January- 6.5 months old

Happy January!

Well our little guy is growing like a weed and changing so much every day!  He can sit up without any help for a long time and is so close to crawling and pulling up!  Mom thinks he will be crawling in the next 2 weeks... mark it down.
 

We had our 6 month well-baby visit today even though he was 6.5 months!  He got 4 shots including his flu shot.  He handled it alot better today.  I really tried to stay on top of his tylenol and I think that has made the biggest difference.  Also he has HUGE fat thighs now so that might have helped too, lol.  The nurse even commented and said, "I didn't realize you had so much meat to work with!"  He does have some pretty incredible rolls on his arms and thighs.
Here are his stats:
Weight: 17 lbs 2 ounces- 32% (was 28% last time)
Height: 26 1/2 inches- 39% (was 32% last time)
Head Circumference: 43 cent.- 20% (was 18% last time- small head like his daddy!)

We were started doing Baby Led Weaning (which isn't weaning at all).  The Europeans call introducing solid foods weaning.  Anyways, it is where you basically give babies the food you are eating.  Not little pieces but big pieces that they can gum and suck on.  I did some research on it and it seemed like a pretty good idea.  Well we tried it and he loved it.  He was always getting food to his mouth but never really biting anything off or swallowing anything.  Well he started biting off bits and then he would gag but that was all, until one time he was choking/gagging... I don't know if he was actually choking or not but it scared me enough to stop it.  We only did BLW for a week and only for 1 meal a day, but it was enough for me.  So regular pureed baby food it is.  I made a bunch last night but so far he has just had some avocado and sweet potato.  I also made: bananas, peas, squash, apples, bananas with peaches, bananas with blueberries, and pears.  I made a bunch and then froze it in ice cube trays so all I have to do is thaw a cube and we are good to go!

Ramey's first Christmas

We went to church on Saturday evening for Christmas Eve service and it was Ramey's first time at church.  I didn't want him to go to the childcare area and thought he would do okay in church because it has the big tv screens and he loves tv!  But it is really loud with the music at the beginning so Harry stayed outside the doors with him until it was time for the service.  He did great!  There were a couple of times that he grunted but that is what he does! He wasn't mad just concentrating on his toy, lol.
Actual Christmas was a little crazy because of the "horrible snow storm" we were supposed to have.  I really didn't want us to get out on the roads with a little baby, so we ended up doing Christmas at Mom and Dad's on Christmas Eve.  We debated and went back and forth trying to decide what to do, but thought safety was the most important thing so Christmas on Christmas Eve is what we decided to do.  Then we ended up having a light dusting of snow and a little ice.  And then Mom and I realized that we have never been apart on Christmas and that made me so sad thinking it was going to happen on my baby's first Christmas!

Christmas Eve, Ramey opened 2 presents from Santa and the elves!  He got some really cute jammies and the book The Night Before Christmas.  We put on his jammies and then Harry and I read the book to him.  At first he wasn't too interested and for some reason, probably because we are both such dorks and know the story so well, Harry and I started reading in unison.  Ramey started smiling and giggling and looking back and forth at Harry and I.  It was pretty precious.  Then we put Ramey to bed and got the Santa presents ready!  It was so much fun being on this side everything and getting to be Santa.

Then on Christmas morning when Ramey woke up I went in and feed him in his room.  Then Harry came into Ramey's room and we read the story of the birth of Jesus from Ramey's golden book Bible stories.  Then we got the video camera ready (just like Dad use to do for us) and took him into the living room to see his presents.  Then right after that we did FaceTime with my parents.  Then we had a very laid back and relaxing Christmas day.  I still made cinnamon rolls like my mom has always done but it was so weird being without my sissy and parents!  Then a little later that day my dad and mom came over!  I was so glad I still got to see them.  Then Harry's family came over and we did presents with them and ate Christmas dinner then it was time for bed!

A few weeks before Christmas we moved Ramey into his own room!  He had been in a mini-crib in our room so a switch to a regular crib wasn't that different, but he wouldn't be within my reach.  He did fabulous.  He woke up once or twice and put himself back to sleep the first few nights.  Then he slept from 8-7 (with a 10:30 dreamfeed) until Christmas.  Then something happened.... after Christmas he was waking up 2-4 times a night!  He had stopped eating in the middle of the night for a month or two and now was eating once or twice a night.  He was waking up around 2:30-4 and then again around 5-6 but then sleeping until 8 or 9.  Now for the last 4 nights he is back to the regular great night sleeping baby!  He goes to bed at 7:45-8, dreamfeeds at 10:30 and then wakes up 7:15.  He was also pretty cranky and fussy (for Ramey) during those weeks too.  I know I am super spoiled because Ramey is a very, very happy baby and is always smiling and laughing so when he turned a little cranky and was fussy, it was just so weird.  When we would be out and I would say he was fussy and in a bad mood, people would look at me like I was crazy, but people that were around him all the time could tell.  Now my super happy baby is back and I'm pretty excited about that.  Hopefully this little guy stays around for awhile, lol.

Now it isn't all amazing for us.... stupid naps.  Ramey does nap and will nap in his crib or his swing.  But he only naps for 30 minutes at a time 3 or 4 times a day.  He normally wakes up pretty happy and will even just play and talk in his crib or swing for a little while after he wakes up, but 30 minutes??? I can barely get anything done in 30 minutes!  Occasionally he will sleep for 30 minutes in his crib and then seem cranky when he wakes up so I will stick him in his swing and he will sleep a hour and half longer.  But how do I get him to take those 2 hour naps I read about?  Come on people, help!


Coming up... I signed up for a Mom's bible study group that one of my friends/sorority sister does and said I should do too!  It is at Crossings and meets every Monday.  I am pretty excited about it and there is free childcare, so I don't have to worry about my little angel!  I can't wait for it to start!
The Edmond Public Library also had some free baby classes that I might check out.  I also want to do a Mommy and Me swim class since my parents have a pool and I plan on spending alot of time in the pool with Ramey.  Now I guess I have to get a swimsuit... and some waterproof diapers!


Here is Ramey's monthly list!

6 Months

 as of December 25, 2012….. has aleady changed in 2 weeks!  But for records I am going to keep this the same because Harry and I sit down and write these lists on the night he turns a new month!

Weight-  16 lbs on our home scale on Christmas Day

At the doctor when 6.5 months

Weight- 17.2 lbs- 32%

Height- 26 ½ inches- 39%

Head Circumference- 43 cm- 20%

Can sit up on his own for awhile without tumpling over

LOVES his activity jumper… would jump all day if I let him!

Laughs a lot when people are silly or yell at him (in a funny way)

Very ticklish, especially on his tummy, neck, feet, arm pits, sides and thighs

Pretty much everywhere Daddy’s beard touches

Sleeps in his room in his crib

Likes to sleep on his tummy.  Especially face down in the mattress.  So Mommy or Daddy have to go and turn his head to the side because it freaks us out.

Loved playing/eating bows at Christmas

Smiles when Ellie squeaks her toys and plays fetch with us

Tried real food (steamed sweet potatoes and avocado) on his ½ bday/Christmas

Now has tried pears and toast, pizza crust, banana, and cheese and herb biscuit.

Hasn’t really swallowed much, if any, but has tasted all of those things!

(This was all with baby-led weaning)

Liked trying cold water for the first time and blinked a lot when he was drinking it

Loves sucking on his string bean toy, Beanie

Starting doing a cough/crying thing when he is unhappy and wants our attention

When he is in his swing and ready to get out, he will stop fussing as soon as we turn off the swing and start to unbuckle him.  He smiles real big when he realizes he has won.

He tried to pull up and stand while he was in his little sink bath tub yesterday.

Hates having his nose sucked out with a regular nose sucker or the nose frieda.

Doesn’t like getting dressed anymore.

Loves toys with crinkle paper inside.  (His mirror with crinkle leaves and his new butterfly from Aunt Kali and elephant from us)

Still fights to watch tv.  If he is sitting in my lap and tries to watch I will block his eyes and he will move his head all around to try to peek around my hand.

Grunts and groans when he is trying to do get a toy or concentrate on something.

Sticks his tongue out... a lot!

Has a foot in his mouth 75% of the day

If he is laying back on a pillow, can pull himself up to a sitting position

Loves sucking on Mommy’s chin

Is starting to teeth and drools allll the time!

Smiles all the time

Laughing with his hands in his mouth

Doesn’t like when Mommy leaves the room if he is playing

That's all for now!  Have a great day and thanks for reading!
Meredith