We got Henry on stage...

Where he belongs... I love, love this kid!

From Karaoke!

(Work party on Friday evening:  H kicked off the karaoke.  By the time we left at 8:30, no one could compare.)

Still here... still lots of cuteness

I'll get back to blogging... promise! Meanwhile, here are my favorite Mother's Day shots... thanks, Cory.  You are an excellent, excellent stager.

 My most favorite of the day.  And, no.  The boys didn't get out of PJ's.

Elgin sits!

He started sitting unassisted for a few seconds every now and then last week, but this afternoon, in the front yard, he really got the hang of it.

Coincidentally, he also pushed himself to all fours and rocked back and forth a few times this morning. We watched in shock and worry. Would he crawl early and skip sitting?

Alas, we have a sitter. Yea, Elgin!

Progressive dinner?

Henry proved his chopstick proficiency on Saturday night. Pretty impressive for a kid who only recently conceded to using regular utensils without constant reminders.

He is also having an after dinner coffee now. Kidding. It's hot chocolate.

Nothing more than feelings...

Henry had to stay home from school on Tuesday due to waking in the middle of the night with a fever and barking like a seal until he stood ouside in the cold air.  Until 1:30 AM, he gave us no indication of being sick.

When I took H to school on Wednesday, Ms. Susan said that one of the student teachers told her that, on Monday, Henry was upset about something--so much so that he was full on crying and it carried on for quite a while.  The teacher asked H if he was going to be OK since it's very uncommon for Henry to be that upset.  He said to her, "I'm just so mad at myself.  I'm trying to stop crying, but I can't!"  Then, pointing to his eyes, he said, "Do you see these tears?" 

Man, that story made me sad.  I had no idea he probably wasn't feeling well on Monday afternoon.  I sort of wish that I could go back in time, be in the classroom, and console him myself.  I also wonder how he knows when he's mad at himself.  Hmmmm... so much to think about. 

On a positive note, I am always glad to hear him identify his feelings.

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.  

Trails

Cory and I typically loathe February, but we had a very mild winter so far, and February actually gave us some gorgeous days. For instance, today was supposed to be warm but rainy, and we got warm and cloudy, instead. We took the opportunity to explore a different part of the new trail system that runs through our city and connects several parks. We crossed very cool bridges and saw three ducks, three turtles, countless bird nests, and a man running what H insisted was a fox. (It was a dog.)

Perhaps I'll have a new attitude toward February. There are still more of its days ahead, though. We shall see.