Landon – 6 Months Old

Stats

Weight: 19 lbs. (75% percentile)
Diaper Size: Size 3 in Pampers
Clothes: Fully into 12 mos clothes/jammies. Some 9-month things still fit.

Biggest surprise this month: He has jumped from the 50^th percentile in height to the 85^th percentile! He measured 27.5 inches at his 6 month appointment.

Personality

Oh, teething. I guess it was wishful thinking to think we’d get through the first year with no grumpy fits! L.J. continues to be a happy camper, but we have had a few episodes of the grumps this month due to his teething. Overall, though, he continues to be a happy, smiley baby and now he is jabbering away, too. He loves to “talk”!

Playtime

L.J. has become so inquisitive and curious, and Mike and I really enjoy watching him play. He can now roll over on both sides (but not yet tummy-to-back), though he still prefers his left side. The pediatrician said that he is not far from being able to sit on his own, and that is something he is desperate to master. Little Man gets so frustrated when he is on his back and can’t easily reach his toys!

He has really mastered some developmental skills this month, including:

• Working to get a toy out of his reach
• Transferring a toy from one hand to the other
• Following a toy with his eyes if you move it around him
• Dropping a toy off the side of his highchair or Exersaucer (oh joy…)
• Picking up/grasping a toy
• Reaching and grasping for a hanging toy

Absolutely everything he touches immediately goes straight to his mouth for exploration. He loves to chew on mommy or daddy’s hand – a sure sign the teeth are coming.

His Goodnight Moon bunny and his green starfish crinkle blanket are still his most favorite things. New this month, we introduced him to this snail, which he absolutely loves. He will actively work to get ahold of it if we place it out of his reach. The only downside to the snail is that it’s rather heavy and he’s bonked himself in the face with it more than once.

He’s also realized how much fun the Exersaucer is. He will play in it for 10-15 minutes all by himself, and can work his way around the different activity stations.

This month we said goodbye to the baby swing and bounce seat, packing them away to storage. It was a little bittersweet packing up the swing, but we love that it’s no longer taking up a huge chunk of the family room.

We continue to read a bedtime story each night and that continues to be a favorite time of the day. We have a handful of books that we read frequently, and I’m glad board books are cheap because I occasionally add to our collection just for something new to read! A new favorite this month is Little Blue Truck.

Eating

L.J. now takes 7-8 oz every 4 hours. We have completely eliminated nighttime feedings and his 10 p.m. feeding. Our last 10 p.m. feeding was Memorial Day weekend. He pretty much phased it out on his own, and while I enjoy having more flexibility with my bedtime, I do miss the sweet, sleepy snuggles that always accompanied that feeding.

He typically eats at 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. He lets you know loud and clear when he’s hungry! Another developmental milestone – if he is fussing for his bottle and you walk him over and show him that it’s warming up, he will stop fussing and stare at it until it’s ready. He absolutely recognizes his bottle!

We tried rice cereal a few times this month and he really wasn’t a big fan. We tried oatmeal towards the end of the month, and he liked that much better! He also tried bananas once or twice and was quite a fan of those. We waited until his 6 month appointment to really begin solids.

Sleeping

L.J. is a fantastic nighttime sleeper. He goes to bed around 7:45 p.m. and typically sleeps until around 6 a.m. the next morning. Yes, realize how lucky we are.

Naptime continues to be anyone’s game. He is more of a cat-napper, taking multiple 30-45 minute naps throughout the day versus 2 long naps. The time of his naps depends on the day. I’m not sure how (or even if) we can get him on a more regular schedule.

On the weekends, we turn on his crib aquarium when we put him down for a nap. He really likes it’s, so it’s definitely a bit of a bribe on our part to get him to take a nap! He always reaches for it when we put him in his crib, but so far hasn’t figured out how to turn it on by himself. (We don’t use it at night because it’s too bright in a dim room.)

Milestones/Firsts

His biggest milestones this month were developmental milestones. He has become much more interactive and playful, and is no longer content to just hang out on mommy or daddy’s lap. There is too much to do and too much to explore!

“Introduction to food” was a big milestone, as mentioned above.

Dear L.J.,

Happy Half Birthday! I can’t believe you are six months old. Where does the time go?! In your first six months you transitioned from a snuggly little newborn to an inquisitive little explorer. It’s amazing to look back at your first photos and see just how much you’ve changed – and how much you’ve grown! You are a complete joy to be around and you bring your daddy and I so much happiness. We love you more than you will ever know!

Love,
Mommy