Six months

Matthew Jay you are six months old!!

What are you up to these days??

Mommy and Daddy spent a WHOLE WEEK away from you! We spent the week in Mazama, Wa at Teen Camp, and you spent the week at Grammy and Grandpa's house! It was very hard to say goodbye, but I knew that you were in the best hands, and would have a blast with Grammy and Grandpa. From what Grammy tells me you were such a happy baby all week long! I had enough milk pumped and stored to last the week, and just continued to pump the week we were gone at camp. Mom and Dad, we cannot tell you how thankful we are that you would dedicate a whole week of your summer to taking care of our baby. He is incredibly blessed to have a Grammy and Grandpa like you two!

We spent a week over in Chelan! (Post coming!)

Uncle Adam and Aunt Willow visited again!!

You went to your first wedding. Daddy's cousin Warren got married in a beautiful outdoor wedding!

You are sleeping in your own room now! You were sleeping great in our room, even all night most of the time, but we noticed that little noises and movement were causing you to stir and wake up. As much as I loved having you close by, I knew that it was probably beyond time to put you upstairs in your own room.

So at five months and one day, we did our normal bedtime routine, and mommy and daddy put you to bed in your own big boy crib! I started to walk out of your room, and began to cry! (I never thought I was much like my mom in that regard until I had a baby!) Since then, you have been sleeping great all by yourself in your crib! The first few nights, you woke up once or twice during the night, but we let you fuss, and within 10-15 minutes, you put yourself back to sleep without your binkie! You wake up around 6:00-6:30 and nurse, and then go back to sleep for an hour or so before you are ready to be up for the day! We are so happy with how you are sleeping through the night, and are really loving having our room back!

Most days you are a very good napper. You take a 1.5-2 hour morning and afternoon nap. You will take another 30 minute nap sometime in the early afternoon. You usually take another 30 minute evening nap, but have been starting, at times, to give that one up. That means by 8:00 we have a very tired baby on our hands, who is ready for a bath, and getting all snuggled up for bed.

We still swaddle you! Sometimes during nap time you go to sleep unbundled. Most of the time you don't sleep as well or as long if you are unbundled. You are getting so big and strong, that by morning you have wriggled your way out of the bundle and are rolling all over your crib!

You usually wake up so happy, just cooing in your crib! Those are the BEST sounds!

You are starting to be on the move! A couple of weeks ago, you learned how to get up on your hands and knees, ready to crawl! You can't crawl yet, but you rock back and forth, and then when you try to move and reach for something, you plop down onto your stomach.

I am learning that you are quite a determined little boy though! Since you can't get to your toys by crawling, about a week after you learned to get into the crawling position, you learned how to do something like a half army crawl. You don't pull yourself with both arms, but you scoot yourself forward with your left forearm, reach for your toy with your right arm, and push with your legs. I'm amazed to how much distance you can cover doing that if you really want to get somewhere!

As soon as you figure out how to move your arms and legs together, we are going to be entering a whole new stage of parenting! I have a feeling you are going to be one active boy!

You still absolutely LOVE tummy time! One of your very favorite activities is just to be on the ground, rolling over and playing on your stomach. Lately, you have been planking onto your hands and toes! I think you've been watching Daddy do too many push-ups!

You met your Great-Grandma Stevens for the first time! She loved you!

You are almost sitting up! Sometimes you will sit by yourself for 30 seconds or so, but then topple over!

You love to eat! We have had so much fun trying new baby foods with you! Right now you are eating rice cereal, sweet potatoes, bananas, pears, applesauce, green beans and avocado. Your favorites are avocado, pears and applesauce! You eat solid food about twice a day, and nurse the rest of the time, usually about every 4 hours.

Your favorite song right now is Skidamarink. Daddy also thinks he is pretty funny and will sing The National Anthem to you in a really low, loud voice. Your eyes grow so big. I can't tell if you are scared or mesmerized!

You LOVE Lexi. She tolerates you at times, but for the most part, she does her best to avoid you! You still haven't learned the difference between grabbing and petting!

We went hiking at Wallace Falls. You had your first tumble at Wallace Falls...yikes! (post coming soon!)

We had the best summer together as a family! Both Mommy and Daddy were home all summer long! The week after you were born, Daddy started baseball and was really busy for the first few months of your life. This summer, he got to spend every minute with you and loved it! You absolutely adore your Daddy and I love to see your face light up when you see him. You love it when he blows zerberts on your belly, but sometimes his beard can be a bit scratchy when he kisses your neck. Daddy is the bundle king and can swaddle you up nice and tight. He is so hands on, even when it comes to poopy diapers (Mommy is so thankful for this!) He loves the Lord and wants to teach you all about Jesus...and baseball!

As they say, all good things must come to an end. After a summer full of adventures, both mommy and daddy had to go back to work. I was privileged to have 6 months of being home with my baby, but going back to work was the last thing I really wanted to do. I am so thankful for the job that the Lord has blessed me with, however! I love being a nurse and taking care of others. I am working 2 nights a week. One night I work from 7pm-7am, and the next night I work from 11pm-7am. That means Daddy is "Mr. Mom"! So far work has gone great, and I feel like I am hardly missing out on anything since I'm gone while you sleep! Now I just have to figure out when to get my rest!

Matthew, this summer was packed full of making memories and loving on you!
We love you SO much and couldn't have wished for a sweeter baby!