Max at 6 Months

My baby is 6 months old!  How did that happen?!  Technically he's closer to 7 months old now, so I'd better hurry and do this post.

• Generally, he has such a chill disposition.  People always comment on it!  I would agree.  He's pretty content...as long as he's being held.  :)  
• He's loving food!  We started him right at 6 months.  He tried some peas first and wasn't a fan.  He's unsure about rice cereal.  But he is a major fan of sweet potatoes and squash so far.  He also tolerates tiny strawberry pieces.  He's eating one baby food container a day right now.  
• I think he's improved (a little) in the nursing department in the past few weeks.  He generally frustrates me because he's so fidgety and a little lazy. (He gets frustrated when he has to work for the "harder" milk.  He unlatches and screams, demanding to switch sides instead.)  But I really do love nursing him.  He won't take a bottle.  And he eats pretty frequently.  Like...6-7 times a day.  I think that's more often than most babies his age?  But whatever, it works for us.  
• I'll tell you what doesn't work for me: how he gets up 3-4 times to eat/scream/whatever.  I think I was feeding the habit because I'd feed him about every three hours at night, whenever he'd wake up.  But after consulting my sleep bible a few days ago (healthy sleep habits, happy child), I've just started only feeding him two of the times he wakes up (somewhere between 10-11 PM and 4-6 AM) and ignoring him the other times.  Apparently, babies his age can be legitimately hungry two times a night, but not more than that.  Anyway--it's helping so much!  He's pretty much only waking up those two times now.  And I feel a world of difference only waking up one time a night instead of 2, 3, 4 times.  
• He goes to bed at 7 PM and wakes up about 7 AM.  He's a really good napper!  He sleeps a couple hours each nap, at 9 AM and 1 PMish.  He's such a pro at just falling asleep on his own.  I love that. 
• He can flip to his tummy now.  It's the first thing he does when you lay him down to sleep.  For a couple weeks it drove him (and us) crazy, because he'd flip over, realize he didn't want to be on his tummy, and then screeeeeeam for help because he didn't know how to flip back over.  But now he's used to sleeping on his stomach and seems to prefer it.  
• He's been sitting on his own for about a month now!  He's to the point he rarely tips over.  He loves the independence.  
• He seems to have had a growth spurt.  We don't have his well child visit until tuesday, so we'll see what he's measuring.  But I just barely put him in 6-9 month clothes a few weeks ago, and he's already busting out of them.  And he suddenly feeling so heavy.  I can't hold him too long without getting a dead arm.  
• He loves his brother.  Andy is so sweet to him.  He always brings him toys.  Max watches Andy all the time.  Andy cracks him up.  (Occasionally.  Max isn't quite as giggly or smiley as Andy was.  He has to think you're pretty funny before he'll laugh!) 
• He loves, loves, loves kisses.  He gets the biggest smile on his face when you kiss him.  
• He loves tickles and raspberries.  They make him giggle like crazy.  Especially if it's me doing it.
• He's a mama's boy.  And I love it.  

We love this sweet boy to the moon and back.  For me, life seems to get a lot more doable once these babies hit 6 months, so we're heaving a sigh of relief and celebrating that we made it! We love you, Max.  

This photos are from March

The next photos are from April/May. The poor thing had a rough bout with RSV.  He's taking a rest with Grandpa Mark.

Is he just the cutest, or what?!

Loves, loves, loves bath time!

Easter Sunday! 

He has the craziest/worst hair.  It parts naturally in the middle in the front and sticks strait up in the back.

First time trying food.  Apparently he hates peas.

And rice cereal is only slightly better.