Noah at 6 Months

Noah is a perfect six month old boy. He does all of the things a six month old should do (except sleep). He sits up unassisted now, though I have to stay close by or surround him with pillows because he does tip over eventually. He is still a champion eater. He loves his solids, mostly fruits (but not applesauce) and oatmeal. He's starting to eat a little rice cereal mixed in with the fruit, but I think he still prefers the oatmeal. Noah still loves to nurse and seems to think that it's a fine way to spend his time whenever he's hungry or bored or tired or sad or happy, etc. He has learned to communicate very well his desire to nurse. He sort of paws at my chest and nuzzles up against my neck. Then he fusses if I don't get straight to it. It's cute and I love it. He's also hit that distracted nursing phase, where he pops on and off to look around, talk to the ceiling, see who's nearby. He loves to look at the world upside down which can make for some very long and messy nursing sessions. But it's so much fun to see him doing it that I can't really mind too much.

Noah is a mama's boy. Big time. I know that it's normal for babies to show some preference for their moms, especially as I am still his main food source, but this kid is a little out of control. Not only has Noah developed some pretty intense separation anxiety, but he just wants to be with me ALL THE TIME. This is absolutely heartwarming, but can also be extremely exhausting. If Alan is changing his diaper and I leave the room, he cries. If he sees me in the room while Alan is holding him (feeding him in his highchair, playing with him, sitting with him, trying to get him to sleep), he cranes his neck to look for me and cries. If he wakes up in the middle of the night and nurses, then I pass him to Alan, he cries. When I leave him with a babysitter, he cries the whole time I'm gone. He cries when I put him down to go to the bathroom in the middle of the day. This kid is attached. It is one of the sweetest things ever, though, when he sees me and his eyes light up and he grins his big open mouth smile and reaches for me. Oh, the reaching for me just does me in every time. What can I say? I'm a sucker for this kid.

Sleep... We're not getting much of it. Noah has gone back to waking up every hour to two hours. He wakes up for his pacifier. He wakes up to nurse. He wakes up to be held. The only sure way to get him to sleep is to hold him. We can get some pretty good blocks of sleep when he's on top of one of us. We're working on some sleep training (using the No-Cry Sleep Solution) but it's slow going. I can't bring myself to let him cry it out. I've really thought about it and wanted to do it at times, but I just have such a soft spot in my heart for this little boy. The thought of him lying in his bed, sobbing and wondering why Mommy isn't coming to care for him brings tears to my eyes. That's just thinking about doing it. He did take a 2.5 hour nap today, though, so maybe that's good news? 

Noah continues to bring so much joy and love to our family. Nate and Abbie still adore him; he reciprocates that adoration 100 fold. Noah is just a happy baby. He loves to play on the floor, play in his exersaucer, suck on anything and everything (including his toes), and he loves to be held. He is absolutely a snuggler. I call him my snuggle-bug. He sometimes just sits and cuddles with me, looking up at me and stroking my face. I could (and do) spend entirely too much time sitting in a recliner cuddling with Noah. It's probably my favorite time of the day. Sometimes I am struck by the fact that he is mine, that he loves me as much as he does, and then I feel like the luckiest person on earth.