6 Months!

Dear Ben,
Tomorrow you are a whole half year old—six months! I'm posting on the eve of the actual day because we have to be up very early tomorrow in order to get to work/school on time.

Before I get nostalgic for a few paragraphs, let’s hit the basics of you:
Note: haven’t yet had your six month pediatrician appointment but my money’s on 90th percentile for weight. Bets, anyone? (Addition: had a sick visit to the pediatrician (had a rash) on Tuesday and you weigh…18lbs 9.9oz. Porker.)

Eating
So far you have enjoyed rice cereal, oatmeal, avocado and we tried peas this morning but didn’t grind the skins enough and you gagged. Sorry about that. We’ll do jarred peas until you get some teeth.
You eat with gusto and it only took about a week of me jamming rice cereal into your barely opened mouth before you figured out the process. Seems like a relatively minor skill, but still you remind us just how exciting these little accomplishments can be.

Sleeping
You are an okay sleeper. You are a thrasher, always moving around, keeping an ear open for something exciting going on—you never want to miss the fun!
Fortunately, you are having more and more nights of uninterrupted sleep. About once ever three nights you will sleep straight through from about 6:15ish until 6ish. Not too shabby.
Soon we’ll try to keep you up a bit later so you can sit at the dinner table with us, and so you can sleep a little later in the morning. But don’t worry, we’re not going to mess with your schedule just yet.
You are mostly a tummy sleeper (which is okay now according to Dr. Robinson) but we will find you on your side some nights, sucking away on whatever thumb happens to be closest to your mouth. Mommy enjoys hearing your suck-suck-suck noises on the monitor.
Pooping
Aside from having some trouble digesting your oatmeal, you are an accomplished pooper. Let’s just say I do look forward to toilet training you. You can thank me later for not including a picture of this!

Temperament
You are still teething quite a bit (although I have yet to see any actual teeth popping out) and it makes you sad. Fortunately you are still showing us your easy going, good natured manner more often than not.
Most mornings you wake up with a cry but settle down right away and flash that gummy grin.

School
You are going to school three days a week and aside from the permanent nasal congestion you seem to have picked up there, I’d say the place suits you just fine. You have three wonderful teachers and are very well stimulated. We hear that you don’t really like bubbles, though, and you proved this by flinching as I was opening the bubbles container—also proving that you have developed some memory.

Sappy Stuff
Ben, you are a great little boy. You are interested in the things and people (and cats) that happen into your life and your very presence brings out the best in others. We are constantly being told just how cute you are (which we already know) and how well behaved you are (which we also already know). Those things are so nice to hear—but what’s most important to us is that you are happy. And most of the time you are, which means we are too.

Love love love love love love you.

Mama