So many new things

Henry is officially a mobile baby! He took his first crawling "steps" on July 24 and hasn't slowed down since. He enjoys chasing Gracie around the condo, chasing balls, throwing balls, climbing on furniture, and finding anything and everything that is NOT a toy, and putting it in his mouth. He is such a busy boy, you would really think he'd sleep better at night! Not only is he crawling, but he is also standing up. He can go from hands and feet to just feet in a matter of seconds. Of course, he is lacking in the balance department so his upright adventures do not last long. Recently he has discovered pulling up on furniture--this is a much more sturdy and stable way to stand! Today Henry waved bye bye for the first time. It was adorable and only took 2 weeks to learn :) Henry will be 8 months on Wednesday and is about 18 lbs now. Where has the time gone?

7 months old

Henry turned 7 months on Sunday. He is now 16 lbs. 8 oz. Every day he is changing--it's so hard to keep up with him. He is now an expert sitter and very rarely falls over. He is in the precrawling phase. He can get on his hands and knees and rock back and forth. He also reaches forward and stretches out his little body. Even though he can't technically crawl yet, he is constantly on the move! He crawls all over me and rolls back and forth. It won't be long before he is on the move. Time to baby proof the condo!

Henry's sleeping patterns are becoming more consistent. He takes 3 naps during the day, but it is still a challenge to get him in the crib. He has good days and bad, regarding naps. We can always count on him taking a good nap in his stoller though. At night he still wakes up a few times, which is exhausting for us. Sometimes he surprises us and only gets up once. Those are fabulous nights.

He is still enjoying trying new foods every few days. A new recent favorite is yogurt.

Michigan

We just spent a week and a half in Michigan. It was so much fun--Henry met many more relatives including his cousins, Sean and Josh from Colorado. Henry had a blast with all of his family and friends.

We even went to Bass Lake with Mark's family for 4th of July weekend. Henry went for his first canoe ride. Gracie had a great time swimming in the lake. We all enjoyed the beautiful, sunny weather! Even though Henry has been known to be a light sleeper, he slept through all the fire works. That made me VERY happy!

Father's Day!

What a wonderful day!

6 months

Henry is now over 6 months old. He's getting so big and strong! He's 27 inches long and 15 lbs 13 oz.

He's sitting so well now and has recently learned how to throw things. Henry thinks it's so funny when he throws things. He also loves to make people laugh. His giggle is infectous!

Right now Stu and Tutu are visiting and Henry had a great time showing them around the Lincoln Park Zoo today. Tomorrow is Father's Day--Mark's first!

New Skills

Henry is about 5 1/2 months old. Last week he got his second cold. We made a trip to the doctor and she said it is just a virus. We had one pretty awful night but after that, he was on the road to recovery. He still has a bit of a runny nose, but seems to be feeling much better. This week he has been working so hard at sitting on his own. I still don't feel comfortable leaving him alone while he's sitting but he can stay in that position for 5-10 minutes without toppling over.

Yesterday he rolled over from his back to his tummy. I am pretty sure he'll be rolling all over the place pretty soon!

Henry is also enjoying a new food every few days. So far he's had sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and peas. He seems to be enjoying peas the most, but it's a challenge to get more than a few spoonfuls in his mouth!

5 months

Henry is 5 months old today! He is developing more of a personality every single day. We love watching him grow and change--he's such a big boy now. He loves to smile and laugh. He really responds well to silly faces and funny songs. He still loves his daily walks in the stroller or carrier and this is becoming easier now that the weather is warm. He has finally embraced the concept of "tummy time" and will occasionally roll over in both directions. He can sit up on his own for a short period of time, but still slumps forward or to the side after a bit. He loves to "stand"--he'll hold on to something and lean. I think he enjoys seeing the world from different perspectives and he lets us know when he's ready for a new view!

This past Sunday was also my first official Mother's Day. Henry and Mark were so sweet. They bought me a beautiful necklace! It was nice to be in Michigan for Mother's Day so we could spend time with my mom as well.

This past weekend Henry visited his grandma and grandpa in Michigan. He had many babysitters while we all attended our friends' wedding. He was a good boy and had his longest stretch of sleep yet-10 hours in a row!

He is doing better all the time at sleeping at night. He usually goes anywhere from 6-8 hours in a row and has even had a few nights without a night feeding. Naps are a whole other story...