Six Months Old

Time is flying by and I am in rewind mode today, looking back on your 6th month!

You are such a smiley, happy baby! 

That giraffe seems to be getting smaller and smaller in these pictures, doesn't it? 

This was the month of all things, Christmas! And traditions! And family! 

You struggled with your sleep this month, napping well but still wanting to wake up in the night. We threw a lot of changes at you last month with all our travel so getting back in a routine and getting you comfortable in your crib and your room was a priority for Mommy. 

 And in that process we discovered that you have a mind of your own! 

Walker, you are stubborn when you want to be :) Particularly in the middle of the night! You loved for me to nurse you at about 3am and then you'd happily drift back to sleep, but when Mommy tried to stretch you and cut that feeding out, you protested and refused to go to sleep.  For the sake of Mommy's sanity, she gave up the fight.  

When you are awake you nurse a few times a day and love eating bananas, pears, apples, sweet potatoes, carrots and rice cereal.  You are a motivated eater and have picked it up very easily. 

 Your personality really began to blossom this month and you get excited to play in all your "spots" now. 

You kick your legs when we get near the exersaucer, I think this might be your favorite! You seem to like being at eye level with your brother and sister and you are willing to bounce around in there forever.  It's fun to see you discover what each toy does or to see you prefer one thing over another. 

 You are growing out of your clothes faster than I can get them in your drawers! I have to do constant clean-outs just to keep up. You have lots and lots of clothes to wear from Carter's baby days but your Grandmas and your Mom keep you well dressed with some new stuff, too! 

At 6 months, you are wearing size 9 month clothes...we are predicting you will be tall just like your big brother.  You love your paci, you take it for all your naps and at night.  You suck on it like crazy, smacking your lips sometimes!  You get that from Carter  :) 

 And speaking of Carter, the two of you have become good buddies!  He loves that you can play a little bit more these days and he likes to get on the floor with you and pile your toys around you (and sometimes on you!).  We have to keep an eye on you for your own protection, but I am predicting one day you will surprise Carter and make up for the years that he was bigger and stronger than you.  I think you may be feisty it won't be long before you can bug him right back!  

We love to see how loved you are by Ava and Carter! It's a race everytime you wake up from a nap to see who can get to you fastest and usually, climb right in your crib with you!  You love that, you giggle and smile and kick your legs when they burst in your room.  You are a lucky little boy to have siblings and playmates who adore you.  

You are still pretty easy to take on errands.  You get drug all over creation, dropping off and picking up Ava from school, going with Mommy to Bible study, making trips to the grocery store, etc.  For now you still fall asleep pretty easily and you are content in your car seat.  I hate interrupting your naps, but that's life I suppose.  I know it won't be long before you want nothing to do with staying in that seat and playing with toys!

You are very interested in what is happening at mealtimes every day and you are anxious to be right up at the table with all of us.  We haven't gotten the big highchair out yet, but for now the Bumbo seat has worked just fine.  You started chewing on apple slices in that little net feeder and you love it! The highchair will be making its' debut soon however, due to your excitement and ability to reach things now...one night you reached right over and swiped a glass bowl full of baked beans, sending it sailing to the floor where it promptly broke into a million pieces!  Good grief, Walker!  If that was a glimpse of what's to come with you, we better get ready! 

 Ava loves to snuggle with you in the mornings before she goes to school, she practices her reading skills with you and loves to sing you a million songs.  She claims she can make you laugh when she sings "Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom" and I think she's right.  You light right up and grin whenever she starts singing that!  She loves to tell the nursery people at Church to sing that to you if you get fussy, ha ha!  If something happens to me, I'm confident she could step right in as your second Mother  :) 

 You love to watch Mickey Mouse with Carter! I think the bright colors must catch your attention because we began noticing that you would sit very still and stare at it while Carter watched some morning cartoons.  You will fit right in if you develop a love for all things Disney, it seems to run in the family! 

 We loved introducing you to our family traditions this year and of course shopping for you and including you in everything we do.  What a treat for Mommy and Daddy to see 3 stockings hung up this year and another pile of presents with your name on it! 

 We took you to Iowa for Christmas and celebrated with family there!  

You got to experience your first Christmas Eve...

 ...and your first Christmas Day!

You did great at Grammy and Grampy's house, napping well and sleeping well, too!

In general, you were your happy self! 

You got to play with Sawyer for many days in a row and unfortunately, both of you caught your first colds and were pretty miserable by the end of the trip.  This was your first chance to meet you Uncle Jesse, which was special! Aunt Stacie came to see you when you were first born and of course you've been able to spend lots of time with Aunt Jennie and Uncle Dave over the last few months.   

We loved you boys in your matching outfits from Stacie and Jesse!

 You continue to make my heart melt, Walker.  

I just love and adore you and I'm so thankful we are experiencing all these "firsts" with another precious blessing in our family.  

Your Daddy and I praise the Lord for you and pray that you will continue to grow healthy and strong.  We laugh at how similar you are to Carter and imagine the fun we have ahead when you are running around like another tornado! 

 For now, we are enjoying all the cuddles and snuggles you give us, even if they come in the middle of the night sometimes.  

 You are exactly what our family was missing and God knew to give us you, before we ever knew what we were missing out on! 

You are SO loved sweet Walker!  

Happy 6th month!