Chasing Thirty Toes ... : Elliot

Happy (late) 1/2 Birthday to my little big man! I think I was in denial that he was really 6 months old and could not bring myself to write about it in a timely manner. Or it is just crazy around here these days, and I am just now getting a chance to do it. Either way, the time has flown by way too fast.

Elliot, at 6 months, you:

- top the charts at 28 inches long (90th percentile!) and 18 lb 12 oz (70th percentile). We have a new baby record! No child of mine has ever come close to the 90th percentile in anything or even the 70th percentile. Good job, little man. The only thing you haven't surpassed your brother on is head circumference. Yours is only the 37th percentile, and your brother's was always (and still is) WAY bigger than that. He got the Nix head.

- are a great eater. We have added more variety to your diet, and you have loved everything. I still laugh at how excited you get over peas... the nastiest of all baby foods. You are loving the newly added fruits ... apples, pears and peaches.

- have been coughing your little head off. Nothing more pitiful that a hacking baby cough.

- sleep pretty well for the most part. Fewer "replace my pacifier" wake ups and more nights without interruption ... other than the coughing.

- take 2-3 very unpredictable naps a day. So much for getting you on a schedule. Sometimes you sleep for 2 hours in the morning, sometimes 30 minutes. And same in the afternoon. You usually need another short nap in the evening around dinner time. The good part of that is I can eat dinner with two hands. The bad part is that is a NOISY time of day around here so that nap usually does not last long.

- do have a predictable eating schedule ... bottle at 7, breakfast at 9:30, bottle at noon, bottle at 2:30, dinner at 5:00, bottle at 6:00, bottle at 9:00 and then bed! You certainly don't miss a "meal." I promise we will add a real third meal in soon.

- wear 6-12 month clothes. You have outgrown all your 6 month sleepers already and many of your 9 month sleepers. Seems crazy to be needing 12 month sleepers for my 6 month old!

- roll, roll, roll. You got the hang of it and took off. You never stay still for very long.

- flirt and smile. It's so cute. That smile of yours is a killer! And those baby blues are still so blue.

- need a haircut! I was trying to hold out, but we really are going to have to do that soon. You have a skater hairdo where it hangs down in your eyes. You will be learning how to flip it out of your eyes soon if I don't get it trimmed.

- try to chew and eat everything ... hands (your own and others), clothes, blankets, toys, pacifiers, everything. No teeth yet, but you are most definitely teething.

- have really no interest in sitting up. Then again, you don't get much practice since it really is not safe to even attempt to "sit" you in the middle of the floor.

- LOVE your brother and sisters more every day. They make you laugh and smile, and if they walk out of your sight, you whip your head around to try to see them. They are quite entertaining.

- are the wiggliest little thing I have ever seen. You never stop moving until you are asleep. Hello, little Annabel.

My favorite thing this month has been watching your little personality come out. I think I would characterize you as an inquisitive, determined little chatterbox. I think you will be very verbal ... you already are with all the cooing, squealing and other noises. You definitely know when you want something. And the determined part of you does everything you can to get it. You are often very hard to hold because you will reach, strain and push to get at whatever you want.

I also still LOVE our weekend naps together. That is the guaranteed way to get you to take a nap ... to lay by you in my bed and snuggle up to you. It is heaven.

Here are a few pics from the month between your 5 month and 6 month "birthdays." Getting cuter every day!