1/2 Way to 1

I think I was subconsciously not making time for this post. I can't believe my baby boy is already halfway to 1. Or at least he was last Thursday.

We had a doctor's appointment last week too, so we officially have some stats on both boys.

Jude weighed in at 17 pounds 7 ounces putting him right around the 50th percentile. He measured 26 1/4 inches which puts him around the 35th percentile for height. All of that extra weight is carried in his healthy thighs and his big ol' noggin (which was around the 70th percentile).

Eli finally had his 4 year old well child check up (yes, he is almost 4 1/2....) and is around the 35th percentile for both height and weight. For those curious, Eli was an entire 2 pounds heavier (exactly!) at 6 months...and around the same height, so despite the discrepancy in the height and weight categories at babyhood, it levels out eventually. Or at least Eli did.

The doc was pleased with both boys and their progress, hitting all necessary milestones and then some. Eli wowed the nurses with not a single whimper or fuss with his shot. He was very very proud of himself for being so brave. Jude, on the other hand, did fuss, but only for a moment. My little champs.

Jude's world has become a lot of fun this past month. He is still enjoying food and has added oatmeal and sweet potatoes to his food list. Decided to hold off on the avocado for a bit. He seemed to have a bit of a reaction despite loving them. We'll try again in a couple of weeks.

Jude loves to "talk." He enjoys squealing, blowing raspberries, and babbling. He doesn't really giggle very often, but Eli can usually get him to laugh. Jude continues to love his brother. I adore the way he will stare at the empty car seat next to him on the way to pick up Eli from school. Once Eli is there, he continues to stare longingly at his brother and makes all kinds of noises begging Eli for attention and interaction. Jude is going in for a "love attack" here:

Eli's hair and nose are the favorite targets right now. Jude also loves to give kisses. If you tell him to give you kisses, he will go in open mouth (and for this reason, it is best advised that you give him your cheek...unless you want all that slobber on/in your mouth!) and make a "muah" sound after leaving a wet slobbery "kiss" on you. Super adorable.

Lately he has been very clingy and is turning into a bit of a Momma's Boy. He has learned to reach for people or things he wants. He works very carefully controlling his hands to make them do what he wants and get what he wants. Watch out!

Toys are becoming a lot more fun too. He will play with just about anything...and everything goes into his mouth. EVERYTHING. Most recently, he has become fascinated with whatever Eli is playing with. I see the toy conflict beginning sooner than later. Oh joy.

I have been introducing some basic signs the past couple of months, and he is really starting to watch me as I sign milk (almost) every time he nurses. Another not-so-fun thing he does with his hands is pinch. OUCH! He pinches me often, but always while nursing. I'm trying to find other things for him to grab instead of little bits of my skin.

He continues to sit well and can do a sit-up if you hold his feet or legs down. He is getting so strong. I also get the feeling, though I may be wrong...and kinda hope I am, that he will be on the move sooner than later. He is inching and scooting very well. Rolling both directions and is pushing up on his arms trying to figure out how to get off the floor.

As for sleep, eh....who needs it? I keep saying that to myself as Jude is still having a tough time with long stretches at night. I know he doesn't need to nurse more than once a night, so I'm trying to stick to that, but it is tough when I'm so tired and he's not settling himself. I have tried staying up and letting him try to soothe himself (a.k.a. cry it out), but after 2 hours with no luck...several nights, I don't see a good night's sleep in my near future. Last month, he moved to his crib, and I slept in the room with him. I didn't like the idea of going up and down the stairs every time he woke up. Some nights he is up every hour! But as of last night, I'm going to try to sleep downstairs to see if that helps. Not yet, but I'm hanging in there and am trying to cherish this stage as there is so much to love about this age. Not going to get hung up on this. But I will go ahead and brag on my baby boy for learning to nap well. He is a super napper now! He typically will fall asleep on his own for 3+ naps a day.

Bedtime is a rough time of day for him. He gets tired around 8 each night, and he hits the wall quickly and hard. He will let you know when he is ready for his bath and bed time.

Rarely can I squeeze in a bedtime story for him; he is ready to sleep! Thankfully, he enjoys reading at other times of the day. And by reading, I mean letting him grab and eat the book.

He is a sweet, sweet baby with bright smiles for all to see. He has the happiest eyes (that I'm pretty sure are staying blue...they haven't budged!!) that I could stare into all day long.

Can't believe we are on the downhill slide to turning 1. Crazy how quickly it goes. Just trying to take each day as it comes and cherish every moment.