Thursday, September 20, 2012

Shepherd :: Six Months


Sweet Shepherd Pie,

We really turned your world upside down this six month. I'm writing you almost three weeks later because some big changes have happened to our family.

First and foremost, let's talk about your development. Baby boy, you have been such a joy to parent. You are still nursing frequently with the plan to begin solid foods when you were six months old. You struggled with sitting up unassisted but progressed as the month did. Despite the fact that you toppled over easily, you wanted to go, and quickly! You scooted and army crawled and tried desperately to get where you wanted to.

You cut your first two teeth this month, too; you have two shiny little bottom nubbies. Your left tooth came first, and then your right one a few days later. They happened to pop out right in the middle of the big event... our move to Nebraska!

In the middle of the month you began sleeping restlessly. You woke up in the middle of the night once or twice, because of the teeth I think, but didn't have any other wake-ups. I think you could also sense that we were on the brink of a big change. My last day of work was August 8, and it ended up being a big relief for me to have time off to be with you and coordinate the logistics of our move. Your last day at Ma's house was August 14; at that point, you were drinking 15-20 ounces of milk at her house and I was really struggling to keep up with your demand. You also hit a big growth spurt and probably grew a foot! Not really, but you did seem to grow tall and you have a lot more hair. Your eyes are brown and bright, but every so often they change to green.

You put everything in your mouth. You love to be held and prefer it to being on the floor, but if we can distract you with a fun toy or book, you will give us a few moments there, too. Your favorite toys have been Baby Sophie, the oBall, diapers; recently, you have taken an interest in your stuffed animals. It is so fun! You have also discovered that the kitties exist, and you think they want to be your playmates. Unfortunately for you, this will be your first lesson in disappointment; Toby is afraid of you and is around you only when he is perched high enough that you can't touch him, and Livy is very sweet and tolerant of you pulling her tail and "petting" her, but she is also afraid of the sounds you make at her. You squeal at both of the cats, talking to them to gain their attention, but they do not make conversation and, more often than not, get scared by your loud noises and run away. I think they are in for a rude awakening when you are mobile!

I am impressed by how you are beginning to show that you are learning things. You are still as happy as can be, but when you get frustrated, you get very frustrated! Sometimes I have to hide my laughter. You are also able to scoot around easily, and we can no longer leave you on the bed; you can push the pillows down and break out of your jail. Not that we learned that the hard way or anything!

Neat things we did this month: (it's long, because we've had a great month!)
  • Dad went to Nebraska to interview for a new job, and we decided to move back to The Good Life.
  • We went to Tyler to see Birdie and Poppy while Dad met up with all of the Nix men. Maybe one day you can go! You also got to see Aunt Jilly and Hayden because Jilly had the day off at Pine Cove.
  • Your Aunt Shannon came to visit one last time before we left Florida.
  • You met many of my friends and colleagues from the FSU Foundation (and I left my first real job)!
  • We went to Seaside and said "see you soon!" to the beautiful ocean that we enjoyed for almost three years.
  • The great migration to the Midwest began! We bid farewell to living in Tallahassee, Florida, and drove to Tyler. We spent a few days with Birdie and Poppy and enjoyed the sunshine and the pool. Then, we drove to Wichita, Kansas, and spent the night with your Uncle TJ and Aunt Tiffany (Bees) and their puppy Mallie. You absoultely adored Mallie, and she was really sweet to you, even though you pulled her fluffy ears. We are working on "gentle," but you are still a little young to understand the concept.
  • We moved in to our new house and started our new journey in Nebraska!

We thought the move would be harder on you than it was. With your teeth coming in, we were petrified you would scream the entire journey from Florida to Nebraska. The movers left with our semi-truck on August 15, and we drove to Birdie and Poppy's and spent a few days there. Then we spent the night with Uncle TJ and Aunt Tiffany. The next day we made the last leg to Seward. You did so good, and managed to hardly cry at all. We were so thankful, because we were so tired and stressed!

The next month will bring a lot of change in our lives, and I am so thankful that our family can experience this journey in a place we love so much. I am eager for you to grow up, at least for now, in this place and to see how you blossom. I am nervous about how this change will affect you, but I know that we are in a wonderful community, and I look forward to growing here.

We love you, little man. Your bright eyes bring us so much joy!
Love,
Mama and Daddy


At Six Months:
Height: unknown (we moved on the date of our six-month appointment, so we will be delayed in these stats)
Weight: unknown
Head circumference:unknown
You are wearing size 3-6, 6, 9 and 6-12 month clothes. You have a few size 3 onesies that still fit, too, but just barely. We have packed most of the clothes, and it kind of breaks my heart that we won't need to unpack a lot of baby stuff!
You are wearing size two diapers.
You have brown/green/hazel eyes.

Some nicknames we have for you this month:
Sheppy/Shep
Shepherd Pie
Peppy Pie
Shepì Pepì
Pep
Jacques Pepin
Pepsi
Prince Caspian 
Chef Pepi
Tiny Chef
Baby Guy
Moose (Your Poppy calls you this)


I am writing letters and taking photos of Shepherd on (or near) the 20th of every month.  

No comments: