We continue to be the parents who are forever shocked by how fast our baby is growing. 6-months was even more of a shocker. How can he be half-a-year old?!?

- 6-month check up was perfect. 17lb 2oz (39th percentile), 27" tall (60th percentile), and 18.5" head circumference (47th percentile). 

- The biggest news is the start of solid food! Started with rice cereal and then added avocado. We'll continue on through orange veggies, green veggies, and then fruits. He continues to be an absolute champ. His first bites of new flavors are usually pretty funny but then he gobbles it right down. 

- The rolling continues. He's rolling from back to front AND front to back with no trouble now. He'll even roll to his stomach in his sleep and stay that way without fussing. His Christmas present, the floor mat with the mirror and pillow to help tummy time, definitely helped him get comfortable with rolling front to back.

- He also continues to love "Hoppy," his activity seat. 

- He can sit up really well with our help and his legs are super strong. The sitting gets longer and more stable each day. 

- The animals are already his buddies! Well, at least Rosie & Poco. Pounce still keeps her distance. There are videos in the albums from the past few weeks that show him loving on both Rosie & Poco. It's pretty adorable.

- He's giving hugs (and sucking on our faces...) which we love whether or not it's intentional. 

- He's become quite the thumb sucker. Occasionally he still sucks his fingers or arms but it's mostly his thumb now. And gross as it is, he often uses his thumb to "plug the hole" after he spits up. We'll hear a wet burp, his thumb goes in his mouth, and no spit up comes out.

- He naps really well in his crib although he occasionally still sleeps on the couch, in the bouncy chair, or in the Mei Tei carrier. And car rides put him to sleep for sure. More than 10 minutes in the car and he's almost guaranteed to be asleep.

- He typically eats 6 times a day and can almost always make it at least 3 hours between meals. He's still napping 3-4 times a day, 30-45 min each time. (Mom would love to get him to fewer, but longer, naps!)

- He's still sleeping through the night which is awesome! Rarely does he wake up in the middle of the night and if he does he just needs soothed and maybe a paci, never to eat.

- Right before Christmas we had fun participating in a research study at Penn State. He watched a computer screen and they tracked his eye movement, he got to play with a new "friend" and even had a stranger enter the room and walk toward him and he was very well behaved and happy through all of it. 

- He's really quite a ham. He sure knows when to smile for effect!