Peter: 6 months

Peter, you are six months old - half a year old. Daddy came home today (January 27) and wished you a happy birthday. I had forgotten that today is the 27th. I must be in denial. I told at least two people today that you were 5 months old.

I can't believe how much you have changed! You are almost 27 inches long (68%), but only weigh close to 14 pounds (3%). You are still long and skinny.

We've started feeding you solids and you love everything. You like playing with puffs on your tray and occasionally one makes it into your mouth. We're hoping you'll gain a little more weight once you start eating more.

 

You have the brightest, most alert eyes. You take in everything and are so engaged. It's the first thing people notice about you. The next thing they notice is your perfectly round head.

You like being sung to. The girls love singing "You Are My Sunshine" and "Pinkle, Pinkle" to you. I usually sing, "I Love You a Bushel and a Peck". But you're not picky. You have started to like playing peek-a-boo with us. It's very fun.

 

You love Mommy. I'm extremely flattered. You feel happiest when you know where I am. You also love to be held - mostly by mommy, but others do a fine job, too. You just like to be close. Sometimes you are so snuggly. And other times, you need to roll and stretch and be free. It's a perfect combination.

You roll all over the place. I haven't seen you on your hands and knees yet, but I know it's right around the corner. You can sit for a few seconds on your own. This makes me excited because soon you can take a bath in the tub and sit in a restaurant high chair and ride in a shopping cart. Plus it will make playtime so fun.

 

Your nights are getting better. On a good night, you wake up sometime between 11 and 1 to eat and sleep until 5 or 6 in the morning. We are working on moving you into your crib in your own room. It's time and I know it's good for you. But I'll miss you. Lately, you haven't wanted to rock at naptime and bedtime. You squirm and fidget and fuss when I try to rock you. You are learning to put yourself to sleep. You flip over on your tummy and grab your woobie and rub it in your hands. This is a bittersweet transition for me. I love rocking you. I'm looking forward to reading books with you in the rocking chair.

You are adorable. You are very loved. We thank God daily for your precious life!

Nothing much

There isn't anything too special or exciting to report about around here. 

Silly girl. Helen still sometimes needs an afternoon nap. I guess I thought she didn't need one this afternoon. I was wrong.

Smart girl. We picked up a 300-piece puzzle at the toy store over the weekend. I thought it would surely keep her busy for a few days. Kevin and I did help her a bit, but she had this thing put together in a few hours. She loves puzzles.

Sweet boy. I feel like Peter is finally setting in. His sleep patterns are getting more predictable and the rough nights are getting fewer. He's growing and changing every day. He's a mama's boy.

Hat day

Caroline had "Hat Day" last week at school. None of her hats were particularly appealing to her, so I let her choose from my collection. She chose this lovely beret. My mom brought it back for me from Canada several years ago. I'm not quite sure what went on at "Hat Day". Details of Caroline's day are sometimes hard to come by. But considering how much we practiced the day before, I imagine she said, "Bonjour!" and "Ooo la la!" a lot all day.

Tres belle...

Mes enfants adorable...

Tigger

The dog is our first child. Almost seven years ago, Kevin was finishing up an ER rotation and one of the nurses was complaining about their wild dog, saying that they really couldn't handle him and needed to give him to someone else. As luck would have it, Tigger was the exact same kind of dog I had grown up with (wire-haired fox terrier) and I was in love with the idea of having one of my own before we had even met him. He was already a year old and house trained, but WILD. This poor dog had had zero obedience training or discipline. He knew no boundaries and literally bounced from one piece of our furniture to the next. He paced our apartment, unable to relax. I took him to my parents' house for a visit right after we adopted him and all he could think to do was run to the upstairs bathroom to eat the bar of soap. My dad told me to give him back. They wouldn't take him.

We were stuck with Tigger. About that time we found out I was pregnant. So we enrolled him in obedience training and did "doggy bootcamp". He's turned into a good dog, despite a few neurotic obsessions and behavoirs. He still gets on my last nerve. I'm convinced he only barks during the following situations: 6:30 in the morning so the neighbors are bothered, naptime so the children wake up, Kevin is on call or out of town so I'm sufficiently on edge. 

The best thing about him is how he loves our kids. He actually plays gentler with the girls than he does with Kevin. The most interesting development within the past few months, though, is how much he loves Peter. He likes the girls, but he loves Peter. When Peter cries, Tigger shows up and hangs out next to Peter until I come. Sometimes we get home from an errand and I leave Peter napping in his carseat. When he wakes and I go to get him out, Tigger is right there beside him. I don't remember Tigger ever caring if the girls cried. It warms my heart and makes Tigger a little less annoying to me. It's going to be fun to see how their relationship develops.

Pinkle, Pinkle

It's so cute that I kind of hope she never learns the real words.