6-Month = Love

aspberries & Squeeling: Kaden is officially 6-months and LOVES to blow raspberries and is now interested in squeeling with happiness. He seriously does it all day long. If you call me, you will hear him buzzing with his lips... sometimes tongue out, sometimes in, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. When he isn't blowing, he enjoys shrieking for fun. He just loves it, but seems to be much more vocal when he's comfortable with the setting, particularly at home with me and/or Kyle. When traveling to his grandparents houses, he has been much quicker to acclimate to the setting and relax, (read: begin making noise).

Rolling, Sitting & Standing: He has been rolling over since Thanksgiving and as of Christmas, has been sitting up. Generally, he only rolls from his back to his tummy because once he is on his tummy, he will play and try to crawl, but then get frustrated with being on his tummy and fuss for help. When sitting, he is starting to rock forward with hopes of landing on his knees in order to crawl, but is not quite there yet. He still loves to be held up to stand and since I was an early walker, (8-months), I think that milestone is not too far away.... eek!!

6-Month Doc Appt: At his routine appointment, he measured 29.25" and weighed 17 lbs. 13oz., which placed him taller/longer than 95% of boys his age and right in the middle for weight, at 50%. His lack of movement is leading to him getting pudgy legs, which is adorable.

Eating Solids: He has been eating real/solid food- and LOVES it, (although he will continue nursing as his primary source of nutrients). For a variety of reasons, I am making all of the baby food myself, using organic ingredients, which has been fun and slightly time-consuming, but worth it. We began with (store-bought) rice cereal at Christmas time, (just before his 6-month bday), which was met with joy and probably was overdue. He had been interested in eating for a few weeks, but I wanted to wait 6-months, per the AMA's advice for breast-fed babies. Next, I introduced sweet potatoes, then bananas, then avocado. I moved onto pears, which seemed to bother him because he was waking frequently at night, but upon further inspection, we determined the bananas were blocking him up and introduced (store-bought) prunes, which quickly solved the problem. ;) He doesn't seem to have a preference in flavors, (he just enjoys eating), but reacts when switching from one food to another and seems to keep more of the fruits in his mouth rather than on his chin/bib.

Huggles: Since the beginning, he has been and continues to be a very affectionate baby. He will let anyone hold him and enjoys spending time in the arms of loved ones. I have playfully termed his action a "huggle"- because he's kind-of being held, but more so hugged and cuddled. It's quite charming. =)

Chomp!: Kaden now has 2 teeth on the bottom and seems to be getting ready for the top 2 to arrive. He doesn't teeth on the toys designed for teething, but enjoys chewing on all fabric, his bottom lip, thumb and those plastic rings that are perfect for holding toys on car seats and other useful ideas. Although everything still goes in his mouth, I am trying to interest him in chewing on a wooden teething ring, (at avoid the evils of plastic) and encouraging his love of putting all fabrics in his mouth.

Kyle & Alyssa: Kyle and I are doing well. He is busy-busy-busy with work, as usual. I love staying home but am getting antsy for something to keep my mind occupied with complex thinking. I would like to focus and start writing the children's books that have been growing & flowering my mind, but I keep making excuses and just not doing it. I am also keeping my eyes/ears open for good ideas for working from home, but haven't seen much aside from Pampered Chef or something, which I'm not sure about as a "job" for me. Any ideas on how I can further explore either writing or working from home?