helpers here.