Our son is 6 months old! A couple of weeks ago he went through a big growth spurt so I can tell he is heavier, longer, and a little bit chunkier. I don't have a great way to weigh him here in the house - we'll get the official stats at his 6 month check up on Tuesday. But he's at least 15 pounds now. His feet are definitely longer and he's starting to outgrow his 3-6 month clothes. There are still several cute outfits we haven't gotten much use out of - so I've been making it a point to get him dressed up every day, just so all those lovely baby shower gifts don't go to waste!
He's still a bottomless pit who wants to eat all of the time. I wish I could say it's getting easier to fill him up, but it's not. My body just doesn't seem to be able to keep up with his demand. However, his appetite and hunger has made it very easy to transition into eating solid foods. He will gladly take advantage of any opportunity to stick something in his mouth. This month we graduated to fruit and veggie purees. So far we have tried yams, butternut squash, carrots, apples and peas. He loves them all, but we discovered the hard way that his tummy is not quite ready to process carrots. We'll wait to try those again for another couple weeks.
You would think, with how much he's biting, gnawing and sucking on things that he might be teething, but we have yet to feel any little white nubs along his gumline. However, Kaden has already gotten a lot of use out of his teethers. I imagine it's only a matter of time...
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| (Wearing his noise-cancelling headphones during a fire drill and chewing on his teether) |
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| Kaden LOVES bath time! |
I put the camera in front of Kaden and this happened. I think he's trying to smile or be silly
It's very apparent that he is SMART - possibly too smart for his own good. He not only enjoys playing with toys, but often figures out how they work and then starts to try and pull them apart. He spends a lot of time rotating around the activity table in his jumperoo, twisting, sliding, chewing, spinning and pressing all the buttons and knobs. I love putting him in there because it keeps him occupied, and he can't really break it.  |
| What a face!! Such a ham. |
He goes nuts whenever we put a camera in front of him - partially because he really wants to grab onto it and suck on it, and partially because he can't resist an opportunity to show off!
His swing is no longer an option because he can reach the animals in the hanging mobile and grabs onto them, impeding the rocking motion. He still likes his play mat, but I have to watch him like a hawk because he's so much stronger and more mobile now. He's figured out that the toys are attached to the framework by the round plastic circles, and that they can come off. So I'll set him down straight in between the arches, and within a couple of minutes he rolls and worms his way diagonally till he's settled directly beneath one of the support posts. Then he grabs onto the toy with both arms and puts his feet up against the arch and uses them as leverage as he tries his best to yank the toy free. It's kind of fascinating to watch. He also still likes his bouncer but is no longer content to simply bat at the rotating animals. He either uses one of his teethers to hit them as hard as he can and make them swing around really fast, or he holds onto the red ball hanging on the zebra's tail with one hand and bunches the black strap it hangs from with his other hand as hard as he can, trying to dislodge it.
Speaking of smart - I swear he is starting to learn to talk. I know it's too early for him to say clearly defined words on purpose. But he repeatedly makes certain noises that sound like words at appropriate times. He's said "mama" for months now. I think, in his mind, that's not so much a name for me as his way of saying "I want". But as I'm usually the one supplying those wants, it's pretty much the same thing. Also, when he's protesting or really upset he says "Ni-ni-ni-ni" which is a lot like "no!" Just this week, he's started saying something that sounds an awful lot like "Hungry." Really, he's saying "Hammy" but hey, ham is a food, right? Non-verbal communication is also increasing. He clearly reaches for or turns in the direction of things he wants to touch or look at. He also knows to raise his arms if he wants us to pick him up. He can also very clearly tell us no by pushing things away.
I think he's getting close to the age where separation anxiety will be a problem. He's not only very aware of James' and my presence, but gets really upset when one of us is holding him and the other one walks out of the room. Pretty soon we're going to start hiring babysitters and socializing him with other kiddos in the church nursery, etc. so hopefully this won't become TOO much of an issue. It's great to feel loved and wanted but - mama needs some space sometimes. ;^)
Parenting continues to be a joy and a challenge. Sleep problems continue to rob me of the necessary energy and motivation to get out and do much. But I know that's important for my sanity so I'm making an effort to arrange more play dates and find ways to volunteer or get involved outside of the home. Kaden is such a joy and I know my primary ministry is raising him. But we're already approaching the half-way mark in our tour here in Korea and I don't want our entire assignment to be spent in my living room.
All that aside, we can't emphasize enough how much we love and are proud of our little man. We are very blessed and wish our family lived closer so you all could enjoy spending time with him. Until the AF decides to send us back to the States, I'll keep the videos and pictures coming. Here are some great shots from our Valentine's themed 6 month photo shoot. The frog prince hat was a special gift from Grandpa and Grandma Z at his Colorado baby shower!
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| his intentional smile! adorable |
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| "What did you think would happen, mom? You handed it to me!" |
I love this final shot because it was the first time I've seen any noticeable resemblance between me and my son. Hahaha... So silly.
