Six Months

Patrick had his 6 month check-up with Dr. Sheridan yesterday. 18lbs. 6oz. (75%) and 28-3/4 inches (over 95%). He endured his shots bravely, then ran some errands with his Daddy.

Developmentally, he seems to be right on track. He's still not rolling from front to back, but continues to get on his hands and knees instead. He can sit without support (as long as we're there to catch him when he topples over), and is very grabby these days. He loves to babble and blow raspberries.

Mealtime has been hit or miss. He loved his first feeding but has been lukewarm ever since. We've tried rice cereal, peas, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and bananas, with no clear favorites. He still prefers his milk.

It's been a fun and active month, but it's also been the month of Sleep Issues. After months of sleeping well at night, he regressed for a while. Once he learned to roll onto his belly, he started waking several times each night and would sometimes refuse to go back to sleep. His napping problems persisted as well.

We have finally had luck with letting him cry a bit. Rather than rocking or nursing him to sleep, we put him in his crib awake, shut the door, and let him mutter for a while. It usually doesn't take too long, and he's back to waking once at night and finally taking regular naps!

Patrick has just about outgrown his Bumbo. While he still fits and we use it for feeding, he grows restless and tries to climb out. One of these days he will succeed, so we can no longer just leave him sitting on the counter while we putter about the kitchen. It was great while it lasted...

He's gotten better about staying in the stroller during walks, and doesn't fight the car seat quite as much. We use the Bjorn for cardio class, and Annie's backpack comes in handy for hikes along the water line and elsewhere. We enjoy playing on the floor in his bedroom, reading stories at bedtime, listening to music, and laughing at Llama.

He'll be mobile soon. Time to start childproofing the house...

Miserabug

Poor Patrick is suffering from his first cold...

Still Standing!

Day at the Beach

Patrick enjoyed his first dip into the ocean at Ferry Beach in Scarborough, Maine. We were there with Alexa, Austin, Aidan, Taylor, Molly, and Ethan (and moms). Next year he'll be digging in the sand and splashing in the waves with the big kids...

Picnic in the Park

We enjoyed a pre-Father's Day BBQ in Thatcher Park with the yoga boys.

Trying to Crawl

Patrick has been getting very frustrated lately. He gets on his hands and knees, rocks a bit, and then his feet just slide backwards. He'll get the hang of it before too long...

Peas, Please

Patrick wasn't quite sure what to think about his first taste of vegetables...

Garden Setting

Everyone takes a break to admire the view. Gigi created a beautiful flowerbed out back, saving plants that had been next to the old garage. GrandBob was a great help entertaining Patrick.

A Work in Progress

Will the garage survive the move? Stay tuned...

Irvington Visit

We went with Michael's parents to a charity event at the new restaurant Xaviars on the Hudson. Aunt Barbara volunteered to watch Patrick -- an offer we couldn't refuse. Robin slept in the next morning for the first time in months...

Roly Poly

He had managed to turn over a couple of times earlier in the day when Mama's back was turned, but Patrick finally mastered the back-to-front flip under Auntie B's expert instruction. Of course he's still working on front-to-back...

Remembering Claire

One year ago tomorrow, Claire Elizabeth Hindle lost her battle with infant leukemia. She was only 7 months old. Our thoughts go out to parents Tammy and Tom and new brother Teddy during this difficult time.