Half of a Year

What a half-year it has been! Overall quite amazing, with such a newness about everything. Of course it has been hard at times, and quite an adjustment, but pretty awesome nonetheless. Just six months ago we were eagerly awaiting this little bundle of baby, and now here he is growing so fast!

Just in the past three weeks we've seen some big changes. Hunter has a tooth and a half! We gave him his first (somewhat) solid food -- mashed butterbeans. He wasn't overly impressed. He's had small samples of a couple of other veggies since then -- and a few pieces of paper sneaked in there somehow. So I continue to be his sole source of nutrition; I am now breastfeeding a growing 20 pounds (and no frozen breast milk in a bottle for him - no thank you!). He had been sitting right on the 95th percentile line in weight and holding well over it in height until his 5 month weigh in that showed slower weight gain, and this month when he only grew taller by a quarter inch, but he still only slipped on the chart a little. I have to be thankful for that; I dreamed that he was already 6 feet tall and I couldn't carry him in the Bjorn anymore.

He wants to be going all the time now. There will be no sitting in the jumper seat, walker, or staycation (exersaucer, whatever, I keep forgetting the name of it) long enough for me to get lunch, or heaven forbid, use the bathroom. If we hold him standing those little feet start going, supporting that weight, so he's essentially walking with help now. If he could have it his way, and he lets us know his way, he would already be walking by himself -- running really -- around the house and outside and on the mountain trails. I love that he's so excited to learn about the world and to go out and do things.

Baby laughter is the best sound in the world, and we get to hear lots of it. I think I'm pulling ahead for funniest right now. But of course I'm also head of the complaints department. Jeremy is head of transportation. Hunter is so interested in Daddy now, that he tries to get his attention when he is not looking. They get to hang out in the early mornings when I run, and what's a better way to wake up than a cooing, smiling baby?

Last week we had a visit from Nana and Granddaddy, my parents. They brought new toys and taught Hunter new games and songs, and he had a blast. When he woke up from his nap after they had left to go home, he looked all over for them immediately. The days were so much more exciting with them here, and we sure miss them (and their delicious food and dishwashing skills).

Hunter gets more and more fun every day, and as much as I loved him the day he was born, I love him more every day. How could you not smile seeing this face?