6 month check-up

Yesterday we went to see the pediatrician for Ian's 6 month check-up. As you can see, he is a growing, healthy boy. He weighed 20 lbs 8 oz (90th percentile) and is 28 inches long (95th percentile). He received 4 vaccinations and a flu shot, so his little legs were bothering him yesterday and today. The funny thing was, that he cried more when the nurse was holding his legs still than when he was actually getting his shots. As soon as she was finished and let his legs go, he stopped crying. He was needing lots of cuddling and Mommy-time today, and I'm sure he'll be feeling better tomorrow or the next day. I gave him a sippy cup for the first time yesterday with some water in it, and he held onto it and put it right in his mouth like he's been drinking from a sippy cup since the day he was born. He mostly let the water drool down his chin, but today he was actually drinking more than he was drooling out of his mouth. Sitting in the stroller after going to get the mail.
First time with a sippy cup.

Go Tech!

Since today was game day, I had to put Ian's game day shirt on (which happens to be a Texas Tech onesie; next year we'll opt for a t-shirt). He looked so cute and proud to be a Red Raider that I had to take some pictures. He sits up by himself much better now, but, once he sees something he wants, his balance is gone and I catch him before he topples over. For the last 2 weeks, Ian has had a rash on his face, arms, and legs that looked better some days and worse on others. I initially thought it was heat rash, but it never went completely away. He never scratched it, but I decided to take him to the doctor on Thursday and have her check him out. It turns out my little man has eczema. His daddy had it as well, when he was a baby. Now we are on a routine of moisturizing 4 times a day and applying 2 different creams twice a day. It is looking better already, and I'm glad that my baby has soft skin again! She also started him on Zyrtec since he had a terrible runny nose, watery eyes, and sneezed almost all day on Tuesday and Wednesday thanks to a mild cold front that came through. We go back to the doctor on Friday for a follow-up and his 6 month check-up; which means more shots...poor little guy can't catch a break! :( "Look at how big I am sitting in my chair!"

He sure does love those feet.
Beautiful boy.
Here he is relaxing in his exersaucer. Of course he had to wear his Texas Tech bib to go along with his game day look. :) Doesn't it look like he is just hanging out, enjoying the view, and ready to watch the big game?
This is what always happens whenever Ian is on the floor playing. The dogs swarm him, and then lay as close as possible without actually touching him. Don't all 3 of them look enthralled? Chester's so excited to get his picture made that he's yawning!
"Look at this cool thing that I found. I wonder if I can get a closer look."

"There we go, now I can see this blanket perfectly!" Ian LOVES to pull things over his face. Whether it is a blanket, burp cloth, bib, clothes, or a towel, if he can get his hands on it, he covers his face with it. He doesn't cry when his face is covered, but laughs, and, if he can't get it off his face right away or I don't pull it off, he keeps trying and laughs the whole time.
Here his face is partially covered, but he's more interested in grabbing his feet. What a silly boy.
Today he started rolling onto his right side for the first time. I just looked over and found him rolling from his back to his side. It's amazing how many new things he does each day!
Gazing fondly at Chester, who just happens to be out of Ian's reach. Lila is looking on to make sure that Chester isn't going to get any more affection than she will. Ian likes watching the dogs whenever they are in the same room as he is. And, if he hears them coming, his head moves all around to try to find them.
Practicing his new-found skill of rolling on his side, but this time he also has a toy in his hand...what a talented little boy we have! :)

Hanging Out

It has been a while since I've put up a new post, but the days just seem to be over before I know it. And, at the end of the day, I am ready to go to sleep and, hopefully, get a full night of sleep. Ian has been waking up once, twice, and sometimes three times in the night; he has also been a drool-monster, so I think that teeth are in our very near future. Ian is changing every day, and it is such a joy to see his smiling face, hear him laugh, and listen to him "talk" to the world around him. Last week he started grabbing his feet when he is laying on his back, and this has made getting dressed and changing diapers more of a challenge. He is also turning his upper body to the side to reach things, and, once he starts using his legs, he'll be rolling all over the house. Ian is continuing to enjoy eating real food, and we haven't found anything that he doesn't like. So far, he has had sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, peas, green beans, rice cereal, bananas, applesauce, and pears. On Sunday, he will be 6 months old, and I can hardly believe how quickly the time has gone! We go to the doctor on Monday for a check-up and shots, so, if anyone wants to guess how much he weighs, leave your guess in the comments (he weighed 18 pounds 1 ounce at 4 months old).
He enjoys tummy time, but gets frustrated when he can't reach something. I just love his pouty look...I wonder if this will carry over into his teenage years?
This picture was taken seconds after the previous one. It just goes to show how quickly a baby's mood can change. :)
Just playing in his bed, and truly enjoying touching his toes. I thought that since his thighs were so big around that they would impede him from grabbing his feet. I was wrong, but it will be a while before they make it to his mouth.

Visiting Daddy

This past weekend, Ian and I headed up to Dallas to go see Phil. He has spent the last 2 weeks at Warrior Leader School in South Carolina, and he graduated and returned to Texas on Saturday. Phil worked very hard, and graduated with honors (Commandant's List); I am so proud of my husband and all that he has accomplished thus far! Ian and I drove to Fort Worth on Friday morning (he did great except for the 40 minutes of crying and screaming that seemed like about 4 hours to me), and we spent the afternoon with his cousin, Natalie, and his aunt, Megan (Tia). Saturday afternoon we picked Phil up at the DFW Airport, and Ian was all smiles for his Daddy. He went right to Phil and enjoyed having hugs and kisses from Daddy. We then traveled on to Paris, TX for the evening. Phil had to report at 8:30 on Sunday morning, but we were able to spend Sunday evening together. The time flew by, and, even though it wasn't very long, it was wonderful to be able to have our family together again. There were even moments when the reality of the situation would escape my mind, and it felt like the 3 of us were just on vacation. We left on Monday morning and headed to Pittsburg, TX to stay with some dear family-friends, Granni Jo and Poppa Jim. We enjoyed great company, wonderful food, and a relaxing night's sleep before our 300 mile journey home on Tuesday. Ian was an excellent traveler on the way home, and only got fussy once we were about 90 miles from home. I was exhausted after the long drive on Tuesday (we drove through wind and rain for the first half of the trip thanks to Hurricane Gustav). Needless to say, we both slept well Tuesday night. Ian and Natty.
The Eiffel Tower of Paris, TX.

Ian with his favorite soldier.

Looking very mischievous with his Daddy.
Studying his Daddy's face.
This is a rare photo of Mommy and Ian. Normally I don't make it into the pictures since I am the one taking them. He had just fallen asleep for the night.

Sitting in the high chair at Granni Jo and Poppa Jim's house.
"Now, how can I get this open? I know there's food inside!"
Admiring Poppa Jim.
Granni Jo was letting Ian play with anything he could get his hands on. He enjoyed every minute of exploring his new environment.
Enjoying sleeping in his bed after being gone for 5 days. All that traveling sure is exhausting!

Bath Time

Ian has gotten too big for his infant bath tub, but still isn't steady enough to bathe in the big bath tub. He has graduated to a larger tub, and we tried it out for the first time tonight (along with some new toys...thank you MomMom). He enjoyed kicking in the water and seeing his toys float. It was a bit harder to bathe him though, since he wanted to sit up and play at the same time that I wanted to wash him. Once I gave him his own washcloth, he was content and appeared to forget about the toys while I finished his bath. Thinking hard about whether or not this new bathtub is a good thing.
Having fun playing and laughing with his toys.

After every bath, he turns his face so that he can look in the mirror and find me. He loves bath time and laughs when I dry him off (it can take a while to make sure that every one of his rolls is dry). Aren't hooded bath towels just the best thing ever invented?

Sitting with Assistance

Ian is getting stronger every day and tries to sit up with all of his might. But, he doesn't quite have the hang of it and normally topples over, head first, trying to get to his toes. He is starting to hold himself up with his arms in front of him, and it won't be long before he's mastered this skill. We had to go shopping for him last Saturday and buy some bigger clothes; 6-9 month clothes hanging in his closet have seemed so big for so long, but now they are going to fit him perfectly. I had purchased a Texas Tech outfit a while back, and found a hat that went with a 6-9 month outfit. One look at it told me that it might not even fit now, so I tried it on his little head. He looked adorable, but I don't think he'll be getting much use out of it.
Talking and trying to reach Mommy's camera. He is grabbing for everything now, so I have to be careful what I'm doing when he's in my arms. We have made several messes due to the quick hands of Mr. Ian.
What a handsome Texas Tech fan!

Carrots

Last Friday, Ian tried carrots for the first time. He didn't bat an eye at the new food and eagerly opened his mouth for more. He enjoys his food immensely, and has started crying if I don't have another spoonful ready the second that his mouth is empty. On Saturday, once he finished his serving of carrots and I was cleaning him up, he pitched an almighty fit complete with tears and lots of screaming. He was so upset that the food was gone, and that he wasn't getting anymore for the evening (one might think that this child never gets fed by the way he was acting; clearly, as evidenced by the rolls on his arms and legs, he is meeting his nutritional needs). So, at the end of every meal, I am prepared for a small temper tantrum until I can get him out of his chair and distract him with something else. Ian had squash today, and enjoyed every bite. He is eating real food twice a day now and gets so excited once he is strapped into his chair and the bib gets put on. It didn't take him long to learn this new routine!
Before Ian's first bite of carrots. Doesn't he look nice and clean? "Mom, I can see that there is more in the bowl. So close, yet so far away thanks to my short little arms."
I think he knows where the spoon is supposed to go. He'll be feeding himself before too long! While he was doing this, he managed to smear carrots along the right side of his cheek (see picture below).
After his first experience with carrots.