Trace’s Sixth Month

Half of year with Trace man in our lives! It feels like over the last two weeks, Trace has had a big developmental growth spurt. He is now more vocal. He is showing more of his personality with more laughs and more baby sounds. He misses us when we walk out of the room. And, he is still just the same sweet, happy baby!

Breastfeeding Update: This month was my last month pumping. At the beginning of May, I developed a stomach ulcer. The doctor prescribed medication that wasn’t safe for breastfeeding plus I had to add dairy back into my diet. So, it was time to stop. I weened myself from pumping throughout the month and had my last pump at the end of last week.

Breastfeeding was the hardest part of the last several months, and it was also one of the most rewarding times with Trace. It was a commitment and took dedication. Some of my favorite memories of Trace were those early mornings we spent together with him fast asleep milk drunk and all. I will miss it, but I will enjoy having less restrictions on food and less restrictions on our daily schedule. I feel like I could write an entire post on what I learned during my breastfeeding/pumping journey, and who knows maybe I will.

We continued on our journey with solids this month, and he is still loving it. He tried pumpkin, butternut squash, and pears this month and LOVED them all! We tried cereal several times over the last two months, and he didn’t enjoy it. He prefers fruits and vegetables. So, I started adding fruit to the cereal (like pears or apples), and he seems to eat more cereal when I do that. We are going to give that a try for awhile.

Sleeping Update: At the end of last month, we were transitioning from a swaddled sleep sack to a sleep blanket. Trace has a moro reflex (his hands move if he is startled in his sleep). So, finding a sleep blanket that would let his hands move freely yet not startle him and wake him up was a challenge. We tried sooooo many sleep blankets. It felt like Amazon was delivering to our house everyday for awhile there. However, after a couple of sleepless nights, he finally did the best with the Zipadee-Zip Sleeper. His hands are covered, but are free to move. He looks like a little starfish in it – it’s cute!

MONTHLY MEMORIES

Celebrated Charles’ Birthday and my first Mother’s Day!
Trace traveled to Florida and had his first experience on the beach! It took a few days to warm up to the waves, but by the end of the trip he was enjoying it! The wet sand was another story… he wasn’t fan. We are heading back to Florida in a few weeks, and I am excited to see how he will react on this next trip.
Started his first Water Tykes swimming class and practiced floating, blowing bubbles, and playing in the water. He enjoyed it! His little baby thighs are so chunky in his swimsuit.
He lays his head on your shoulders and loves to have his back rubbed, especially when he is tired or just woke up or even just in the middle of the day. He is a snuggler, and I LOVE it.
He laughs more frequently and deeper. He loves laughing at Bruno (our chocolate lab), especially when he barks, and loves the feeling of his fur. Bruno, on the other hand, is ready for Trace to learn “gentle pets”. B handles the baby like a champ and will just move a little further away when he sees the baby’s hands coming for him.
He also got louder this month and developed a set of vocal cords on him. He grunts and makes noises, especially when he wants something.
Our little man is growing! We had his six-month checkup this morning and he is weighing 18.1 lbs. and measuring 26 inches.
Sat up for the first time without any assistance yesterday! His motivation was reaching for the kitchen towel hanging on the oven.
Trace is drooling a ton (we go through at least two bibs and two onesies a day), but no sign of a tooth yet. He loves chomping on his giraffe, a towel, or his rubber keys to ease the teething pains.
Loves: Bruno pup, playing with his baby toes, and blowing bubbles
Hates: Wet sand

Here are my favorites!

His first beach trip!

Photographed with Pentax 645 + Kodak Portra 160

Quick mid-day bath after his first swim class! And, you know I captured that classic bare butt photograph. Sorry little man, everybody needs at least one in their lifetime.

Photographed with Pentax 645 + Ilford Delta 3200 B&W Film