Month 6

Happy half year birthday Alec! How can you be so old? The time is flying so quickly my son, so very quickly. Every day I hug you just a little closer becasue I know your independance is growing daily. You are so eager to grow up, to explore everything, know everything, do everything. I love watching you grow and learn, but part of me is so sad, knowing I won't have a babe in arms much longer.

Last year at this time I was already into my second trimester of pregnancy with you. We had just heard your heartbeat for the very first time. Your dad would make me laugh by imitating the sound your little heart made, sort of wop-wop wop-wop. Now you are here and make your own beautiful noises. Lately you will just sort of stare into space, especially when you are tired and babble. Sort of drooly wet babbles that sound like "A-gee, a-gee" and when you are very happy you make this kind of squawking laugh like "ACK!" High pitched and sharp, it makes me laugh.

You sort of blow raspberries but not really. Sort of like a drooly laugh, but not quite. Spit flies but not quite big bubbles.

Not only do you crawl on the floor, you like to crawl up me now. When I hold you, you dig your feet into my belly and push up, grab my hair and climb. Where are you going little one? My favorite is though when you grab my face with your hands and start sucking on my cheek, nose, forehead or mouth. It's liek getting a big wet sloppy baby kiss. It's gross but by far the best thing in the world. Everytime you do it I laugh and then you laugh and we have a big old hug.

You pull up on things. When you are in your crib you use your kick and play piano to grab hold of and oull yourself up. You aren't vertical yet, but it won't be long. My big fear is you pulling up and toppling out of your crib.

Your dad taught you to put your arms in the air when you want to be picked up. This can be heartbreaking when I lie you in your crib and you don't want to take a nap. You cry and raise your arms to me with the most imploring tear stained face. As if I could say no.

The mornings are our special times, once dad has gone off to school (poor dad!) we snuggle in bed for awhile together. When you wake up you are always surprised to see me there, you will roll over and give we the widest eye look of happiness and surprise, sort of like "Oh mom, there you are! So good to see you mom." And you love my glasses, you will reach out for them fast as lightening, so curious as to why I only wear them sometimes.

Oh Alec you schooch/crawl everywhere. You can change direction, usually lying on your belly and pulling with your arms. You are doggedly determined to go somewhere and will crawl inthe formal position when necessary, but you really prefer to lock your knees and stand with your legs straight and your arms on the ground. Sort of like a young yoga master.

You love your toys, Everything goes into your mouth, books especially. You have teethers shaped like hands and feet and those are your favorites. The big purple dime store ball is your favorite, it is almost as big as you and you grab it and chase it all around. You like to lie on your back and play with it, balancing it with your hands and feet like a circus seal.

You are so dextrous. It amazes me the control you have with your hands now. I remember when you couldn;t even reach for something. And now you crawl, bring yourself to sitting, pick up an object and play with it. Amazing. Though sometimes your balance is off when you go to sit and you topple over. Quite funny and you look so stunned. Your dad thinks it is becasue of your big behind. Silly dad!

You can even take your toys out of the basket. You sit in front of your toy basket and pull out the toys you want. This doesn't sound particulary exciting, but it is Alec, it really is. You have come so far from that adorable blob of a baby. You are such a little man now.

You have a tooth! Sort of. I I discovered this on the way home from Boston Labor Day weekend. We had gone there to sell your house. The house where you were conceived, the house where we brought you home form the hospital. The house where you helped me heal, where we bonded. So hard to sell it Alec. So very hard. But it was the right thing atthe right time. Anyway, to comfort you as you were getting fussy onthe last part of the trip home, I stuck my finger in your mouth only to feel a sharp shard! Lower center left is coming in. It wasn't there Friday, and Sunday night voila - tooth. It must hurt something fierce. But you are a trooper. So do I mark September 1 as the day you got your first tooth or wait until it is all the way in. The challenges of parenthood!

You have so many toys and do you know what your favorite is? The TV remote. Love it. When you are having a particularly fussy day, i give you the remote as a treat and you are mesmorized by it. Holding it comforts you like nothing else does. I just don't get it.

You are starting to realize when you are alone, when I leave you. Your eyes follow me around the room and follow me as I walk out. Sometimes you cry. And as I walk back you raise your arms to me to be picked up. My heart melts.

I have written all this and you are only one week into being 6 months old. Ooops :) I love you so much little Alec. Every night I whisper to you "Be Safe Mom's Alec" In my silliness I believe in my heart this keeps you safe. Poor Alec, such a crazy mom.

Well Alec, you are now crawling like mad. The other night I left the room (you were in the den with your dad) and you crawled after me! You came to find me in the bathroom drawing your bath. You stinker! I was very impressed and flattered you came to find me. Though it could have just been your bath you wanted!

You make the best noises now. Wet noises at that, lots of bubbly noises and then ones like Brrrrrrrrhh, Brrrrrrrrrhhh and ffffffffff and aaaahhhboooo, geeeeeeee. You are moaning and groaning a lot again too. Oh and don't forget the grunting!

You can get yourself to sitting now. You just move everywhere. Your favorite thing to do is crawl a little, get on all fours and fall over on your butt to a semi-sitting position. Sort of like a languishing lady. Then get back on all fours and switch sides and languish some more. You are just pracitcing and showing off your new talents.

You are pulling up on everything. You are in such a hurry to grow up little son. You pull up on your toy baskets adn the dining room table the most. I made you laugh the other day when you were standing holding onto the dining table base and you were so excited you raised your hands. Which of course caused you to fall banging into the table base. Bad mom! I felt so bad :( You love to pull up on my legs as well. It's so sweet to have you there playing at my feet and then feel these little hands start pulling on my pants.

I can really see your tooth now. It still has a long way to go, but it is there, and sharp!

You liked your second swim lesson so much better than your first one. You were laughing and splashing and when I put you on your belly you do this crazy water crawl, somethign like swimming! I am so proud :)

You do this funny thing with your mouth - you sort of smack your lips together, or gums, or something, its hard to describe in writing. It cracks me up, you must be exploring how your mouth works. You sort of hum and smack your jaw and smile at the same time. Cracks me up.

You think I am your personal mountain to climb and that my hair makes great handles. So painful, yet so funny at the same time. You make me smile and laugh so many times in one day Alec. You are truly the joy in my life - both you and your dad make me so happy. I am truly blessed and happy.

You are getting increasingly vocal now. Babbling and cooing, moaning too!

We went to Florida by ourselves to visit your Rothenberg grandparents. I wasn't even nervous about traveling alone with you because I know what a good baby you are. And you were excellent. You were so good Alec! You just love to watch people and had the best time seeing all the new people, especially sitting on the plane you would watch all the passengers come on the plane, smiling at them all. You fussed a little at times but not much, mostly cooing and babbling or sleeping in your carseat.

While we were in Florida you really mastered pulling up on things. It's becoming so natural for you, you are conquering everything in your path. Though getting back down still needs some work. Sometimes you crash but othertimes you sort of ease yourself down. Though there are the times you think you can stand and let go but your wobbly tree trunk legs just can't hold you quite yet.

In Florida you met your friend Haley. She was so happy to see you and came over to you and told you a story, babbling loudly right in your face. Well you did not like that at all. You sat there and looked at her, then your face turned purple and you let out quite the howl! You actually did this several times, but eventually warmed up to her. She had some really cool toys she let you play with, and your favorites were a vibrating star shaped teether that must have felt very good on your poor gums and this walker/push toy. You are getting a second tooth popping through right next to your first one in the bottom front middle.

You love food. You are eating lots of solids now - but you love pears and sweet potatoes the best right now. And you also have this fasciantion with water bottles and sippy cups. They always calm you down if you are fussy. I gave you these things called "wagon wheels" which are puffed grain with apple flavor and you eat it and it dissolves in your mouth but then you kind of dribble it all back out with this accompanying "pppbbtt" noise. Very funny, and very messy!