Bubba is 6 months OLD!

My sweet baby boy is now 6 months old!  Time is just flying by and Eli is becoming quite the handful with each passing day.  His stats at six months are:

Weight: 13 pounds, 15 ounces - 2%

Height: 26 1/4 inches - 40%

Head: 16 1/2 - 56%

EATING:

Eating has remained a challenge - still!  To his defense he was eating really well and then got the horrible flu, which caused him to throw up and have diarrhea for a week straight, which caused him to lose about a pound.  So we had another set back, hence the low weight again.  But on the bright side he did gain a pound in two weeks - when we were at Children's Hospital for the flu he weighed just under 13 pounds and at his check up today we were close to 14 pounds.  The doctor was still concerned about his weight and would like to see him bigger, but he is consistently gaining the same weight every two months, so I guess he is just setting his own growth curve - so typical of this little boy.  Now, that he is eating oatmeal the doctor said to feed it to him 3 times a day and too start introducing as much FATTY foods as possible.  She told me to add butter to everything.  So maybe I will just have him suck on a stick of butter - so GROSS, but whatever works.  We have to go back at 8 months, because the doctor wants to keep a close eye on this little issue of weight.  I am bound and determined to get this boy chunky - so I am hoping the string of bad luck is over for a while in regards to his eating.  Only time will tell...

 PERSONALITY:

Eli is still such a happy baby, until about late afternoon and then he falls apart.  Smiles all the time - even when he was throwing up, he would smile right afterwards - it was hilarious!  He is definitely starting to become attached to people he knows and no longer likes unfamiliar faces - separation anxiety had kicked in for sure.  He always wants to be held, which has definitely been an issue lately, so sometimes we just let him sit there and scream, because we just can't hold him every second of the day.  I am hoping this is just a phase and we get through it quickly. I think when he starts to get more mobile, he won't be so clingy.  He LOVES his sister and is always reaching for her and kicking his legs when he sees her.  Ashtyn is getting better about paying a little bit more attention to him and will sometimes even share her toys with him.  She does give him lots of kisses though - such a precious moment to witness!

 TRICKS:

Everything goes in the mouth these days - EVERYTHING!  He is getting better at playing with toys, but still will only occupy himself for 10 minutes at the most.  He loves mirrors.  He is getting better at sitting and can almost sit unsupported.  He likes to lean over and suck on his toes while he sitting up - looks like a monkey!  He can "back crawl" not sure if that is even a milestone, but he scoots everywhere on his back.  He has fallen off the couch a couple times - so he is no longer allowed to be unattended while laying on a bed or couch.  He is great at finding his pacifier with his eyes closed and getting it back into his mouth.  And, he has started sucking his thumb if he doesn't have his paci - so when I see this I immediately remove his thumb and offer something different - my past may come back to haunt me!

 SLEEPING:

Sleeping is still going well.  He mostly sleeps through the night - going to bed at 8 pm and waking up around 7am - but will occasionally have a week where he wakes up at 2am and wants to eat - I guess those are his growth spurts.  With the Oatmeal though he has been sleeping very well - taking a long morning nap and then a little nap right after dinner before bath time.  But I will say he is very picky when it comes to his sleeping arrangement - he has to sleep on 2 down pillows with a light blanket and his head must touch something - top of crib, pillow or he will scoot up until it does so - weird?  I know babies shouldn't being sleeping in any kind of condition as I just explained, but it works for him and we all get a good night sleep!

 Being so small Eli can fit into Ashtyn's baby doll things - the other day we were cleaning the toy area and put him in the baby doll high chair - he fit perfectly!  It was so cute and he enjoyed it for quite awhile.  I guess being little has its FUN!  I hope this next month Eli gets better at eating, gains some weight and maybe becomes a bit more mobile.  He so far has been a great baby - definitely has a preference for wanting things a certain way, but once you figure it out he is a happy camper - before 4pm anyway!  Christmas is right around the corner, so that should be a fun 1st for him to enjoy!

Love you Bubba - you keep us all on our TOES!