6 Months of Joy!

Isaac James celebrated his 6 month birthday today!Here's just a glimpse at the wonderful little guy who brings laughter and sunshine to our lives every day.

Charmer:
Isaac knows how to light up a room with his smile. He can pull grandmas across restaurants with his tractor beam like eyes. The boy has tons and tons of charm! (It doesn't help to have an adorable sister by his side!). He is especially good at enchanting ladies who are not yet, but soon to be Grandmas. He also has a goofy side, like his sister, and we see more of it every day!

Loves:
His sister, his Daddy & his Mama. His bottle. His pacis. His toys - he holds them inspects them, cuddles them, tastes them, bites them, and shakes them in his mouth, not unlike a puppy. Tickles...as long as we don't tickle him for too long, Isaac loves to be tickled and is ticklish everywhere. Gross Motor Play - He loves having his legs bicycled, his hands clapped, and supported standing. Songs - Isaac loves being sung too, especially songs with hand movements, like Pat-a-cake, Slippery Fish, & Wheels on the Bus. Water - Isaac now gets a daily bath as part of his helmet care and he is delighted with kicking the water. His favorite book is "Kiss Good Night" and his favorite song is "Baby Mine." His eyelids droop just hearing the words.

Hates:
Not much...torticollis stretches are low on his list, as is waiting for the bottle to warm up, falling asleep when we aren't rocking him.

Snoozer:
Isaac celebrated his 6 month birthday by sleeping from 7:30 to 7:30 for the first time ever!
(Then tonight I noticed flushed cheeks, a small rash and a low fever, so maybe it was illness and not birthday induced sleep.)
Naps are still all over the place. I'm trying to have him nap in his crib, but he will only nap for 30 minutes usually. He likes to take 4 of this "snaps" a day.
I've instituted "Quiet Resting Time" for Isla, instead of naps. Otherwise, we'd be trapped at home all day.
Stats:
At his weight check last week, he was down a bit, but hopefully that is some post surgery weight loss / stagnation and things will be back in shape at his well baby on 4-26.
He still fits well into his Size 2 diapers.
He is wearing 3-6 month clothes, but I just got out all the 6-9 month clothes and we are introducing the smaller ones (the motorcycle shirt and jeans in his 6 month photo are some of the smaller ones, so as you can see, he has a little room to grow.)
His head remains large & in charge in the 80th percentile.
His eyes are still brilliant blue and his hair is still blond, but it gets a little reddish when it is dirty.

Milestones:
Isaac is just starting to do a tripod sit and can stand for a few seconds unsupported, when holding onto a wall. He does a sort of modified army crawl, but doesn't have the stamina to go very far yet. He is rolling over again too and his tummy seems fine. In fine motor, his dexterity is improving and he is very proud of his ability to repeat motor actions, like spinning or knocking a toy. He is starting to mouth a lot and seems to be drooling more than ever but I can't see or feel any teeth. He wants to eat SO badly and watches with keen interest, tracking each bite we take. Hopefully we will be able to start solids soon. He has a nutrition appointment soon and another GI appointment in May to decide when and how we will proceed.
Isaac says, "Are you watching? I'm about to do my stunt! No hands!"
"Here I go! This is ALL me!" (it really is...my hand is there just in case), and he's got the helmet too. :-)

I recently read that being a parent is God's way of giving us the opportunity to understand His infinite love for all His children. I think that is the perfect description of what happens when you have more than one child. I remember being so worried that I wouldn't love Isaac the same way I loved Isla. Everyone who has more than one child just gave me a knowing smile and told me it would all be ok.
I have no way of describing what happened the moment he was born...the best description is from Dr. Suess, "[my] heart grew three sizes that day." I just know that, like his sister, he has indelibly changed me and filled a part of my soul that I didn't know was empty until he arrived.
Thank you sweet boy for choosing our family! We love you to the moon and back.