Will // 6 Months Old

Stats:
Weight: 19 lbs 11 oz
Height: 27 inches

Changes: You can sit up now for a long time! You're still a bit wobbly so we still like to sit behind you just in case you fall but it's made you despise laying down. You just want to be a part of the action sitting up now! Oh and you started daycare 5 days a week just for a few hours in the morning as mommy's busy season of photography is coming up and she'll need lots of editing time being fully booked. :)

Temperament: Still quite the happy little baby! I'm not sure if it was all of our issues for these first 6 months or what but I feel like we don't get as many giggles as your brother and sister but we sure try. Drew is the BEST at getting your huge smiles and awesome giggles!

Sleep: SUCH a big month for us. When you were 5 months and 10 days old we started the Ferber method of crying it out and MAN has it changed our world. We did intermitent checks where we would go in after 3 minutes of crying, 5, 7, etc and pat you to assure you it was ok. The first night was a total of an hour and a half crying (with a ton of checks), then 40 minutes the second night and only 20 the 3rd night. That 3rd night you also slept 11 hours without waking and did so the next 2 nights without even a peep going down. It has been AMAZING and while we don't get 11 hours every night you generally do sleep 10-12 hours with only one time nursing and sometimes zero. We started naps a couple weeks later doing the same thing of putting you down awake and you really only grumble for a minute and then fall asleep. Generally naps are a good hour, but our new record is 3 hours and 50 minutes!! It has changed our LIVES and EVERYONE in this house is much happier! So proud of you little man.

Eat: Here's where the ultimate mommy guilt kicks in. Mommy had been seeing a mental health counselor to help her through some PPD issues and she brought to my attention that formula is made from cows milk. Cue major bells in my head as to why you were so bad and it took hours to get you down at night. We were giving our lactose intolerant baby a full bottle as a top off each night. UGH. So disappointed we never realized this or put 2 and 2 together. We stopped immediately and that definitely helped things for sure! We have since switched you to soy and you take that with no issues. You still nurse all day long and although you get distracted easily, it's still smooth as silk. :)

Clothes: You're in mostly 12 month now with a couple 18 and 24 month outfits

Diapers: Size 3

Talk:  Still cooing all the time!

Teeth: Still zero!

Now that we're not complete zombies and you're a great sleeper, I'm SO excited to enjoy these next 6 months with you! (Although I must say, my back has been majorly messed up for a good month now thanks to all the holding, swaying, bouncing and holding you the last few months!) Don't worry though, you're 100% worth it. :)

Catching Up

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind but things are finally settling down now that Will is sleeping better and I'm not spending 4-5 hours a day rocking the kid to sleep. (Which, by the way, has completely messed up my back to the point that I'm now starting PT and can barely bend over. UGH!) But anyway, we're really seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and enjoying time together more now as a family!

Plus I was able to enjoy a girls night last week that was SOO good for the soul!!

These two are the best and I love them so.

This one too of course. :)

Rub a Dub Dub

My kiddos have all loved bath time and this little one is no exception.

Breastfeeding & Sleep

First things first. Breastfeeding! Third time around has been soooooo easy for me with the exception of the week when I had mastitis! I still am not an 'oversupply' type of momma but I make enough to keep my man healthy and chunky and that's all I care about! Will loves nursing also and I love it just as much. He's been playing with my hair more and more and loves to hold my hand when he eats also. At 5.5 months now he eats about 5-6 times during the day and then once during the night.

Next up: Sleep! Our story with Will and sleep has been pretty rough. The little guy never liked to go to sleep and we weren't getting anywhere. When he hit 5 months old had worked up to taking 3-4 hours to get him to sleep at night and much of this was screaming and crying, falling asleep, laying him down and him waking 5 minutes later. Then it was up every 2-3 hours all night long without any really good stretches. At naps I had to rock him to sleep which took time and then often he was sleeping 20-30 minutes before waking up ready to play. We were both stressed to the max and sleep deprived and were planning to Cry It Out at 6 months. But then, at 5 months and a week we had enough. We decided it would be better for when he started school in a couple of weeks that we get it out of the way now. Just as with the other 2 we did the Ferber method and did increasingly longer periodical checks to soothe him but the little man took to it SO well! The first night he cried only an hour 20, then 40 the next night and then only 20 the 3rd night. By the 4th night he talked for about 30 seconds and then slept 11 hours. Repeat 2 more nights! It worked SO well for our little guy and we're so happy we did it. Now I can lay him down awake and he goes to sleep. It seriously has CHANGED OUR LIVES and we are all just so much happier, including the little man!! Listen to your instincts and do what's right for your family! :)

Gramma + Poppa Are Moving

We are SO SO excited to have Gramma and Poppa moving here to Texas in a few weeks! My father has always wanted to get South and they've both wanted to be a part of their grandkids lives more so they decided to come our way! We have never lived in the same city as family since having kids and I'm beyond excited. They kids will LOVE having them at their activities and I'm excited for help here and there, especially with how difficult #3 has been! :)

They listed their house in Kansas City about a month ago and it sold same day for OVER asking!! So this past week they came down to house hunt and ended up buying a new house about 17 minutes away! We couldn't be happier for them as it's almost exactly what they were looking for. :)

I Miss Them

It's been a rough 5 months so far with a high needs baby that demands so much. I'm on edge nonstop, always anxious, sleep deprived, emotional and just exhausted all the time it feels like. I break down often when these two say things like "it's ok if you have to go be with baby mommy" or come over and give me a huge hug because they see it on my face. I miss so badly time with just them or to lay in bed and read longer than we do or just get up and go do fun stuff or play in the pool without having to make sure a baby is out of the sun. I know things will change but for now I'm struggling. My only fear has been that a third baby takes us farther from these two and I feel like that's uncontrollably happening and it's breaking my heart. They are such good kiddos.

How do you moms of 3+ do it? I just don't know how.

First Ear Infection

Knowing how many Ady had before she had to get tubes, I wish we could just stick tubes in the little man already. Right before he hit 5 months old he was diagnosed with an ear infection. He was TERRIBLY fussy and wouldn't sleep for a few days before I took him in, but I knew it was that. He was batting his ear and spitting up and neither of those were normal. He's been on meds for about 6 days now and was sleeping better... until last night that is. Ugh. The child was up a TON throughout the night with the worst stretch being awake from about 3:45 - 6:45! Poor guy.