Happy Half Birthday Bland

At six months old you are all over the place. You sit up really well, and are trying to crawl. If I put you down you get on all fours and scoot from one side of the room to the other. I can not leave you alone. ever. ever. ever. The whole 'boys are into everything', that everyone told me about, is 100% true. While that means a lot more "watching and work" for me, it is really fun to watch you actually play with toys and get into things.

You are a big boy and at your check up you weighed 21 pounds, were 27.5 inches and your head is in the 98% so it is big as well. However, I feel like you are very proportioned and do not look huge. I am so thankful that you have kept your weight up and stayed such a big baby, despite your feeding aversions and sicknesses.

Your sister...she is your absolute favorite person in the house. She walks in, you light up. I must say you are quite the happy child these days, and it brings me such a special joy to watch you laugh and giggle and babble. You have said the syllables Ma and Da, but usually make yourself heard very well with squeals and bear grunts :)

We are lightening up on your Reflux meds so your eyes are starting to get less and less puffy (a side effect from so the amount of medication you have been on). You have two teeth and 4 coming in, that are taking for...ev...er. I literally go through about 15 bibs a day. Your hair is filling out in a pretty dark brown just as your eyes are the identical color of your daddy, and in you have full eye brows ;) I must say that although everyone says you are a little Eddy, we have compared pictures and you have a striking resemblance (minus the dark coloring) to my dad and my own baby pictures. So, just as your sister, you are a good blend :)

I love that you are coming into your personality and becoming more active. We had your six month pictures done and you did great. I think you liked the girl taking the pictures...Already a sly dog ;)

I could seriously kiss those cheeks for forever.

Charl...I mean Hollywood.

I tell you on a daily basis that I am going to send you to Hollywood and make some money on your dramatic personality. Whether I tell you that in the middle of a tantrum or in the middle of a funny moment remains untold ;)

Your boo boos are life ending. Your dancing is all over the house. Your laugh is loud and deep. And your eye rolls are the equivalent of a 13 year old. Your stories are long and very wild. We have our work cut out :)

Here a few things you like to say:

"I'm just chillin' momma, relaxin ya know"

"That's what I'm talking about"

"Daddy, you are so clumsy, ugh"

I captured you trying to copy your daddy during his workout at the beach. People were stopped watching you laughing. The lunges were the best.

"Whatever" (with a busted lip from dancing in the bath tub)

"Hey momma, watch my cool moves!"

speechless...but you may see this at your Rehearsal Dinner one day.

"Mommy if I rub my teeth together I get a big smile"

You told me the following story:

C: "Mommy I can do two things by myself"

M: What is that Charlotte?

C:"I can drive a car by myself and I can cut things with a knife"

M: Oh really, do you think you mean two things you can't do by yourself.

C: "No, a pink pig taught me how to drive Momma, a big one."

Digging out of the Trench

[Insert deep sigh of relief here]

To anyone that still reads this ole forgotten blog of mine. The Forrest's are back in business. We are no longer calming a crying colic, GERD, Laryngomalacia, screaming baby. We are no longer throwing out untouched bottles and worrying all night long and all day that our baby is not eating. We have not had an ear infection in two months. I am no longer (well not as much) a nervous wreck at all moments of the day searching for answers to my babies unhappiness. Life is a little calmer.

That is right. We have dried our eyes, strengthened out patience, endurance for parenthood, and I can promise you I can now handle/tune out any amount or length of crying...or volume.  Quite a hurdle to jump for me, considering I couldn't let my first child cry for more than 10 minutes until she was 13 months old. That is a whole other story. :)

I am so relieved to say that my precious, handsome, strong little boy is finally "growing out of it" as all of the doctors and specialists predicted; which frustrated me as I wanted to just fix the problem.

All the while, my shining star of a daughter has made the journey with us, and handled things with such character. I worried how this would effect her and make her feel, as a lot of our time had to go to her new brother. Instead of resentment, she joined in with the worry. "Mommy, my brother just finished his bottle, YAY! Lets celebrate" and then in rough patches, "Mommy, is he ever going to stop crying?" At the time, I replied, good question :)

The resilience of a child is something I will never be able to fully comprehend. There is so much faith involved in becoming a parent and being a parent.

So on with life we go, new hurdles to jump, new joys to experience, and new laughter to ache our bellies. And most importantly, with more strength we dive in to what lies ahead. This motherhood thing...is pretty amazing.