Collier is 6 Months Old!

Our little (big!) Collier,

Happy half-birthday, little man!  Well, technically, your half-birthday was two weeks ago, but who's counting? :)  We've had such a busy month, visiting family, football games, cross-country meets, work and school--it's so hard to believe that a month has passed yet again.  We did make it a point, though, on your 6 month birthday, to spend special family time together and take lots of pictures.  It's not every day that you turn 1/2 a year old!

For your half-birthday, we took a walk through Tims Ford State Park.   You really like being outside, and love to watch trees when the wind blows through them.  

Over the past month, Collier, you have become SO much fun.  Don't get me wrong, you were fun before, but now...we laugh all the time.  You are constantly making hilarious faces or noises, and doing things that make us laugh.  Your dad mentioned the other day that his primary goal in life has become making you laugh.  I totally agree.  You're becoming so much more interactive, and you can now be distracted with songs or toys if you're upset.  It used to be that you went from fine to exhausted, or zero to starving, in 0.2 seconds.  Now, we can fend off a meltdown with a well timed tickle.  That's really nice!  Speaking of...you are seriously ticklish.  You crack up every time our fingers graze over your chubby tummy.  

Our funny boy

You've also developed several new talents over the past month.  You're getting great at eating solid foods.  So far, you've tasted sweet potatoes, green beans, butternut squash, pears, and bananas.  You love it all!  One of your favorite things is a piece of frozen banana in the mesh feeder thing that you can use yourself.  It occupies you for a good 15 minutes.  You're starting to really enjoy bath time, and you love being read to before bed.  You can also now entertain yourself for longer.  I love that you "talk" to your toys while you're playing (you're talking to a block as I write this, actually, sweet boy :).  You also have learned how to sit up on your own, and can roll and scoot all over the place.  You imitate sounds, and have learned how to blow raspberries.  You practice this all the time, and spray everyone in slobber in the process.  You can give kisses (also slobbery), and can (sometimes) give a high five.  This month you've also started reaching for us; we're big fans of this trick! :)  You also have a strange affinity for paper.  You LOVE to chew on anything that's paper, and you cry real tears when we take it away.  We have had to start hiding the mail behind our backs to keep you from lunging for it.  

Sitting up like a big boy!  This was the first time you sat by yourself, on September 14th.  

Always eating paper--in this case, a "welcome to the world" note from President Obama and the First Lady!  We sent them a birth announcement (I read somewhere to try this), and they sent a note back.  You also got a note back from Mickey, Minnie, and the gang at DisneyWorld. 

This month, you've had your first time sitting in a shopping cart and a high chair.  You did awesome in both!

And...we've packed up all of your 0-6 month clothes.  I got a little (ok, a lot) teary while I was packing up these little pjs and things.  I can't believe how much you've grown!!

You had your six month check-up on September 28th.  You weighed in at 17 pounds 9 ounces (50th percentile), and measured 27.5 inches long (75th percentile)--"long and lean," Dr. Bard said.  You got a great report on all of your developmental milestones, but had signs of a developing ear infection.  This time, the left ear (you had an infection in your right ear at your four month checkup).  So, we're on antibiotics for that.  I'm so glad we caught it before it seemed to bother you too much.  You also had several (4!) vaccines.  You cried for a bit longer this time than you did last time with the shots, but you didn't seem to have any sort of reactions afterwards (hurray!).  

The paper on the exam table never stood a chance. 

Two of your four band-aids.  What a trooper!! 

It's so hard to believe that we are over halfway to your first birthday.  But then, it's also so hard to remember what life was like before you were here...I feel like you've always been a part of our family.  Over the past six months, I've loved getting to know your sweet little personality, and watching you grow and learn about the world around you.  It's like I get to learn it all again too!  You're also teaching me how to be intentional about making memories.  I find myself sitting in the rocking chair in your room, willing myself to remember the feeling of your sleepy weight against my chest, memorizing every detail of your sweet dimple-y knuckles, and engraving the sound of your sweet baby giggle into my mind.  It's not that I don't want you to grow....it's just happening so fast.

Happy six months, Collie-bug.  We love you so much!

Mommy and Daddy