Six Months

Jude had his six-month birthday on Sunday and his six-month visit to the pediatrician yesterday. Here are his stats:

• Weight: 17 pounds, 14 ounces (60th percentile)
• Length: 29 1/2 inches (100th percentile)
• Head circumference: 44 cm (I didn't get a percentile, but the doctor didn't comment so I assume it's on track)

Jude's growth continues to go well, with both weight and height tracking the same approximate percentiles from visit to visit. We got the go-ahead to bump Jude up to two meals a day. The doctor actually said we can feed him as much food as he will eat, but we're going to try two meals a day for a month or so before switching to three. He's currently tried sweet potato, cooked pears, rice cereal, baby oatmeal, and cooked apples. His favorite so far seems to be the pears, although he also will eat as much sweet potato as we offer to him. He made a funny face this morning at the apples, but hopefully he'll get used to them. I finished off the rest of his breakfast, so he'll get it one way or another!



Jude loves to stand up. He'll stand with a little balancing help for a really long time. He's also started rolling over in both directions and playing with toys while on his tummy. However, Jude is not too fond of sitting. The doctor recommended focusing on sitting and tummy time and avoiding standing in order to encourage Jude to learn to crawl. Sorry, Jude!

We've started using the library for children's books and events. E Ben is a big fan of "Book Babies", an interactive session for parents and babies up to 12 months old. We also read stories every morning and evening before bedtime. Jude does get bored with the same books, so the variety from the library is welcome.

My mom and Margaret were out here for their Winter Break. We went skiing a few times while Mom stayed behind to watch Jude. Here's a photo of us on the slopes the second night.

Jude is still a champion sleeper. He goes 12 hours most nights, waking once to eat at about 2-3 am. He also takes 2-3 naps during the day, for another 3-4 hours of sleep. We got lucky with this one!

Monday Morning, You Sure Look Fine

It's monday morning in our world, and things couldn't seem brighter.

Yesterday was Jude's 6 month birthday, and I marvel at how much he has changed our lives.

I am the stay at home dad, and Linden is back to work. I think we are both surprised how well we are suited to each role. Jude and I are busy. We have projects, and see friends, and now that we have discovered Book Babies at the library, there's no telling what's next!

Jude loves the social connection, the play time, and the scenery. I love the action! Every morning I wake up to Jude's cries, stumble into his room, and his huge smile hits me like a beam of sunshine. Jude is a happy boy. I wish I could take credit for that, but I feel like its just who he is. And I wouldn't change a thing.

We just completed a weeklong visit from Auntie Margaret and Oma from the East Coast. It was a crazy week! Some days of skiing, dinners with friends, and activities kept us busy and jumping! We had a great time and we love our family visits.

Now we are back to our regularly scheduled program, and I couldn't be happier. The challenge of the stay-at-home-dad is to balance yourself (sometimes precariously) in this non-traditional role. I have to feel good about this life, or my restlessness and my hypos will get the better of me. I have now been "home from work" for nearly 8 months. We're very lucky that Linden has a good job that allows us to raise our boy with one parent at home. I will never deny that. But more than luck, we chose this life. We saved for it, we planned for it, and now we are doing it. I admit I was a little worried that it wouldn't make me happy. But happiness is a hard horse to wrangle. In so many ways, I'm happier than I have ever been.

Happy Six Month Birthday, Jude! We re-enacted your birth in our living room yesterday, and you giggled and gurgled at all the best parts. We are so lucky to have you, my boy!

Last One, I Promise

It is so hard not to post the videos we have of Jude laughing. This is the best one though, so we had to put it up.

Skinny Legs

We've started making a lot of music together as a family. E Ben plays the guitar and I sometimes sing. Jude hums along and kicks to the beat. Our current favorite is "Skinny Legs" by Lyle Lovett. Although E Ben is the only one of the three of us with anything approaching skinny legs these days... Here's a family photo from tonight:



Jude also likes dancing, especially from our shoulders. It's a sure way to get a smile out of him, although we do have to watch out for messes in our hair - he has been spitting up quite a lot lately...



Jude has now eaten a few more foods. We gave him rice cereal for a few days (see photo below of him sticking his tongue out while eating - one of his favorite new faces). Today we tried stewed pears for the first time, and he reportedly gobbled them right up. I think we have an eater on our hands...



Jude had a great time spending the weekend with his Grammie. He even had a bath in her sink!



We're looking forward to an upcoming visit from my mom and sister. Jude will visit Mt. Hood for the first time, and maybe even play in the snow!

Cultural Anthropology

Jude and E Ben were playing a hilarious game the other night called "Kiss my Foot, Kick my Face". We got a little bit of the end on video.



Jude is currently spending the weekend with his Grammie Terry. We're enjoying some time alone, but the house does seem very quiet! I was happy to discover that I can pump enough in 24 hours to feed him while he's out visiting. I was a little worried that the weekend would not be good for my milk supply, but everything seems to be just fine.

We started Jude back on solids early last week. We tried some rice cereal, but it made him a little constipated so we switched back to the sweet potatoes, which went right through him! At this point, we're mixing sweet potato and rice cereal, and Jude seems to really like it! We're going to try some avocado this week.