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08/07/2005
Six months again
Today Charlie's six months adjusted.
He rolls over with careless ease, and can travel several feet of quilt-covered floor in a very short time. While on the floor, he prefers to be on his front, and happily shoves toys into his mouth while simultaneously holding his head and chest up. He tries valiantly to crawl, knees churning, feet digging in, but ultimately settles for grabbing fistfuls of quilt and pulling himself laboriously forward. In this way he can travel entire millimeters, grunting, panting, and whining the whole time.
In the window of his room I've hung a butterfly suncatcher. He loves the butterfly and tries hard to grab it when I hold him to look out the window. Looking out the window is an easy way to distract him when he's become fractious; his window faces on the front garden, which is lately vivid and full of movement.
Today we spent a long while playing on the bed, no toys, just rolling, talking, and tickling. He prefers rough play to quiet, and is never happier than when I'm gnawing on his feet, teeth in play, or jolting him up and down hard on my knee.
His favorite toys are still very simple — a shiny rattle, a stuffed cloth ring with chewable projections, his rubber teething flower. He has not yet begun to appreciate the many kinetic charms of my personal favorite, the spinny thing, but he gamely tries to mouth it when I offer it to him.
He can blow wet raspberries, and did constantly for a few days, but seems now to have lost interest in doing so. He doesn't imitate us. He doesn't babble. His vocalization is generally limited to long consonant sounds, though rarely he will softly and tentatively muster a "guh...guh." When Paul addresses him with a long string of "ba ba ba"s in varied intonation, first he starts, snapping to attention, then stares and stares, mouth open, transfixed.
He likes to make noise with his fingers in his mouth.
He shivers and grows wide-eyed at the opening strains of the prologue and "Jet Song" from West Side Story.
He eagerly eats three solid meals a day, fruits, vegetables, cereals, meats, and the occasional fingertip's worth of soft-serve ice cream. He opens his mouth emphatically, tongue extended, and raises his eyebrows in appeal if I'm slow in spooning the gruel. Today at lunch he spent many happy minutes chewing diligently on a dill pickle chip, briny drool running down his several chins.
His navel is an outie.
At bathtime, he crows with delight when we spray him with his tiny rubber squirting turtle. He still loves to drink water poured into his mouth in a trickle, and will patiently wait, lips parted, tongue out, as I raise the bowl over his face.
He usually has at least one long nap a day, frequently two, a great improvement from his former practice of waking up after only 46 minutes. He goes to bed at night between 6 and 7 with no fuss whatsoever — we don't rock him to sleep or feed him until he slumps, since putting him in his crib and giving him a final friendly pat are comfort enough for him. He wakes once at night and we feed him. He wakes again around 5, but coos himself back to sleep. Around 7 he spends about half an hour singing quietly in his crib before he asks in earnest for company.
It is an indescribable pleasure to give it.
Comments (54)
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What champs the three of you are! You have come from this rocky start to this beautiful place with a fat and sassy baby. Can you believe it? What a joy.
The SPINNY THING!!!! I remember that toy! It was AWESOME for hanging out and playing in the high chair so I could do dishes... until they got strong enough to rip it off. :(
It sounds like things are right on target and you are enjoying one another. :)
Holy shit... am i first????
Damn.
Hooray! You survived the sleeplessness. I'm so glad everything is going so well.
My children have never appreciated the many kinetic charms of the spinny thing - they have only hit themselves in the head with it, repeatedly in fact. Perhaps Charlie will be brighter than my children. Because of course, he is a doll. Happy (adjusted) 6 month birthday!
He's come so far - and he's so cute, Julie.
Now, any advice regarding teething?
It's really nice to hear how well things are going for your family! And what I wouldn't give for some dill pickle chips right now. (They are not sold in Australia unfortunalely)
So sweet. He's a doll.
That was a beautiful post. But, you have a great subject, so no wonder.
Happy, adjusted 1/2 year birthday!
You guys have certainly hit your stride, by the sound of things. I'm so happy that everything seems to be going well for you, Julie! Your little man is precious, and sounds like such a joy. Your happiness shines through in this post - thanks for sharing!
This is why I love reading you, Julie--you write about the sublime (the simple joys of life with an infant) to the ridiculous (that humorless, prudish twit from the prior post) with equal eloquence. So glad everything has worked out for your family. Charlie is just adorable. Continued good luck to you.
So much of what you wrote is familiar. Harrison has no interest in the spinny thing either - when I bought it, I thought for sure that it would provide at least 3 minutes of distraction, but he still prefers banging his spoon. He loves rough play -- especially when it's aimed at me --but oh man, do I love the quiet middle of the night snuggles too.
Charlie is adorable. It makes me so happy to know that things are going well for you.
Wonderful! I am so glad things are going well. He sounds like such a doll. Congratulations!
Awwwwwwww....
You are so clever to write these little progress reports. Somehow I managed never to make the time, and I regret it.
Also, the babies were born JUST before digital cameras became SOP, just a teensy tiny bit too expensive, and we don't have as many photos as I'd like. I mean, only 300 per kid per year? Seems a little slack to me....
Oh, wait, these comments are supposed to be about you and your adorable son. What a cutey! Glad you're having so much fun.
Happy 6 month b/day - mine are 7 months today, 6 months adjusted as well.
I'd say more, perhaps a comment or two about his lack of hair or your hairy bush, but I am just too damn tired.
Do love you though
What a delicious baby! It seems like the rough times are over and you have all settled down into nice cozy baby-land routine.
Believe it or not, it continues to get even better!!!!
"These are the days of miracle and wonder." Cherish them. (Not that I have to remind you, but...)
awwwwwwwwwwwww...sounds like heaven on earth. What a lucky little boy.
Happy adjusted 6 month birthday, Charlie!
Your post made my heart melt...
Reading your blog has taken me on an emotional roller coaster ride...I have laughed and cried...but most of all, you have given me a greater appreciation for my own children.
Thank you for that.
When he grows up, can I marry him? I'll only be 34 1/2 years older than him. You know, not quite Harold and Maude territory.
ah the joys of parenthood I cant wait to experience it, it must bring you such joy, cant wait till our is born in 8 weeks
check out our blog
www.markwyld.blogspot.com
mark
Sniff.
What a beautiful, beautiful post.
You know, I admire your sense of wit, the way you deal with struggles... but this was just beautiful. Many happy days to you.
Yo. My daughter (six months old yesterday, holy cow) doesn't appreciate the spinny thing yet either-- and I've bought TWO of them.
He's a cutie patootie.
He is absolutely georgous. Truly. Everything sounds just fine and dandy to me. My son was born in October, but was only 3 days early. But as far as adjusted goes, he's about where Aiden was at that point. Except the crawling thing, Aiden wanted nothing to do with moving forward, he could roll where he wanted to go. He just started crawling in the last month and a half, and has moved very quickly to cruising and climbing stairs. So, don't worry about how he may be taking things slow, once those big milestones start, they come quick and you don't have time to adjust to the first one before the next is biting you in the ass. Enjoy this time, while he's still not mobile, really, I miss it desperately.
happy 6 months adjusted charlie. what a wonderful post (and fantastic pictures)! he looks so big napping in his crib!
What a gorgeous little guy. (I will admit that I am partial to bald babies since my daughter was bald until she was almost three, at which point she grew a wild head of ringlets.)
That photo of him waking up made my night; his eyes and his smile just glow. I can't tell that he's loved or anything.
Those spinny things must be made for adults, because no child of mine has ever given a shit about them either.
He sounds like a perfect child--really, just perfect. Isn't it amazing to think back on how hard it was in the beginning? My son is about Charlie's age, and also premature. I remember wrestling in the early days with being happy to have him, but also just being sad... I guess because it was hard, and because I often didn't know what to do with him or what he expected from me. Plus, worry tires a person out. Now things are so nice; he and I have developed a rhythm, and we know what to expect from each other. And isn't that half hour of morning crib singing cute as hell? Jake does that too. I could just eat him with a spoon.
He's such a cutie! It's so nice to capture in words like this what a cutie he is, and all the things that he loves.
That was beautiful, Julie.
i have 28 weeks to go till i get to meet my munchkin and you make me SO EXCITED to become a mommy :)
OMG can that kid get any cuter??? Sounds like he is doing FABULOUS!!!
Congratulations on your big boy Julie. He is an amazing little fella and cute to boot!
WOW what a good baby! And right on track even with my 8 month old. Looking at him now I would never guess he was early! He towers over my full termer. GOOD JOB MOM AND DAD. And yay you that he is such a good sleeper! DD only sleeps about 7 hours a night, waking a few times to nurse, and I am lucky to get one good nap out of her. But to me she is perfect!
THE SPINNY THING!! I once saw a greeting card with a little baby on it, hands were together and the words were "Bless mommmy, and daddy.. and the spinny thing"..HAHA Made me laugh.. I tried to find it, to link to but I couldn't.
Yay for Charlie for hardly needing an adjustment chart. He sounds like he's on par for his non-adjusted age! You are doing a WONDEFUL job! I t probably helps having that cute face to look at each day. I know it does for my me and my son.
Thank you. I stumbled upon your site & was delighted to be entertained by someone who could make light of my plight - surgery, IUIs, miscarriages, etc. Perhaps there's hope - if people will just stop fucking telling my 35-year-old self & my 47-year-old husband to quit worrying about getting pregnant...
Oh, I'm so happy it's all so good. Happy six months!
beautiful post... Congrats on 6 (adjusted)months of motherhood!
Oh, I used to love the spiny thing, and so did my daughter. I love Sassy toys in general.
I am so glad Charlie is such a source of joy for you. There is nothing else to wish for, is there?
He's so yummy.
We've discussed not making my cry while I'm at work.
I want to eat up his toes!!!!!
So cute. My 5 month old has the same blue striped romper. And the fascination station..I stick that sucker as hard as I can to his tray and he still pull it off, hits himself in the head and then drops it on the floor.
Loved the post. He's come so far.
What an adorable peanut!
Boy, this post brings me back; the spinny thing, the edible baby feet, the raspberries, that's some good stuff right there! My youngest is 5 now and I must confess, he still has cute little toes that I occasionally have to nibble on when they're fresh from the bath.
I agree with Jody, these progress reports are awesome, you should be proud of yourself! Thank you so much for sharing his cuteness with us!
What a CUTIE!
Yes, but.... can he "dump raisin" yet? I think that's the question all America is dying to know.
~CA~
just delurking to say i have so enjoyed your blog. i have had 2 miscarriages and 3 yrs of infertility, dd born 2003 at 32 wks after 2 rounds of ivf. i think you have more than anyone i have read captured the feeling of having a baby in the nicu. i am an obgyn and all the medical knowledge in the world doesn't mean crap when it's your baby in the NICU with a chest tube on the vent. i think i still have a touch of PTSD about the whole thing. it's so nice to get to six months adjusted and beyond isn't it? charlie is too good lookin! what a cutie. congrats and congrats also on being able to keep up the blog in the midst of parenting!
Julie,
I have been reading your blog for about a month now. I actually went back and have read all of your posts (mind you I do this at work). Enough about you, on to me. My husband and I are trying to get pregnant and I remembered one of your posts this morning while staring at my pregnancy test. I stared so hard I could see a line and then got my husband to stare until I convinced him he saw a line. I am wondering, when you said you saw a faint line, how faint is faint? Tracy
PS. Thanks for having a site that doesn't talk about "babydust." That shit is fucking creepy.
Its amazing how kids home in on certain sounds and voices. My parents tell me that when I was his age the sound of John F. Kennedy's voice transfixed me (okay I know I'm aging myself with that statement).
I read your site every day but never post. Just want to say I really really enjoy reading your blog. I have two months left of my pregnancy and seeing the positive and negative reflected by someone who is as funny and honest as you are has really made the reality a little less scary. Thank you.
He is so adorable. I've been reading your blog for about a month or so now. I love it. I just wanted to say that Charlie's adjusted 6 month birthday is my son Connor's 6 month birthday. He was born 2.7.05 :)