Many Marvelous Months of Matthew

I have officially been rebuked, begged, cajoled, ordered and pleaded with to write a post about our little Matthew. So of course, I will write at the sensible time of 1 week before he is 6 months old. I guess you have time when you have time right?

The pictures I'm attaching are all old too, but I'll try to download some new ones soon! Here are a few pictures of him enjoying his aunt Jessie and Daddy (as Daddy enjoys his beer).

At almost 6 months our little guy is:

*starting to get a little more average in size. He wears 6-9 or 6-12 mo. sleepers. 3-6 mo pants and 6-9 mo shirts. I think I remember from his 4 month appointment that he was about 69% for weight and 50-something% for height? I remember his head though.... 93%percentile. whew. Big-headed boys!

*rolling over from his stomach to his back but not back to stomach yet.

*working on sitting up. He is constantly trying to escape his swing and bouncy chair lifting up in a sit-up and then falling back crookedly. He seems to really want to get going!

*Sleeping predictably! (while Joey was a great sleeper it wasn't always at set times but Matthew is very predictable. Bed at 8 or so, eat at 10:30 or 11 (I wake him) eat at around 6 a.m. sleep until 10:00 or so. So bed from 8-10 waking to eat twice. I don't mind it. Sometimes if his morning feeding is late enough (after 6:30) I'll go straight to the gym or just get up.

*LOVING his brother. Matthew smiles just hearing the sound of Joey talking from another room. He loves when Joey gets right in his face and does all the baby talking and baby noises.

*a pacifier baby! He likes to have his pacifier and can be kept happy for up to an hour after waking before eating by being held and having a pacifier.

*napping 3 times a day

*a talker and a yeller! Especially in the morning he makes these loud loud yelling sounds kind of a cross between a crow and a laugh...which sometimes make him laugh.

*still swaddled! I'm not really sure what to do about that. He just sleeps so well still. I have to swaddle him in 2 blankets to keep him in but he depends on that pacifier so much (and will sometimes keep it in all night) that if his hands were free to rip it out, I think he'd keep himself awake. I know I have to wean him off the swaddle eventually, but it's not going to be before Christmas! :-)

*Still in our guest room! His crib is ready and waiting in Joey's room, but as long as he has that 6:00 feeding I just don't think I can put them in together. Joey doesn't wake up until 8 or 8:30 and I can't imagine Matthew waking him at 6... he'd NEVER go back to sleep.

*Still just nursing, but looking forward to starting on some rice cereal next week! Also still totally gummy-no sign of teeth yet.

*Almost bald! He has a teeny bit more hair than he did when he was born, but he's pretty much still a baldy.

*The most joyful baby EVER!

Matthew can easily make Matt or I smile in an instant. He is so happy, always so joyful. He smiles at anyone he can see and is so easy-going and sweet. He'll smile when he's starving or when his diaper is dirty. He'll smile and laugh when Matt or Joey or I laugh about something. We don't even have to be looking at him or near him. He truly loves just to be able to see us and hear us and I am constantly encouraged by his joyful spirit!

The rest of these pictures are seriously a few months old...but enjoy and I'll try to put up more soon!