Been Putting It Off

I've been putting it off, and I don't know why. Each time I sit down to blog, nothing comes to mind. So now I am going to make myself put down in writing what I should have done last week. As you know, Ethan turned six months old last Wednesday. Therefore it is time for the monthly picture comparison of the boys. Below you will find a picture of each of our three sons when they were six months old. Looking at these pictures, I would have to say that Ethan is showing more of an individual look now, although he still clearly looks like he belongs with the other two.

Joey, at six months. He was jabbering away at Mommy while I took his picture.
Nick, at six months. He was blossoming into a happy baby. (Those pajamas he's wearing; Ethan wears them now, but they are much smaller on Ethan!)

Ethan, at six months. I was lucky to get a smile out of him; he knew he was going to eat since he was being put in the highchair. Usually, when he is being prepared to be fed, the only thing on his mind is his food, and if it is not in his mouth as soon as he is buckled in, he is advising me of his displeasure.

Last Saturday, we got Ethan's six month pictures done at JC Penney. They turned out so adorable! I can't wait to get them back. They should be ready next Tuesday.

On Thursday, Ethan had his six month check up with his doctor. Dr. Bateman only works part time now, so the last time she saw Ethan was when he was two weeks old. Since then, the NP's were seeing him. It was nice to be seen by the doctor for a change. Ethan is growing well and looking healthy. She says he has got strong gums and jaw, as he was chomping on her finger anytime it got close enough to his mouth. He wants everything in his mouth these days. I think he may be teething; you can feel the bottom two front teeth under his gums, but they are not close enough to cut through. So it may take awhile still, but if they are moving even a little, they would be irritating him and making him want to chew on anything he can.

Dr. Bateman picked him up when she was done and declared him "solid." He weighed in at 19lbs 2oz. I think he may have lost some weight the week before since he was sick and had been throwing up and had diarrhea, but he is still a healthy weight and in the 75th percentile. He was measured as 28 inches long, which is only an inch more than last time, but still in the 95th percentile. His growth rate is slowing down, which is what all of our boys have done. They have all made the greatest gains in their first four months, and then slowed down after that. At least they're consistent! All in all, it was a good appointment. He only had two shots instead of three, and the oral rotovirus vaccine for the third and final time. He didn't like getting poked, but was quick to recover.

Joey is learning how to thumb wrestle. It happens to be the one sport in which I play rather well. He has a lot of fun, particularly with the opening declaration. His one weakness is that he likes to use his second hand to help him control his opponent. I end up having to hold both his hands so he only uses the one thumb. I try not to make it too easy on him, but I let him win the majority of the times; both to bolster his self-confidence, and because I have such an unfair advantage over him!

Nick is talking so much more and is doing really well with it. There are still many times when I can't figure out what he is trying to say, but through a process of elimination or pantomime, we usually come to the answer. I still translate most of his speech for Daddy....but that is to be expected.

I have got to hit the shower before going to bed, so I really must be going now. Be blessed and know that each one of you are missed, loved, and thought of all the time.