As a child, I would look at the albums that held my brother's first pictures. His baby album was full of pictures. Family holding baby, baby in a swing, baby standing, baby walking, baby covered in cake... You get the idea. His album was FULL. My album, on the other hand, held a few measly pictures of me after birth, some photos that were professionally done at Sears, a family picture, and one with my dad holding me when I was about 1 year old. To me, the lack of pictures strongly indicated that my mother didn't love me as much as she had loved my older brother. I asked her about it one day and she explained that with a second child, things get more complicated, busier. It's harder to keep up the same level of dedication when you have two children's needs to meet. Honestly, I didn't believe her. I thought that for sure, if she loved me ENOUGH, she would have dedicated her time to a proper baby book, as if that was some metric of motherly dedication.
And here we are. Seven months in to Will's life and I missed a month six update entirely. Miles got weekly blog updates in his first year. Weekly! Who even has the time for that! This last month I have been editing a textbook every spare moment that I wasn't at my full time job or taking care of my professional organization's business (including meeting with officials at the Department of Health). Oh, yeah, and I am now contracted to go to the hospital every Sunday morning for a few hours. That wasn't happening when Miles was born.
Life is full. Life is good.
And I love this little baby more than words could truly express. I want to snuggle him constantly. He is a joyful baby. Full of smiles. He rarely whines or cries unless he REALLY has a need that isn't met - like hunger or fatigue. He is super attached to me, he gets sad when I leave the room. I have loved co-sleeping with him, feeling his warmth up against my abdomen, listening as his breaths softly move his body.
I don't have that desire that parents often express, a wish that he'd stay this small. I want for him to progress, keep growing. He's 20 pounds now. He has mastered sitting in the last two months. He's close to crawling now, he'll get up on hands and knees and rock back and forth. It won't be very long before he's all over the house.
A lot has changed in the last month. Will has 3 meals a day and breastmilk. We started sleep training him last week. In conjuction with the sleep training, we got rid of the pacifier.
Miles is still loving his little brother. He's doing okay in school. His achievement in class is high, he's able to read some sight words (a, the, an, Miles, go, etc.) and his skill level at arts and crafts has reached an all new high. He can draw bubble letters (like the outline of a letter). He can cut paper and construct what's in his mind (he made a mask today with no assistance from Lucas or me). We are constantly trying to work on listening and behavior. It's a struggle. But his being strong-willed will hopefully carry him through life.
Edit for new content: In the two days since I drafted this post, so much has changed! We abandoned sleep training because Will wouldn't settle in the middle of the night. We gave back the pacifier. I took him to the eye doctor who says he is not cross eyed (take that pediatricians!) and while there (during our two hour visit) I discovered that he's getting a tooth! Baby's first tooth! No wonder he couldn't settle down during the night!
Here is the photo dump from the last two months, proving that I take as many pictures - I just don't blog about it!
This is THE. BEST.
Family bed
Hay Maze. Miles and Brooks.
Even cookie monster must sleep
I love baby feet
Daddy's pretty funny
Bedtime, storytime
Learning to sit means pillows for head bonking protection
Playing piano
Brothers
Yep. The best feeling ever.
Kid is passed out
Look at those eyes
I think he's going to have blue eyes!
I installed the gate. All by myself!
While I was installing the gate, this dude was at Brick Fest
Brick Fest
Brick Fest
Brick Fest
Brick Fest
Brick Fest
Brick Fest
Brick Fest
Brick Fest
Brick Fest
Brick Fest
Brick Fest
Story time again!
Neighbor friends!
Pile of kids
We bought a costume for Miles to wear to school on Halloween
Then he lived in it.
He'll get you with his webs!
Happy dude
Super happy dude
Ooooh, a shadow.
Happiest dude
I will bite the spider man
Skeleton baby on Halloween
Skeleton baby naps
He still looks like he might have red hair at times
Out for a walk.
The costume I made
I had to bribe him to put it on so I could take pictures...
because he was spiderman for halloween.
I love pictures of sleeping babies
Brothers
Walking around the neighborhood.
He can pump now!
Will in a box!
Miles, at the same age, in the same box!
Building towers!
Family time
Building forts!
Singalong baby!
Happy guy!
Toys? All I need is shoelaces.
Oh yeah, and toys.
Oh, were you wanting privacy?
Walking Miles to school.
Here he comes.
Brothers.
Chair surfing
Japanese block tower.
Baby shadow
Big dude. Playground.
Visiting with friends
Brothers.
It's cheerios time!
I'm okay all bundled up.
Family time
Look at that drool!
Brothers
Christmas tree!
Miles made an M and and i with the negative space using these blocks.
I highlighted the M and the i in red. He did this without direction from us!
Miles making sentences.
No, really. He's this happy.
Christmas tree at night
Before his haircut
Getting close!
Where's my food?
I love to eat!
Setting up barriers between the mobile 6 month old and the lego enthusiast.
