6 Months! (AKA 1/2 a Year)

Try as I might, I cannot stop time.  It keeps passing, and my baby keeps growing, and he turned six months old yesterday.  Despite his refusal to sit (or even try to sit) unassisted, he's packing in the milestones:

First tooth:  Actually make it first THREE teeth!  Ouch, baby!  I haven't been able to get a shot of the drool makers, but three teeth made their appearance last Thursday afternoon.  His teacher called me to let me know that he was fussy and pulling his ear, and by the time I got to school, she said, "Didn't you say that the doctor told you that he wasn't teething?  Well, I see three teeth."  No ear infection--just a painful bone growing process. 

Further illnesses:  Speaking of ear infections and other illnesses, he had his second round of antibiotics for a double ear infection, and he's now upgraded to an inhaled steroid for his lungs in an effort to prevent further bronchiolitis.  This season is just plain rough.  I blame the warmer weather and the winter viruses that just won't die!  I also blame myself for not being able to afford a private nanny for EW.  Ugh.  He has another cold now as I type.  Hopefully, it will not lead to further lung issues or another ear infection.

Eating:  EW is eating quite a lot of breatmilk, and right at 5 1/2 months, we gave him his first bites of rice cereal.  After Elgin's regular nursing time, Daddy fed him a few bites on a Saturday and a Sunday, and EW didn't poop on Saturday or Sunday then finally pooped on Monday evening.  No thanks, cereal.  We just reintroduced it this morning, and I predict that he was much more ready at a full six months.  He didn't push it back with his tongue, and he actually seemed a little more enthusiastic about it.  Sometimes waiting is the best thing.  Let's hope his digestive system agrees.

Travel:  Elgin cannot be trusted to stay put.  He rolls and actually gets some lying-on-the-back scooting done rather quickly.  I believe it's his desire to be on the move that prevents him from wanting to sit.  Why sit and watch when I can roll to what I want?  He's spending a little more time in the front carrier now, although I usually have him facing me so that he can rest his head and fall asleep.

Chatter:  We are enjoying his latest conversation pieces: monsters.  He sounds like one with his low, guttural sounds that he loves now.  The spitting--masterfully long seconds of it--is pretty cute too, for now.  

Laughter:  Penny cracks him up.  All it takes is for her to look up at him.  We try to catch it on video, but it's so hard to put him down to get the phone or flip.  It's just too cute!  H is still the preferred human humor.  

What is to come:  I don't wish for any other milestone than sitting.  The crawling, pulling, up, and subsequent walking can wait as long as it wants to wait.  

Personality:  I know I said it before, but despite the breathing treatments, runny nose, irritated GI system, ear infections, nasty antibiotics, and triple tooth growing, he's just so happy!  A friend calls him Easy E just based on his laid back and contented demeanor--not a tendency towards the arts.  No one would suspect this baby has protein allergies, etc.  (Well, unless they listen to me talk incessantly about what I can and cannot eat or read this particular blog.)  I love this baby's outlook.

The sun shown brightly and temperatures rose on Thursday afternoon, so I couldn't resist the opportunity to take his six month shots about 10 hours earlier than his official 6 month day.