Half a Year Gone By

6-Month Stats

Weight: 18lbs 10oz = 75th percentile

Height: 26.25in = 50th percentile (apparently he hasn't grown in inches in the last two months...?)

Head: 43.75cm = 50th percentile

I have been a mother for half a year now! Max is as happy and healthy as ever! 

- Max still loves diaper changes and laughs every time you touch the wipe to him.

- He crawls backwards, but either only does it when he's mad, or gets mad because of it since that's not the direction he wants to go.

- He's on the verge of crawling forward and it's bound to happen any day now. For days he's been rocking back and forth on his knees. He just doesn't know how to move his arms with his legs and usually face-plants when he tries or gives up and belly flops.

- Despite not being able to crawl, he sure knows how to get around. One minute he's on one side of the room and the next he's on the complete opposite side and we have no idea how he gets over there.

- He's the most curious little thing I've ever known. He wants to see and touch everything. He absolutely LOVES being walked around the apartment and going out on trips so he can look around at all the different things. I don't know what he loves more, looking at everything or chewing on everything.

- He is the best eater boy! He loves everything we've given him: rice cereal, sweet potato, bananas, peas, applesauce and mommy's milk of course!.

- He is the worst sleeper, but that will hopefully be changing soon. Right now Max wakes up every 1-2 hours and has to nurse in order to go back down. We tried sleep training him a month ago and it was successful for a couple days, then when he relapsed I decided to give up and wait for another time. I bought a book on sleep training and found out where I went wrong. We begin again tonight and I will let you know how it goes.
- He loves the Hulu Plus loading screen, but not nearly as much as the Netflix loading screen and will smile at it when it comes up.

- He is such a happy baby (most of the time) and can't help, but smile at us, even when he's crying.

- He makes all these cute little gentle noises, like he's trying to talk to you.

- He's starting to show preference for me over Bryan. If Bryan's holding him and I get close, he leans towards me and puts his arms out to me. Other times when Bryan holds him, he gets upset unless he is in close proximity with me.

Max Likes Sweet Potatoes!

Ok ok. So some of you may know, we started feeding Max solids when he turned 5 months old a couple weeks ago, but the earlier you feed a baby solids, the higher the risk of them developing food allergies. This made me very nervous and choose to stop giving him solids until he turned 6 months old. However, lately Max has been showing that he is more ready than ever to eat real food and it has gotten to the point where we can't finish a meal without him getting mad at us. We decided to start with solids again today and here is a brief video of Max enjoying sweet potatoes for the first time :)

SO blogger isn't letting me upload the video (and I was having problems before too. Anyone else having trouble loading their videos? Anyone know how to fix it?) you can find the video on my facebook. In the meantime, here are a couple pictures of the event.

He polished off the whole bowl!

Starry, Starry Night

Lately I have been obsessed with the song "Vincent - Starry, Starry Night" by Don McLean. I absolutely love Vincent van Gogh. His story is such a tragedy. I can't help but picture his life when I listen to this song and it makes me cry almost every time. What a lonely life he lived. I really adore his younger brother and best friend, Theo, as well because he took it upon himself to provide for Vincent since he never made much money and only sold one of his paintings while he was alive. I feel like I could have written this song. McLean has my thoughts exactly where, just like him, I wish I could go and tell Vincent that "this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you". It breaks my heart knowing he chose suicide because of his utter sadness (and because of his illnesses...I know). Even his dying words to Theo were "The sadness will last forever". Anyway, here's a video of Josh Groban singing the song, followed by the lyrics, followed by some of my favorite of his paintings (I'll really try and limit myself with the paintings...):

Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colours on the snowy linen land

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now

Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds and violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
Colours changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artists' loving hand

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now

For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left inside
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you Vincent
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you

Like the strangers that you've met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow

Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They're not listening still
Perhaps they never will...

Almond Blossoms

Bedroom in Arles - I love seeing how he lived

Country Road in Provence by Night

Irises

Old Vineyard with Peasant Woman

Olive Trees in a Mountainous Landscape

Self Portrait, 1887 - Look at the sadness in his eyes :(

Starry Night - His most famous of course

Starry Night Over the Rhone - MY absolute favorite!!

The Cafe Terrace at Night

The Red Vineyard - The only painting he is known to have sold in his lifetime

Wheat Field with Cypresses

Wheat Field with Crows

Speaking of My Birthday

I had a wonderful one! Bryan sure treated me well and got me some great gifts! First off, I got to sleep in until 12 in the afternoon!! That is, after going to bed past one in the morning because of Max (which has gotten so much better by the way. Now we go to bed around 11pm). Bryan took Max when he woke up and I slept an extra couple hours without worry. It was nice! (PS. He actually does this often, like on the weekends and Tuesdays and sometimes Thursdays when he doesn't have class until later. He's the best husband!!) When I woke up, Bryan made me my favorite breakfast ever: crepes with vanilla cream cheese filling. Soooo yummy!!! Bryan let me pick where we went to dinner, uninfluenced by him, so I just decided to go for it and we tried out this Middle Eastern/Greek family owned restaurant that I found online and I am so glad we did! We got the Meat Combo for Two which included a beef kabob, lamb kabob, chicken kabob, gyro meat, pita bread, Greek style rice, hummus (which we passed on) and Greek salads. We loved every bite! I also got to Skype with by family, which is always enjoyable. Bryan spoiled me this year and I love him for every thoughtful gesture. He's my soul mate and without him I don't know how I would survive. He means everything to me and I am so blessed that he chose me to be his eternal wife! Thank you for the wonderful birthday Bryan!!! I love you!!