A new toy

A few days ago, Lincoln discovered a new toy at Grandpa and Grandma's, and we cracked up. So of course I had to share a video with you! (just please, please, ignore the insane way I'm talking. I have no idea where that came from!!)

Updates!

Lincoln was a trooper at his 6-month checkup today!

Official stats:

Weight: 18 lbs, 2 oz (59th percentile)

Height: 27 inches (68th percentile)

Head circumference: 17.75 inches (81st percentile)

His growth has slowed, which is natural. He is healthy and growing well! Also, according to Marjorie (the nurse practitioner, who we love), Linc has a "good, strong heartbeat." Good to know!

We don't return until October, for the 9-month checkup (and no shots!!).

Food news!!

The day before yesterday, after a few minutes of gagging and spitting out his oatmeal & applesauce, Lincoln suddenly decided he likes to eat from a spoon! He grabbed the spoon & shoved it to his mouth, and for every bite afterward, he lunged at the spoon and/or grabbed it. Apparently I wasn't moving fast enough for him!

I am so excited and relieved. Of course I knew, deep down, that he would eventually adjust and love eating "real" food, but nevertheless, my relief is HUGE. Not that Lincoln will continue eating well every day at every meal, but knowing that he can and will eat is awesome!

I made my first batch of homemade baby food tonight: carrots, zucchini and peaches (all separate, of course!). And I learned at least two things. One: Peaches take a long time to peel and core. Two: Carrots take forever to steam if they are not cut into teeny little pieces.

So, lessons learned for next time. I actually enjoyed the process, although since it was my first experience making baby food, it took well over an hour and a half and wore me out. But I feel great!

Funny food faces

I know we've been feeding Lincoln "solids" for less than a week, and only rice cereal (and today, oatmeal cereal), but he makes the most hysterical faces; I had to share some! Can't wait to see the faces he makes when he tries some fruits & veggies next week.

One of Lincoln's first bites of cereal! 7/20

Same day. Waving to the camera? Looks like it, but no--

trying to grab the camera!

Day 2: still a bit confused about this whole bowl/spoon/cereal thing.

7/24 Grandma got some great photos! Much more successful than Mommy trying to feed & take photos at the same time.

So far, Lincoln doesn't know what to make of eating solids from a spoon. The first couple of days he did well for just getting started (at least he swallowed some of it), the third day he ate GREAT (opened his mouth for the spoon, "chewed" & swallowed)--but the last three days he's mostly been gagging and spitting out every spoonful. Rice, oatmeal: it makes no difference. He acts like it's choking him and can't spit it out of his mouth fast enough.

So now, of course, six days in, I'm worried that he'll have trouble eating solids, that he'll never take to it and want to drink breastmilk the rest of his life, that there's something wrong with his ability to eat: you name it, I'm worried about it (and not just his eating, either, but attempting to list all my worries would make this the post that never ends).

Sigh. Such is mommyhood! But, like you other wonderful mommies out there, I wouldn't change it for the world. Mom-ness is the best experience ever!

The next Ray Charles?

Except that, well, Lincoln is not blind. Or Black. Or playing a piano, but rather a keyboard. Anyway, you get the idea!

Linc LOVES banging on the keyboard!




And I must say, he is ridiculously talented at it. It's amazing! Our boy is a piano prodigy! I've never heard anything so wonderful! We're calling up America's Got Talent as I write this!

Enjoy!

A push-up

On the toes! Linc is way better than Mommy! (who can only do push-ups on her knees)

Getting into position...

and up!

Up more! Look at that bum!

Today was the first time Lincoln has been up on his hands and toes like this. It was hysterical & awesome!

6 months old? That's half a year!

Today is Lincoln's 6-month birthday!

And he is all smiles...

Lincoln had a very busy day with lots of company.
Grandpa and Grandma came over to say hi, since they'd been on vacation and were having Lincoln withdrawal; Daddy, Uncle Z and our friend Russell finished putting new decking on (another post waiting to be done...); and Russell's wife Marcia and baby Mariah came over to play, too!

Here is Lincoln playing with his new sound n' lights ball, supported by Grandpa:


Grandma loves to get Lincoln's toes, and Linc loves to have his toes got! (that sounds awkward, but oh well):


Later, Lincoln attacked Uncle Zack's nose:

Hahahaha! This photo cracks me up.

At 6 months, Lincoln is a big boy!

He wears 9 month & some 12 month clothes.

Checkup is next week, so will have official weight/height stats then.

LOVES:

*Playing on belly

*Scooting slowly backward--hysterical

*Chewing/gnawing/sucking on anything

*Grabbing faces and hair

*Standing up holding onto hands

*Sitting up on own for 3-5 seconds before toppling over

*Playing on Mommy & Daddy's big bed

*Watching Llama cat

*The Jumperoo

*Reading books/trying to grab the pictures (favs: Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle)

*Reaching for toys/remote controls

*Smiling at/talking to/grabbing at the baby in the mirror

*Being outside!

*Grabbing for any food or drink in Mommy's hands

*Grabbing/sucking on toes

*Banging on stuff. New nickname: Bam-Bam

*Sitting in high chair

*Figuring out how to eat from a spoon (perplexing!)

*Playing peek-a-boo. Really! He covers his face with the burp cloth, then yanks it off and looks at us expectantly. :)

DISLIKES:

*Teething (but who can blame him?)

*Being scratched by Llama cat (Llama is lucky to be alive after scratching Linc's forehead; I almost killed him)

*Being messed with too much--he lets us know!

*Getting leg stuck in slat of crib while sleeping

Isn't it exciting that the list of loves is so much longer than the list of dislikes?

TEETH!

Lincoln cut his first tooth yesterday!!

He was gnawing on my knee (a first for him), so I sat him up and gave him my knuckle instead--and immediately thought, "OW! Why does this hurt? What sharp thing does he have in his mouth?" And then as immediately realized that it is a tooth breaking through!

It's so, so exciting that my baby is getting his teeth in! But it also makes me a little sad (wistful, rather?). No, of course I don't want to keep him a baby perpetually, but he will never again be my little toothless wonder. There's no going back to true wee baby--although I know he is still a baby--and next he'll be sitting up on his own (he makes it about 3 seconds before he topples over now), and then creeping more, then crawling, then walking...and my baby will be not a baby anymore!

I will enjoy him in every stage, as I have enjoyed him in every stage thus far: watching him change and discover and grow is the most amazing thing in the world. Guess it's just the thought that he's growing up that's made me all nostalgic--and now I'm laughing, because if nostalgia is hitting when he is only 6 months old and has one tooth barely poking through, what kind of a mess will I be for future life events? :)

Fun with rings

Daddy thought Linc would have more fun wearing the rings than stacking them...or maybe that was Daddy having more fun!

Blog doesn't really do these justice, as they are best viewed in flip-book fashion. But the overall effect is still hilarious.

And finally:

adorable even with a piece of yellow plastic on his head!

hahahahahahaha

This was Lincoln's evening last night, for at least a solid half hour, possibly longer (I was laughing too hard to keep track). Hysterical.

Holy crumbs, kid!

That's actually nothing; Linc can get all five toes in his mouth at once!

Yum, left foot!

And on to the right foot.

Our little roly-poly does the funniest things!

We never stop laughing.

Except when he screams. Then we don't laugh.

Thankfully, this happens less and less often now!

You thought those photos were cute...

...check these out!

OK, crooked mouth. Time to smile.

Now that is a smile!

(Linc definitely has Mommy's mouth)

And that is the real smile (thank goodness!).

Holy nuts, this kid could swallow an elephant!

The most adorable photo ever!