Elliott, celebrating 6 months

Wow, 6 months. I suspect this will be a long post, so if you want, feel free to stop reading, go make a cup of coffee, move the laundry to the dryer, and then come back. Don't worry, I'll intersperse pictures to keep it interesting.

Ready? Here it goes. Elliott just turned 6 months old. I do believe that if I could get kids when they were already 6 months, and skip the pregnant/infancy stage, I would have 100 more. Well at least one more. Almost everything that was hard has gotten much, much easier, dare we say fun, by 6 months. Here are some examples:

Sleep: I think this is the category I would give the "most improved" award to. Infant Elliott simply would not sleep! But 6 month Elliott has turned into a reasonably good sleeper. He's no Nory, but he usually sleeps about 11-12 hours every night, only waking up once or twice to nurse. And he usually takes two naps during the day, about 1-2 hours long. And sometimes, that second nap happens during Nory's nap. Which means that for the first time in as long as I can remember, I am almost nearly getting enough sleep again. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G what that can do.

Temperament: Infant Elliott was not by any definition a happy baby. If he wasn't nursing, he was fussing. But 6 month Elliott is a fun, mellow baby! He is interested in everything and everyone. He plays with his toes, his toys, and most of all his sister.

Nursing: Gone are the days where Elliott would nurse for an hour or more straight! He is much more interested in finishing up and moving on to something more fun these days. It usually takes about 20 minutes to feed him, a bit longer first thing in the morning. And except for the occasional distracted chomp, it is mostly pain free for mommy.

Second Child: I have to say, if you plan on having one easy baby and one difficult one, I highly recommend having the difficult one second. Because by 6 months, their older sibling can easily entertain/distract them during the difficult moments. I have a feeling that if it weren't for Nory, Elliott would still be crying in the car, in the stroller, at the dinner table, and when I set him on the floor while I shower. But, behold! an older sibling appears and all is well in the world. And now that Elliott can sit, I can even put them in the shopping cart together and have my hands free while grocery shopping!

Work: This week I went back to work. This wasn't nearly as stressful as when I went back to work after having Nory. For one thing, after 6 months, I was more than ready for three days "off." But more importantly, we hired super nanny. I kid you not, I think we found the worlds' BEST nanny. Her name is Melodie. Nory loves her. Elliott loves her. I come home from work: the kids are happy and well rested, the house is tidy, the kitchen is spotless, the diapers are washed, the laundry is folded, Nory has done some amazing and interesting art project, and there is a feeling of calm in the air. I have no idea how she (super nanny) does it, but she is even still smiling by the time I get home.

Development: Well at 6 months Elliott often rolls onto his tummy in his crib, causing him to sleep better. Also, he can sit! Not without the frequent topple, but now we can take these cute pictures, not to mention the he is much happier sitting on a blanket, playing with a toy than he was lying down on it. He also loves to chat, if you talk to him he will often "talk" right back!

"Least Improved":  There is really only one thing that still drives me crazy about Elliott, and it is that he still spits up ALL THE TIME. Every 5 minutes. Sometimes 10 if I'm lucky. I easily soak through 10 receiving blankets and 3 shirts every day. Not to mention our poor carpet. I am on my 5th pair of pants today. I have no idea how he is still growing much less how me still manages to poop 2-3 times per day. I have a feeling that our laundry throughput will decrease significantly once this slows down. And I really hope it slows down before he starts crawling!

Stats: I'll have to get back to you on these, we take him in for his 6 month check up on Tuesday. But I will say that he is growing. I know he is growing because his 6 month clothes are starting to fit him, lengthwise at least, and his 3 month clothes are becoming a bit too short. Still a skinny little thing as far as babies go!

I am so grateful to have Elliott in our family! What a wonderful baby he has become. If you had told me 5 months ago, I'm not sure I would have believed it. We are all helplessly in love with this little boy.

Kudos to Dan for taking these great 6 month photos. I sure love being married to a  talented photographer. There are a few more here.