Six Months! or Half of a Year!

Dear Owen,

Mister Bear!  You are already six months old.  Sometimes it feels like you have been here forever so six months seems so short when I stop to think about it.  More and more as time goes on, I'm so happy that you are here and that our family is complete.  You are really the best thing that could have happened to your dad and I.  You make us both better people.

You started sitting up unsupported (we have to help you get there)!  You continue to eat lots of fun things.  This month we tried sweet potatoes, butternut squash, applesauce, peas, meatballs, yellow squash and mushy carrots.  I am having fun making food for you and you will try anything at this point.  We let you have a little bit of almost everything.  I'd say your favorite is probably English muffins or other breads because they are easy for you to hold and gnaw on, but now that you have gotten better with food handling, we're going to offer you less breads and more fruits/veggies.  When you do take a "bite" of something, you sometimes don't know what to do with it and spit it out.  Sometimes you are hilarious and just put your face down on your high chair tray and sort of shovel food into your mouth.  At restaurants, you get to sit in a high chair and eat with us.  You aren't eating a whole lot but you are learning and getting so much better.  I'm just proud of you because you are exclusively feeding yourself!  So far we've had no choking incidents but you have gotten food up your nose a time or two.  You are usually very well behaved when we go to restaurants and you are having fun being involved in our meals.

You love to be on your tummy and have started to push with your feet to lift your little butt.  I'm seeing the writing on the wall as far as you becoming a mobile baby.  I have a feeling you're going to run me all over the place.  You took all month to think about doing it but now you fully roll in both directions.  It's crazy to watch you end up in such a different location/position from where we put you.  You've become so adept at moving around and the night before your half birthday was the first time you started rolling over in your crib.  You took about 20 minutes to settle into position before finally choosing to tummy sleep that night.  You are showing signs of crawling and scooting around soon.  It's crazy!

I think you are starting to favor your daddy.  The best part of your day is when he comes home and you laugh and play with him while I'm getting our dinner ready.  You've really taken your relationships with the puppies to a new level this month.  It's common for you to reach out your hand for them to lick.  Higgins adores you and Milo has taken a lot more interest in you now that you are more interactive.  It gives us a lot of joy to watch you discover your dog brothers.  I know that they will be your best friends and protectors.

The only downside to you being so much more aware of your surroundings is that it's hard to get you to sleep sometimes.  If people are at our house, it's as though you are afraid of missing out on something and you do not like to go to bed.  There have been a few bedtime battles in the house this month.  We switched you from your baby bucket seat to a big boy car seat this month.  It's amazing to see you sitting up in such a big seat!  You've also started riding in grocery carts and you seem to love having a new view on things.

We went to the State Fair while it was here in Dallas for the month.  You loved it!  We let you "eat" (drop) a little bit of the breading from a Fletcher's Corny Dog.  I can't say it was a hit.  Bummer.  We also watched ostrich races and walked around until you were exhausted.  You fell asleep for a little while but the noise of the nightly parade woke you up until we left.  You also got to ride the DART train that day for the first time.

We did a lot of fun things this month!  You took your very first plane ride to San Antonio!  You were so fantastic and well-behaved.  You just sat in your car seat and babbled to me.  I thought you would fall asleep but you were wide awake until after we landed.  Your aunt and uncle baby-sat you for an evening in San Antonio and you took a ride to La Vernia to one of our cousin's birthday party.  I hear you were pretty good until you got overtired on the ride home.  Your Uncle Champ got married in San Antonio and everyone was there!  You met all of our Boston family and finally, your Uncle Preston.  You took to him immediately, probably because he looks a little bit like daddy.  You were a very good boy, sleeping through most of the rehearsal dinner and you stayed with Gram and Papa during the wedding.  Probably 40 different people held you over the course of the weekend and as usual, you were a happy little boy.

I can't get over how wonderful you are.  Your smile and laugh brightens everyone's day.  I can't believe that you've been here for half of a year already.  When we look back at pictures, I'm shocked at how fast and how much you have grown, both in size and personality.  You are so happy and social and we love having you around.

Love always,
Mommy

Stats and Milestones:

Height and Weight:  (6 mo well check 11/1) 22 lbs, 3 oz (97%), 28 in (90%), head is 95%

Diaper Size:  size 4 

Clothing Size: 12 and 18 month

First time on an airplane:  10/10

First time in a grocery cart: 10/7

First train (DART) ride and trip to the State Fair:  10/17

You sleep from around 7-7 every night.  Sometimes you wake up and make a little noise but we probably had 3 night time wake ups over the month.  You don't eat at night anymore.  

You generally eat 5 times a day at 7-8 oz per bottle.  Most nights, you enjoy a playtime/dinner of solids.

You usually take three ok-ish naps a day.  Morning, mid-day and afternoon for about 1.5-2 hours total.

You can sit up on your own and roll both ways all over the place! 

Nicknames:  Owen Bear, Mr. Bear, Beary-Boo, Mr. O, The Baby, Beary

Things you love:  your feet (got them in your mouth!), playing with food, taking baths, laughing, playing with the doggies, when your daddy comes home from work, rolling in the BOB stroller, sitting up or having someone help you stand up

Things you don't love:  going to sleep when people are around, naptime, diaper changes, the very end of trips to/from San Antonio when you get sick of your car seat