6 month update

happy half birthday to mr maxson!

he turned 6 months on the 1st and we celebrated with half a birthday cake.

casey was just sure i should let him eat some 

this little boy is a stud.

we are enamored by him everyday!

he sits up like a boss.

sometimes i still can't believe it,

he's a rockstar, bending way over to pick something up without losing his balance.

he does fall here and there but doesn't too often,

it's so fun to watch him discover his toys and reach for them,
it's as if the same toys are new everyday.
his discovering is just thrilling to watch as a parent

he loves to be outside,

we're always taking him outside to sit on the ground,

be with other children playing all around him,

or in the swing,

it's a nice break in the day.

we've dubbed him moaning maxson,

he's usually quite the content baby (except that one weekend when teething reached a new level of fevers, runny noses, and mouth pain),

but if he's ever not happy with something,

he moans,

it's funny.

i'm just happy it's not scream crying.
*update* i wrote that a week ago and within the last week he's found his chilling scream...not very fun...

due to the hot weather in arizona, we had to emergency unswaddle him for all kinds of sleeping.

i start him out on his side cuddling his BYU monkey and he usually ends up on his stomach.

sleeping on his side/stomach unswaddled has definitely improved our chances of long naps in the crib.
actually, they've completely improved!

still wakes up in the night though, eh, it's a work in progress, i'm not worried.

all things go directly into his mouth,

he loves balance standing on casey's hands.

he gets so happy looking at others while he's doing,

he'll shrug his shoulders up high or put them out to the side like an airplane,

purse his lips or giggle and smile,

and his little baby tummy sometimes does jerky movements casey has to quickly compensate for, it's just so fun to watch!

i am definitely beginning to be a favorite with him,

casey still has his magic touch but for the most part when others are holding him, casey included,

his eyes just follow me the whole time,

eagerly awaiting when i will hold him again.
there have been a few times when he's not in a good mood and casey is holding him, and if he catches a glimpse of me and i disappear, he goes crazy
cue very loud screams (hoping that phase doesn't last long)

his arms are always moving keeping him very busy.
when he's nursing, his right arm is usually flapping up and down and up and down.
if he's playing with a toy, often times his left hand holds it while he strums/hits the toys with his right.
i love watching him learn!

this may be an odd thing to share,
but beginning in arizona we started having him poop on the toilet.
i know, sounds silly for a 6 month old.
but when we can tell he's beginning to poop we stop everything we're doing and run to the toilet (and with that excited run he usually stops for a little bit because he's amused at the running/undressing up the stairs).
from there i just put him on the toilet and he does his business, easy as that!
he's pretty predictable to always go in the morning ;)
benefits:
a) no messy bums to wipe
b) poop goes in the toilet where it belongs
c) it's an incentive with me doing cloth diapers because then i don't have to worry about the poop hitting or not hitting the liner and all that jazz.
d) i've heard it could help them potty train sooner since they've always been used to going on the toilet, we shall see...
but even beyond that, it's just amusing as parents to have your little baby pooping on the toilet, ha!

and lastly he's begun reaching his hands towards me when i hold mine out to him.
I. LOVE. IT
seriously i melt inside.
other times he'll start flapping his arms fast like a bird and show us a big smile when i reach my arms toward him,
i love it.


stats:
height // 27" // 64%ile
weight // 17# 9 oz // 51%ile
head // 17 1/4" // 50-75%ile
that's one average baby.