Six

Reid you are already six months old and seeming so big! You are definitely growing up quick and headed towards the slippery slope of being a little boy and not my little baby.

You are wearing 6-9 months clothes. You weigh about 15 pounds. You are a very somber baby compared to your brother. We have to work so hard to get good belly laughs out of you and they usually come more easily before bed, when you're overly tired, or if I'm really, really tickling you. As much as you make us work for those laughs, and smiles, they are one of a kind and so worth it. You give good, quick smiles at first glance, or in the morning when you first wake up, and they are adorable. It's different learning your personality when we were so used to your big brothers, but we love it. You, in many ways, seem to take after your dad more. More of an observer and quiet, which is a good thing. I think you will be a good balance to Cadens personality. You are pretty chill and relaxed--I think it's due to just who you are but also to not being the only child and having to hang out/not be held as much so we can balance Caden or other to-do's as well.

 

You're grabbing at your feet more and it's so cute. Not sure why, but seeing you hold onto those little piggies is adorable. You're like our little zombie-always trying to eat our faces and putting everything in our mouth. You'll grab tight of peoples faces and try to munch away. Another cute thing you've been doing is when you are having a bottle and tired you just rub through your hair with your little hand. You have the most soft, fuzzy little hair and it's cute to see you run your hands through it time and time again as your eyes get heavy.

You still don't really sit up on your own. I think some of that has to do with your strong curiosity. You are constantly reaching for everything and so intrigued with what's around you that when we do try to sit you up, you look around at first then go forward on your belly to go after something. Your dad swears you'll be crawling next month but I'm just not too certain. I remember we thought Caden would be crawling sooner than he did because of the similar actions you show and he didn't crawl until eight months...but we'll just have to wait and see!

You want to chew on everything, which makes everyone ask if you are teething. As drooly as you are, and as much as you naw on anything you can get your hands on, it would seem as if you are, but I think it's one of those teething stages where you will be doing that for a while before we actually see any tooth/teeth break through. So far I don't see or feel anything, so maybe you're just working up to it.

You love your jumper. In fact, majority of the time when you are being held, but someone is sitting down, you like to stand and jump, jump, jump. You are an active little guy. When we go to unbuckle you out of your car seat you are quick to strongly arch your back and try to get the heck out of dodge. Doesn't make it always as easy to get you out of the car seat but it is sometimes pretty humorous to see you being so distinct in what you want at such a young age.

You tried carrots for the first time and did well! You are definitely ready to be having food, and it's my fault on not acting on it sooner. I want to make it for you and just never got around to doing it. So, finally I boiled some carrots and pureed them and there you have it-your first food experience! I need to get you some fun puffs to snack on, I'm sure you'd love those and we plan on trying sweet potatoes and green beans next. I'm eager to get to the fruit, mainly banana, because of how convenient it will be...but 'rules are rules' and veggies are supposed to come first. Soon enough you'll be eating anything thing and everything so no rush. I was so eager to start all the 'new things' with Caden, and I am eager to see you experience it all, but not in a rush to have you fly by these stages too quickly...Lord knows they fly by quick enough on their own, I don't need to encourage it.

You're sleeping pretty well. Recently you've been winding down taking your last bottle and going to bed around 6:30. I remember Caden doing the same early routine and feeling like we had no time with him due to working in the day and such an early bed time. Thankfully, God has allowed us the opportunity to have jobs that give us more flexibility and family time so I don't struggle with feeling as 'robbed' of that time with you. So you go to bed fairly early, and depending on the night you'll wake up about once just in need of the paci and you go right back to sleep. And depending on the morning you'll sometimes start stirring around 5-6, we'll feed you and for the majority of the mornings you'll go back to sleep for a little while longer. It's not bad and there's not a huge struggle to get you to sleep, the only hard part comes when we are up with you around 5-6, and then your brother gets up around 6 as well. Last night and today though, you woke up about 11:30 at night needing the paci but you went back to sleep and didn't stir again until 7, and your brother didn't get up and come get us until just before 7, so it was a nice little 'sleeping in' for mommy and daddy!

You are quiet and somber, but when you do chatter it's like music to my ears. I love your observation personality and it's adorable and fits you well, but hearing baby chatter is just the best. You still will blow raspberries which crack me up, and when you do chatter you seem to show pursed lips throughout your talk which is just overly cute. I always wonder what you could be thinking and am so curious to what goes on in your mind.

You are animated and so fun to watch when you are watching a baby show. We sometimes play a Baby Einstein's lullaby show for you and you always light up when other little babies, or the puppets, come on. You are starting to enter such a fun stage. More interactive and so curious. You are stating to interact more with Caden, laughing at his silly antics in the car, giving him a funny 'what the crap?!' look when he's being crazy or throwing a fit. It's the best to see you both together. He's already being a bossy brother to you trying to tell you when you can't have your hands in your mouth, or to quit spitting, or to put your car seat canopy back up. Don't worry, we have your back and tell him to buzz off, but once you're older you'll really have to hold your own against your bossy brother.

 We love you so much. You are a wonderful, handsome, brown fuzzy hair, brown eyes, little boy and couldn't be more adorable and more perfect for our family. So much is coming your way the next few months. So many changes, so many milestones are around the corner and we are so blessed and excited that we get to be your parents through it all. We pray so strongly for you, and your brother. We pray that we can be the parents that God desires us to be, and that you need us to be.

We love you so much, Reid. Thank you for giving us an awesome first six months. Prayers for many, many, many more.

Love you always, Reiders.

FIVE

Today, you are five months old. Really. Seriously. Right before my eyes you are almost going off to college. Oh, calm down, not college, but high school. Now, now...let me have my mommy wallows.

Reid you are so fun. One of my favorite things about you is one minute, you're going to town on your pacifier, and the next when someone says hi to you, you light up with a smile and out pops the paci. It's a little bashful looking smile that melt my heart.

You dropped in percentile weight at your four month checkup, so we are going back in two weeks to make sure you gain more. This isn't too much of a second thought to us though, your brother eats all things, all the time, and is a little guy. You both have your dad's genes, and I'm overly jealous of this. So, not a worry to us.

Either way, just a few days ago you had your last bottle of breastmilk. I stopped personally feeding you at 4 1/2 months. Many small factors, but as much as I loved that it was going well, it was just getting to me mentally and physically. I first thought maybe I would pump, but let's be honest, if I'm going to keep my supply up I'd rather feed you and not be stuck to a pump. SO, either way, after a while of teeter-tottering back and forth I decided to stop and it has been easier. You were starting to be a little finicky with eating, and if you didn't gain enough we'd have to bottle feed you to see the intake amount anyways, so just how it all played out. You are still finicky with eating sometimes, but it's not something that I take personally now that it's towards a bottle so that's easier mentally and just following your hunger cues for the most part.

So-you were about 13 lbs at your four month weigh in, and checking with the scale we have now, it looks like you may be 14 lbs now.

You have the best laugh and giggle. It's priceless to see you smile and have fun watching your big brother.

You have been sleeping pretty well, but just depends on the night. Sometimes you skip the late night feeding, but for the most part don't skip the early morning feeding. Now that you are all bottle your dad has been helping though if you do wake up before one, so that's a bonus and makes it easier.

You're pretty relaxed and easy going, but recently a bit more needy. I think that more so has to do with you being so mobile, constantly rolling around, and just want to be more places than you can be. Your dad thinks you'll be off and crawling before long, but I'm not as convinced. You're a mover for sure, but I remember thinking the same about your brother and I think it wasn't until 8 months that he was on the move, so we'll see. For my sake and sanity how about you just hold off on crawling a bit longer.

You do really well in the baby carrier. It's been my go-to for our many zoo trips, sometimes to the park, etc. It's easy for me to be more hands free and available for Caden and you also like it and most always get cuddly and take a little nap in it while we're on the move.

You recently tried a little rice cereal. It was pretty funny to see you experience something new like that and how to figure it out with the spoon. For the most part you seemed to move it around with your tongue and spit it out, but you got some in and seemed to like it! Another month and we'll try some real baby food and then, yet again, you're off to college! Waaaahh!

You are blowing raspberries like none other these days. It's the funniest thing to hear while I'm driving and for some reason just lights up my day and makes me laugh. You really go at it sometimes, and there have been a few times where it seems as if you do it on cue to what we are talking about at that moment.

You're finding your feet more and more-and with that being said reaching for things now. Caden thinks you're always 'getting him' and doesn't understand your untamed actions yet.

Now we're getting into the months were I feel like time will fly even faster. You will be sitting up more on your own soon, crawling, playing with toys more-the milestones are coming quick and I just have to embrace myself for them all and enjoy them while they lasts before the next one creeps around the corner.

You are a joy, Reid. Your laughter and smile lights up a room. Our love for you is beyond words and we are so happy God chose us to be your parents. Love you, little man.