Six Months of Oliver

*Better late than never!

 Half a year with our Oliver boy! It's hard to wrap my mind around. It has been such a sweet six months.

Bubba boy is still 17 pounds and 26", so he hasn't grown at all since last month. I brought up my concern with the pediatrician but he said, "Babies grow in spurts!" so we are trying not to worry about it! 

 This sweet boy is officially crossing over into closer-to-1 than infant territory. He had two exciting developments this month: sitting up and trying solids. On March 26th we were sitting on a blanket in the backyard of my in-laws, and Ollie was fascinated by his cousins on the swings. He'd never been close to sitting up by himself but he was so in the zone he wasn't even aware of it. I'll include a photo my sister in law took.

As for the eating solids, it hasn't been very successful. We started with oatmeal but he isn't a fan of the taste or texture (I don't blame him. I tried it and thought of Elmer's Glue.) But we are branching into vegetables next week so hopefully that goes over better.

He also went to two National Parks this month! Capitol Reef and Canyonlands. He loved riding in the camper van and slept for both journeys. When he was rested and fed, he loved hiking but we made the mistake of taking him out when he needed a nap and ended up holding him in our arms for 3 miles. Lesson learned!

 Things he's loving: when dad comes home, his Jolly Jumper, rides in the camper van, mornings, being held facing outward, touch & feel books, mom's hair, going on stroller walks, chewing on EVERYTHING, bottles, the sunshine, grass.

Things he's starting to tolerate: baths!! finally! He figured out splashing!

Things he's not loving: eating oatmeal, sleeping through the night, Dad putting him to bed.

Sleeping has been especially rough lately. As a newborn he slept for 2 hours at a time, but that has steadily gotten worse. Now he wakes up every 40-90 minutes, and it's getting tricky for both of us to feel rested and enjoy our days. Although I don't want to, we will probably start sleep training him soon. I know it will be harder on me than him though and 100% worth it in the end!

Looking forward we are excited to celebrate Easter with him and watch him continue to expand his palate and work on his large motor skills. Crazy to think he'll be mobile soon! We love our sweet boy, his bright eyes and big smile are the highlight of our days!