10.07.2014

6 Months



Six months. Six. I can't even talk about how it's been half a year. My thoughts are not coherent at all, which means this probably won't be a very concise writing. If this were paper, I'd stain it with my tears and leave it at that. In fact, I might do that in the journal I have for Owen. Here, though, I'll try to make my feelings palpable.

Actually, I won't. (See, told ya--not coherent.) I think I'll keep it light. I've had anxiety and general uneasiness lately, and finally just had an all-out meltdown one night last week about Owen growing up. I don't want to have another one any time soon. ha. He's worth it. The pain and heartache I feel from loving him so deeply is something I wasn't prepared for, and I don't think I would have understood it if anyone had tried to prepare me.

For the first time in possibly my entire life, my reality has far, far exceeded my expectations. If I could freeze time and stay 27 and Owen stay 6 months, I would probably do it. I now tear up almost every time he and I drive down the road. I see him back there, just staring out the window with eyes full of wonder. I've been able to see many things through fresh eyes because of the way he looks around and takes it all in. It's fun to watch him check out his environment before settling in any time we are at a new place. It's one of my favorite things!

I absolutely cannot believe how much fun I have with Owen. This past month has been the absolute best! He smiles and laughs all the time. He's so joyful all the time; it's no fluke that we have so many smiley pictures of him! People in public are always commenting on his happiness, smile, and beautiful eyes. I'm just so proud to be his mom. I really am. He is sweet. So sweet. He's rolling over like a pro, trying to crawl, successfully crawling on his back, starting to sit up on his own, and jumping like crazy when he stands up with our help or the help of his Baby Einstein activity jumper. He also has two teeth! One day I said "I really think he's teething," for the first time, and later that week a bottom front tooth broke through. Two days later, there were two teeth! It's the cutest thing. I thought he was teething because he was suddenly spitting up a ton for a couple of days in a row, and he was extremely congested. I don't know why, but it just seemed like that meant he was teething. It was all out of the blue and happening at once. They are so sharp, and so cute.

We also started "solids" (pureed foods) right after he turned 5 months old because he was consistently showing signs of being ready: watching us eat, reaching for our food and drinks, opening his mouth for a spoon. He loves his veggies! He's had green beans, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, and squash. I originally thought carrots were his favorite because it was the first container he finished completely, but now he does that with all of them. haha. We've also tried peaches multiple times and he doesn't like them. I tried a banana with him last week and he was super dramatic about disliking it. He's hilarious. :-) Since last month, we have dropped his 10:30pm feeding, so he's down to four feedings a day.

He is 19 lbs 13 oz, and a little over 29 inches long. He's in size 3 diapers and size 3-6 clothing for the most part. He is wearing a few 6-9 month pieces. He's sleeping 11-12 uninterrupted hours a night, putting himself to sleep (without crying or rocking) every night. I wish I could still rock him, and I still try sometimes, but he usually just plays with my hair or face and smiles constantly. You know how difficult it is to put a smiling baby down in his crib at night? I want to hold him and snuggle forever. When I put him down, though, he goes to sleep, so I better keep doing what's best for him instead of what's best for me. Speaking of which--his bedtime is around 7 p.m. He's usually in his crib from 7p.m.-7a.m., and sometimes even 7:30 a.m. I can count on one hand (without using all of my fingers) the number of times we've had him out past his bed time since he was born. I'm a major stickler for it because it affects him in huge ways. And you know what? I love being home in the evenings and nights. It's such a special time. When he's old enough to be involved in organized activities, we won't exactly have evenings at home like we do now (even though Ryan works til about 8:30). Plus, he's the best sleeper, and we both completely thrive with our schedule. We've never been off of it. I'll just write another post about our schedule because I could talk about it all day. Such a life saver! Dr. Allison was asking about what all he's been up to lately (milestones, etc.) and his sleep. She seemed a little surprised and said something along the lines of, "I wouldn't count on that with any of his future siblings." haha.  He's more than I could have ever imagined. I'm thankful.

Owen Beckett, you are such a gift, my little love. Your joy is infectious!





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