grocery cart.

On Thursday, Brooks graduated from being nestled in the Moby Wrap to sitting up like a big boy in the grocery cart! Our hands on boy no longer tolerates snuggling up to mama in the Moby—his head jerks from side to side and those little hands want to reach for everything in sight. Our last trip to Publix was a disaster, to put it mildly. We lost a burp cloth, a pacifier...and our patience.

Now that Brooks is sitting up on his own, I figured it was time to let him sit in the cart. Also, to be honest, I saw a woman in Buy Buy Baby the other day with what looked like a four month old sitting in the buggy seat, looked down at my six month babe whose feet were hanging out of the car seat (attached to the stroller) and thought, "it's time."

Lucky for me, Brooks LOVED it! Our first trip to Publix like a true mom and son team was a success. Oh, and if you are a germ freak like me and John (especially John...shocker), invest in a highchair/shopping cart cover. They are super cute, easy to use, and get the job done. Ours is the Itzy Ritzy Ritzy Sitzy in "Rodeo Drive." We also have the Itzy Ritzy wet bag and you better believe when Brooks is ready for snacks we will invest in the snack bags too!

snippet.

Another snippet of our life lately told in black and white:

I love every day with this boy. Happy Friday, y'all.

six month favorites.

We don't have many additions to our favorites for month six. Stay tuned for this month's favorites because it's a whole new world of fun for mama and baby. And we are only two weeks in!

1. Petit Collage Forest Friends Mobile - This super cute mobile was the finishing touch to Brooks' nursery. Made of bamboo, it goes with the rustic deer theme. It is very lightweight so it moves every time the air or fan is on, providing entertainment for B. Whenever I get him out of the crib in the morning or after a nap we stand and look at the mobile. His face lights up and he will grunt at it and reach for it.

2. Earth's Best Organic Whole Grain Rice Cereal - I first attempted to make my own batch of whole grain rice cereal to feed Brooks, but it was a complete fail. Have you ever tried to grind grains of rice?! Instead, I went with the next best option: Earth's Best Organic Whole Grain Rice Cereal. It's organic. Win. It's whole grain. Win. It is an excellent source of iron. Win. And Brooks likes it. Win.

3. Evenflo ABC SmartSteps ExerSaucer - Last month Brooks wanted nothing to do with this amusement park for babies. This month he LOVES it. It keeps him occupied for hours. Well, maybe not hours, but he sits in it while I workout every morning for at least 30 minutes. The sounds, the lights, and the textures stimulate his senses. He squeals in delight and his feet dance as soon as I put him in it. I like it because it's a great place for him to play while I get things done around the house without having to keep my eye on him the entire time. 

4. Tadpoles Playmat - I orignally wanted to purchase a SkipHop playmat for Brooks, but after doing a bit of research and one bad review after another, I opted for the Tadpoles Mat. I bought the mat because Brooks is moving and shaking these days and the fibers from our rug were getting caught in between his little fingers, which eventually make their way to his mouth. Brooks also spits up a lot while on playing on his stomach or sitting up so I wanted a surface that was easy to clean. So far, so good (other than the fact that the cats love it too, especially Goose who thinks the edges are chew toys).

5. Green Sprouts Waterproof Pocket Bibs - These bibs are PVC free, easy to clean, have a flip pocket to catch spills, and are too cute. Rice cereal is messy and sticky and when first introducing solids more food ends up on the bib than in the mouth. These bibs catch and contain the mess so well.

doughnuts.

Do you ever wake up thinking "today is a doughnut day"? I do. And Sunday was one of those days. John was out of town Friday and Saturday so Brooks and I deemed Sunday as family-day. To satiate my craving we started the day with a piece (or three) of hot glazed heaven at Krispy Kreme.

It was Brooks' first trip to the Kreme and unfortunately for him, he is still too young to share a doughnut with daddy...even though they pretty much melt in your mouth. MMM. So while we ate, he chilled in his adorbs hat. No he didn't. As you can see from the above pictures, he just wanted to tear it apart and put it in his mouth. That's okay, buddy. If I couldn't eat a doughnut, I would probably try to eat the hat too...

same outfit, different baby.

Warning: cuteness overload!

Yesterday we dressed Brooks in an adorable dump truck Jon Jon that John wore 28 years ago. 28 years! Crazy! Of course, I had to take a few pictures of this momentous occasion!

Okay, maybe momentous is an exaggeration. But, look at this sweet boy. Can you blame me?

I melt!

I also kick myself in the pants every time we take pictures outside our front door, which is actually on the side of our townhouse. (Weird). The neighbor's screens, down spout, and the water meters backdrop isn't very lovely. Lesson learned. And if you can't tell from the pictures, Brooks is really into two things lately—sticking his tongue out and his daddy. 

Now, if only I can dig up a photo of baby John wearing the same outfit. Either way, life is complete.

dad's day.

Today we celebrated John's first Father's Day. I am so thankful for his huge heart—for others, but especially for our little family of three. We are beyond blessed by him each and every day. I couldn't pick a better daddy, leader, and role model for our Brooks. He is one lucky boy and I am one grateful wife.

Of course I had to get some pics with my babe too (the short one)...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to my wonderful daddy, too. I thought about you lots today and am loving and honoring you from afar! XOXO.

bugs bunny.

This morning we went to see our pediatrician for Brooks' six month well check-up.

Our little, and I do mean little, buddy has grown one inch and has gained two pounds since his last appointment two months ago. He is weighing in at 16 pounds, 8 ounces (16th percentile) and is 25 inches tall (10th percentile).

Brooks may be small, but he sure is mighty.

Our wiggle worm wanted to grab everything in sight. Embarrassed by the wrinkled and torn paper, I finally gave him the diaper wipes to keep him occupied until the doctor came in. As soon as she approached him, he was a little angel and laid still for his entire check-up. Doc, please tell me your secret.

Despite a few fusses and pouts (until he spotted mama), his check-up went and I am thankful to announce that we have one perfectly healthy and happy six month old. Well, happy until he got his shots...

Poor baby Brooks had to get his third round of immunizations (Pediarix, Hib, Rota, and Prevnar), which included three pricks this go around—two on his left leg and one on his right. After the first shot he let out a scream, his face turned tomato red, and he cried so hard that he couldn't catch his breath. Insert: heartbreak. It wasn't until I picked him up that he was able to exhale and calm down. When we got home he was still fussy and didn't take down his bottle well. He is napping as we speak and I am praying that he feels better when he wakes up.

On the plus side, Brooks did tell me that he can't wait until daddy gets home so he can show him his "battle wounds" and his really cool Bugs Bunny bandaids...

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.