Six months with Silas...

"A happy baby has shining eyes. It walks openhearted into the world and spreads magic."
-Sigrid Leo

Silas went on a few adventures this month. Down to Greenwood to the drive-in movie theater, to the park for Fourth of July fireworks, and to his first birthday party (Happy 1st birthday, cousin Luke!). He even winged his way across the country on his first plane rides. He is quite a good little tag-a-long with his little personality just overflowing.

What's Silas up to?
Silas is sitting up... his balance is getting better everyday. He'll also spin around on his belly while laying on the floor, and if he really wants a toy that's out of reach, he'll occasionally throw himself forward a few millimeters.

I love the way his hands explore my face as he's nursing, as I'm holding him, really any time he's close enough for his arms to reach. He'll often grab my hair and put it in his mouth as he sucks his thumb; I wrestle the hair out of his grasp, but his thumb stays put.

He is a busy little boy with his legs always kicking. When he gets sleepy during the day, he will start fussing and whining while playing on the floor, and then find his thumb and lay his head down. I take this as a sign for naptime and move him to his crib, where he lifts his head, rolls around, and wants to play. I decide maybe a nap isn't in the cards, and move him back to the floor, where he promptly falls sound asleep.

Silas seems to have forgotten how to sleep through the night. I chalked up his rough week of sleeping while in Shreveport to a new environment and us sharing a room, but unfortunately things haven't gotten much better since we've returned home. He wakes around midnight and then again around 4:00 am, and although I try to let him cry it out, I pretty much always end up nursing him back to sleep. This has done a number on my milk supply during the day... but his appetite during the day is just as strong as ever.

Although I wasn't sure for awhile, now I'm pretty confident that he knows his name. Even in the middle of a sentence, he will turn his head towards "...Silas..." He often fusses when we leave his sight, and then grins really big when we return. The best part of every day is when he lights up as we enter his classroom to pick him up.

His little personality is starting to show through... he's a pretty sweet baby with lots of smiles and giggles. After losing a patch of hair on the back of his head, it's finally starting to grow back. Rob and I often find ourselves remarking about how much hair he has. And, occasionally we'll see little glimpses of what he will look like as a little boy, not a baby.

From Mama's perspective...
It was a busy month... It's almost like we're back to normal life. In the craziest week since Silas arrived, I had two job interviews in Greenville (I'm not even really looking for a job), decorated the church for VBS, straightened my house for my mother-in-law's visit, packed for Silas' first vacation and plane ride, and prepped work emails, etc. to prepare for being on vacation for a week. Although Silas was still my top priority, I had to spend less one-on-one time with him and delegate tasks to Rob. While certainly not the pace I want to set for all days, I was proud of myself for buckling down and getting things done.

The week in Shreveport with my mom and sister was life-giving. As I dreamed of building a family, I never imagined how hard it would be six hundred miles away from my own family. I'm so thankful for technology that allows us to stay in touch better than previous generations, but nothing beats being in the same room. Silas played with his cousin Luke and stole hugs from his Lovey and Papaw, while I chatted with my mom and dreamed big dreams with my sister. Already can't wait until next time...

Silas' teachers at school have been bugging me about starting him on rice cereal or purees, but we're waiting until he's officially six months old, and even then I'm hoping to follow some of the baby-led weaning principles. Before dropping him off each morning, I give myself a pep talk to stick to my guns... mama knows best.

A few of Silas' favorites...

1. Bright Starts Chill And Teethe Teether : We wouldn't be surprised if a tooth popped through at any moment. These teething rings are great because Silas can easily hold on to them for a long time. We put them in the freezer overnight, and he seems to prefer them chilled. They must feel so good on those sore gums.
2. Safety 1st Jitter Bug (similar) :We brought this toy home with us from Shreveport. Silas likes to hold the ring while we pull the string to make the plush toy vibrate. It also gets his attention if we touch him with the vibration.
3. Graco Bumper Jumper : It took Silas a few tries in our hand-me-down Jumperoo before he got the hang of it. But, now he is the king of jumping. This one hangs from a door frame which saves space. However, we don't have many door options downstairs, so right now it's a special upstairs treat while Mama is doing laundry or working in the craft room.
4. Junior Babiators : The Easter Bunny brought these sunglasses in Silas' Easter basket. Gotta protect those baby blues from the sun!! He's been wearing them since he was just a little guy for walks, at the pool, in the car... we're hoping he'll get used to wearing them and not try to take them off every second as he grows older. The awesome thing about this brand is their Lost & Found Guarantee: "if a child’s Babiators are lost or broken within one year of purchase, Babiators replaces them...guaranteed!"
5. Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack : This toy is currently one of his favorites. He loves the green doughnut best, and the pole is a close second. He is figuring out how to remove the rings from the stack, but often pushes them just out of reach as he tries to get a hold of them. 
6. Carter's rompers : We're loving the romper style from Carter's. It's perfect for the summer time... no extra layers, easy diaper access, but still feels like a complete outfit. We've got the shark print featured here as well as several others, including an adorable sleeveless version with tiny cars.