six months.

Has it really been half of a year since our baby boy came into this world? Yep, it sure has and I'm not so sure how I feel about it. A part of me is absolutely loving this age of discoveries and rapid change, but the other part is desperately missing those sweet and cuddly newborn days, especially with all these tiny babies being born! Before we know it, Brooks will be celebrating his first birthday and I will be curled up in the fetal position having a complete come-apart.

Instead of trying to slow or turn back time, I want to be present in the here and now. I want to soak up every minute of every day that I have with my precious, silly, happy, drooly boy who, at six months, is...

...sleeping on his tummy! It's official and I am finally at peace with it. No matter how we lay him down in the crib, or what "preventions" we use to keep him on his back, Brooks always ends up on his belly. He also sleeps with both of his lovies plus two Wubbanubs. It's safe to say that I have eased up a good bit as far as "crib safety" goes. And as of late, his hands discovered the bumper pad and his mouth discovered the Sleep Sheep and Gentle Giraffe. Thank goodness for velcro.

On May 20th, we finally switched to the Moms On Call "4-6 months" schedule. Brooks' new sleep schedule looks a little something like this:

• Goes to bed at 7:30 p.m. 
• Wakes up between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. (If he is not up by 7:00, I wake him for bottle) 
• First nap at 8:30 a.m. (sleeps for 45 minutes to 2 hours)
• Second nap between 12:00 and 12:30 p.m. (sleeps for 45 minutes to 2 hours)
• Last nap at 5:00 p.m. (sleeps for about 45 minutes)

Brooks was fussy all day week. It was quite an adjustment. There are still afternoons where he isn't able to hold out until his scheduled nap time so I will put him down 15-30 minutes early. We are pretty flexible these days.

In the past, Brooks would only fuss when he was hungry or tired. Now he fusses and cries when I walk out of the room or out of his sight...unless he is distracted, of course. Those baby blues stare at me like a hawk. Little bit is also in the habit of gazing up at me every so often to make sure I'm still around. He does this during bottle time (especially when John is giving him his bottle) and when I read to him. It melts my heart every. single. time. He also fusses when I take something out of his hands that he shouldn't be playing with or chewing on. Like the mail. Or my sunglasses. The other 97% of the time, Brooks is all smiles and giggles. We are blessed with one happy baby. 

We introduced solids on May 19th. After a couple of weeks of rice cereal we decided Brooks was ready to expand his palate. On June 4th he had his first taste of bananas, on June 6th we introduced avocado, on June 10th he tried sweet potatoes, and on June 12th we added pears. Brooks is absolutely NOT a fan of bananas, is indifferent to avocado, really likes sweet potatoes, and loves pears. I have enjoyed making his baby food and cannot wait to introduce more...even if it means bigger and more stinky diapers. PEE-YEW.

On May 13th, Brooks grabbed his left foot during a diaper change. It was a belated discovery, but a first, nonetheless! He now grabs his feet all of the time. On June 4th they even made their way to his mouth. Yummy.

Brooks started "scooting" instead of using the roll as his only mode of transportation on May 24th! He can't scoot forward or backward yet—only side to side. The circle is his specialty. I don't think it will be long until he is crawling. Watch out world!

On May 26th, Brooks experienced his first boat ride and first dip in the pool. He fell asleep as soon as the boat started moving, bless his sweet heart, and was a bit unsure of the pool. The water was too cold for me to get in, so I don't blame him. Thanks for taking one for the team, daddy! I am determined to have a water baby so I took him to the neighborhood pool on the 29th and he had a ball! He had so much fun that when I took him out of the water, I noticed blood all over my shirt; his little feet danced so hard on the pool steps that his big toes were rubbed raw. So, the 29th marks his first boo boo, too. 

We took Brooks to the park for the first time on June 2nd. He loved swinging and feeding the Geese.

On June 10th, B-man sat up on his own! BIG TIMER! I am so proud of him. We continue to "practice" every day and he lasts longer and longer each time. Face plants are few and far between...

Some other quirks and firsts that I want to note from month six:

Brooks is now strong enough to break up his links and throws all of his toys. He can pull out his pacifier and attempts to stick it back in his mouth—sometimes he is able to do it. He started banging both arms and hands at the same time, a habit that he picked up from splashing around during tubby time. And speaking of bath time, Brooks is having soooooo much more fun in the tub. It is a great way to wear him out before bedtime!

My sweet boy rubs my hand or scratches the pillow when taking a bottle. If he is really tired, he will pull the burp cloth over his eyes.

Brooks is babbling more and more. He is in the habit of staring at our mouths for minutes at a time. He can now purse his lips together and blow bubbles and imitate us when we stick out our tongues and "blow." He has added more consonant sounds to his vocabulary too. 

We still have a blondie on our hands. I even noticed some blonde hairs sprouting on his legs. Is it normal for a baby to have body hair?! He also has a birthmark on his left knee. 

Brooks loves playtime in his exersaucer and a mean game of "peek-a-boo." I get a laugh out of him every single time. He also loves being outdoors. He and John have a habit of going outside every evening to feed the ducks. We also take one to two strolls around the neighborhood every day. All boy, already.

This is such a fun age, despite the fact that my precious boy never wants to cuddle anymore. Really, he doesn't even like to be held these days. He is so consumed by the big, loud world around him that he wants to be a part of it so bad—exploring, touching, listening. Thus far, this is the best month and from what I've been told, it only gets better.

We are so in love with you, Brooksie. You keep us entertained and are always able to bring a smile to our faces. What a joy and blessing you are. Happy SIX MONTHS, my heart! Six down, six to go...

Side note: As for me, I dropped pumping three times a day to twice a day on May 17th. I am now officially DONE with pumping and Brooks is exclusively formula fed. I made it to six months...win.