Happy 6-month birthday!

Jeremy and I were talking about how quickly the past three months have passed compared to the first three.  It is still a little unreal that we have a baby, yet it is hard to remember what we did before Rowan arrived on the scene. It seems like there was a lot more sleeping. :-)

Rowan continues to amaze and entertain us. His latest endeavor is learning to crawl. Each day he gets more proficient. It is fascinating to watch him experiment with different poses and to figure things out. He makes the funniest faces when he's concentrating. He'll also let out a hoot and a holler if he doesn't think he's making good progress. I fear that he has inherited my impatient streak. 

One of the coolest things Rowan does is try to snap his fingers. He'll watch Jeremy do it a few times and then you'll see his little hand open and close and his fingers wiggle. Our boy is so smart! 

I have added carrots to his list of solid foods. Now we're up to rice cereal, banana, green beans, pumpkin, and carrots. He has been agreeable to everything that I have offered him so far. Jeremy and I have always been good eaters so we are not surprised that Rowan likes to chow down, too. He even gobbles up oral vaccines (for rotavirus) and baby Advil. 

He has been keenly interested in cups for awhile. Now that he has figured out how to grab everything he insists on going for your glass. We're thinking of giving him his own sippy cup with water so he can practice. I have this feeling that he will still prefer our cups instead of his, but we'll see. 

Rowan's 6-month check-up was Monday. The pediatrician said he is doing great. Although I am not surprised by this news, it is still good to hear. Here are his stats:

• Height:  26.75"
• Weight: 17.5 lbs
• Likes: food, cups, trying to crawl, grabbing everything - especially Mama's hair, being thrown in the air (adrenaline junkie), and peek-a-boo
• Dislikes: the usual - nail clipping, having his hands restrained, bedtime

All in all, these past 6 months have been incredible. Those first 3 were rough, but once he started sleeping better (i.e., longer) and becoming more aware things became much easier. Of course it helps that I am feeling better physically. It took a lot longer to fully recover from the c-section than I had thought - especially with an appendectomy thrown in the mix. I would say I am about 95% back to my old self, at least physically. Sometimes I still struggle with having a disorganized house - babies have a lot of stuff! But, I think I have come to accept that this is how things will be for awhile (the next 17.5 years?). At the end of the day I would rather have spent quality time with Rowan than to have a spotless house.