Will is a half year old! It's kind of crazy that we are half-way through the first year of his life, but also great because the first year is especially taxing for the mama! He seems like a completely different baby compared to 4 months. He is so happy and easy-going. He'll whine a bit if he's tired of bouncing or laying on the exercise mat, but besides that, he really barely cries.
Growth: He weighed 16 pounds and was 27.25" at his 6-month appointment. So he's closing on how big Paul was at a year - Paul was about 17.5 pounds and 28" at a year. It's so fascinating how different kids can be. Will seems so big but is smaller weight-wise (15th percentile). He's 80th for height, though, so longer than average. It's been very nice to not worry about his weight gain like we did with Paul. And Will has overall been healthier. Paul got his first ear infection around 5 months and had an infection until he got tubes at 9 months. Will has had a few colds but no ear infections so fingers crossed we avoid that issue!
The photo below shows how much bigger Will is than Paul! They are both 6 months in the photo below! Genetics are fascinating. It’s crazy that 2 kids from the same parents are sooo different!
Likes:
He really likes laying on blanket and playing with his toys. He's especially happy when he's only wearing a diaper! It's been pretty hot/humid here lately so we let him just wear a diaper when it's super warm out.
He really loves his big brother Paul. He is so entertained by him and gives him the biggest smiles!
He weighs enough for his feet to touch the ground in the jumper so he has started to enjoy this toy although he doesn't quite get how to bounce.
He hangs out in the bouncy seat when we eat meals and can now bounce himself by moving his legs up and down!
He also loves bath time! He loves to splash with his legs. It will be nice when he can sit up. Right now he wiggles and wiggles so I have to keep putting him back up on the net that he lays on.
Dislikes: really not much! He is very happy in general and only cries when he's tired of whatever he's doing, on his tummy for too long, or over-tired. He also cries when he gets overwhelmed by too many new people. He does great with 1-2 new faces but a couple of times we've had bigger groups over (baptism and when my 3 college friends came with 3 of their kids) and boy did he let us know it was too much for him! He adjusted quickly in both cases. I can't blame him for having that reaction as he's a pandemic baby that's barely seen anyone besides his immediate family!
Firsts:
He's big enough for the double stroller so we've gotten some use out of this hand-me-down. He doesn't look very happy in this photo but he has been enjoying stroller rides with his big brother!
He got his first tooth and I think the other bottom one will push through soon, so he drools like crazy and loves to chew on anything - teething toys, his fingers, your fingers!
Of course the biggest first was starting daycare when he was just shy of 5 months. He has had a very smooth transition to daycare and seems very happy there. His teacher told us he is the easiest baby in the room and only cries when hungry or tired.
Feeding: He continues to eat well and is clearly gaining well! We are starting solids now that he is 6 months and will start with some oatmeal cereal and will try some purees, too. I would like to do some baby led weaning (give him chunks of food to chew on) but he needs to sit independently. He's not quite there yet, though, so needs to stick to purees for now.
Sleeping: He is sleeping much better these days compared to when I wrote the 4-month post. He is usually only up once a night which is totally manageable for me! He finally dropped down to 3 naps from 4 which I much prefer. I look forward to when he is down to 2! His naps have started to improve recently, too. They are so so at school, which is to be expected, but at home he'll usually take 1 hour+ nap, sometimes 2.
Mama: I'm continuing to feel pretty well overall. I've been able to be much more active since going back to work as I can fit in runs and workouts during my work day when I have downtime. That's the biggest perk to WFH for me! Overall my return to work has been great! It's so much easier than when I went back after having Paul. It helps to know what to expect having gone through all of this before. I don't stress over how much Will is sleeping at daycare because I know it won't impact his nighttime sleep. And he is just so happy when we pick him up so I don't feel very guilty about sending him to daycare. It really makes you make the most of your time together on the weekends, so I probably spend more time laying on the floor playing with him or doing other things than I did at the end of my maternity leave.
I'm still seeing a pelvic floor PT which has been super helpful - highly recommend seeing one after having a baby! I was seeing her weekly but am dropping to every other week this month and then will hopefully drop down to once a month!
My RA is not great, though. I can't get off steroids as I get flares when I try to taper down - and even have flares while on steroids. I switched to a different injection (Humira instead of Enbrel) and will give it 3 months and then reassess what to do. My optimal drug combo is not safe for breast feeding so if Humira doesn't work, I'm considering weaning Will so I can get back on my ideal combo (methotrexate and Enbrel) and get off steroids. I was hoping to breastfeed for 1 year, but I'm weighing what's more important - making that goal or being in better health/off prednisone? My rheumatologist said she's not thrilled with me being on a decent dose of prednisone for over a year (I was on from about 28 weeks on during pregnancy) but it's also not the biggest deal if I stay on it until Will turns 1 and weans. Decisions, decisions.
Pablo: continues to do really well with Will overall. He definitely shows his jealousy from time to time - like he does not like it when I play peekaboo with Will as that is "his" game and he will get mad when I read "his" books to Will. I try to involve him as much as I can so he feels part of the fun, but that doesn't always work. Phil and I both try to get one-on-one time with him, too, and I remind him that Will goes to bed earlier so he gets mommy and daddy to himself for the last hour or so of the day. But 3 year olds are not rational so that only helps so much!
I'm looking forward to the 2nd half of his first year of life. The first 6 months are not my favorite with all the sleep deprivation and such!
7 comments:
I love following Will's updates. My daughter is 4.5 months, FTM here, so its been awesome to have some insight on what to expect. My daughter goes to daycare 1-2 times per week, but always comes home exhausted/overtired. Just something that I've learned to accept and just know that daycare days mean an earlier bedtime. She has also been waking once a night recently around 230 for a quick feed, but wasn't doing so a few weeks ago, but really the one waking isn't so bad like you said. Thank you for sharing! So happy things are going well for you!
Love the updates! It really is fascinating the kids can be so different! Also a nice reminder that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the night wakings
He looks like the happiest baby in the world! What a smile. It's fascinating to see the differences between the two. I'm sorry about the RA meds. It will be a relief to get you back on whatever you like most -- and off the prednisone.
Will is such a cutie 💙 I can't believe he's 6 months!! Glad to hear he's such a happy baby.
Sorry to hear about the RA. You have put up with so much, and the flares and dealing with medications just adds more to your plate during an already busy time in your life.
Will is magical! I'm glad he's such an easygoing baby. It must feel good knowing he's such a fun baby to have in the daycare, too. <3
The RA stuff just plain SUCKS and I'm sorry you're dealing with so much pain right now. It's a hard decision to make, but whichever one you choose is the right one!
So crazy how fast 6 months go by. It sounds like Will is a delightful baby and that he and Paul will be best buds growing up <3
So much fun to see how kids born to the same biological parents can differ so much! Will sounds like such a happy baby - and from what you say, it seems like Paul is doing pretty well with the addition of a younger sibling. I hope that your RA simmers down - so sorry that you are still having so many flares and that the steroids are the only thing that's helping. :( I hope you find some answers soon.
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