Baby update – Alex is 6 months

It’s happened. My baby boy is now half a year old – 6 whole months! The 6 month mark feels like such a big milestone and Alex really has changed so much since I wrote his 5 month update, he’s like a completely different baby. Here is what has been happening with my little man over the last 4 weeks.

Alex is 6 months

What does he look like?

Size – I finally got around to taking Alex to baby clinic when he was 5 and half months old and at that point he weighed 15lb 4. The health visitor was quite concerned with his weight as he had dropped down two centiles on the weight chart. She encouraged us to start weaning him early – more about that later. Alex definitely looks and feels a lot bigger this month despite the issues with his weight, age 3-6 months vests are straining over his belly now and the dungarees in that size are now popping open over his bum!

Teething – The mystery of the front tooth is still to be solved; sometimes there is a little spike of tooth popping through and other times there is no sign of it. Someone commented on my last post saying his tooth could keep disappearing because his gums are swollen up around it, poor baby. There has been lots of dribble, chomping and rosy cheeks this month but no sign of any more teeth coming through yet.

 

Personality

What he likes/dislikes – Alex really loves playing with his toys this month. He has one of those singing and moving balls which is meant to encourage crawling and he loves it. He is also really enjoying rolling everywhere, he is not crawling yet but he can cover some ground just by rolling and pushing himself backwards. This month alex has started sitting unaided and he is really enjoying seeing the world from a different perspective. We are still going to baby sensory classes and both Alex and I really enjoy this one hour a week of fun quality time together. Alex is smiling at everything and everyone lately, it is so cute and it is clear he loves it when people tell him he is handsome. As we have started weaning Alex is enjoying trying new foods, his favourite is banana and he is not too keen on the plain baby porridge but I can’t blame him really. Alex does not like being put down when he is tired AT ALL and gets really grumpy at bedtime when I am getting him changed after his bath. On the most part though Alex loves most things and is really enjoying exploring the world.

                               

Character – As I said above, Alex is so so smiley. All you have to do is look at him and he gives you a big gummy grin. He loves it when you make him jump for some reason and he loves nothing more than a cuddle. He is a boy who loves his food though and can get pretty hangry if I don’t feed him quick enough! Alex is so interested in the world around him, you can see him taking it all in and he always fights his sleep as he obviously doesn’t want to miss out on anything. I know I say this every month but Alex is such a happy baby.

The day to day

Feeding – Alex and I have managed 6 whole months of breastfeeding! There have been a couple times this month where Oli has put him to bed so he has had a bottle of expressed milk and there was one occasion where my father in law looked after Alex and I hadn’t pumped so he had a bottle of formula. Feeding has been going really well, we are currently on 5 feeds in the day and 1 or 2 night feeds – Alex is fed on demand so we don’t have a schedule but he has got a sort of pattern so it is easy for me to know when he will be hungry. I am so happy we have made it to six months of breastfeeding and it is my mission to keep feeding him until he’s one.

Weaning – So, we have started weaning! The foods Alex has tried so far include: banana, avocado, broccoli, strawberries, apples, carrots, baby porridge and I may have let him suck on a bit of pizza while we were in Italy. He is such a good little eater, he loves the purees I make him and will happily munch on pieces of banana and strawberries from his netted snack pot. It was clear Alex was ready for weaning as he kept trying to swipe food from my plate and he seemed to want to breastfeed constantly. I am exciting to keep introducing Alex to lots of yummy healthy foods and to discover what his preferences are.

Sleeping – Um, I don’t really want to talk about sleeping this month. After spending the last 3 months bragging about how amazing Alex is at sleep, he seems to have been hit with the 4 month sleep regression a month or so too late. Night times have been awful! Not long after Alex turned 5 months he started waking for night feeds again, some nights he was waking up to 4 times! The worst thing was that he wouldn’t go back to sleep after his feed, he either wanted to laugh and play or just scream like a banshee for hours on end. I really am exhausted, I seem to have got him down to just one night feed this last week or so but he will not go back down into his cot. The second his little back touches the mattress Alex’s eyes shoot open and he is wide awake – it is so frustrating! Not only has bedtime sleep been a nightmare but naps seem to have gone completely out the window too, I count it as a good day if Alex naps for half an hour. The only way a nap is possible is if I feed Alex to sleep/drive him in the car or push him in the pram (I am attempting to encourage better daytime naps by using lavender oil has part of our sleep routine). I don’t know how long this regression will last but being awake for hours in the night again really isn’t fun at all, I am so tired all the time.

Who we have seen

This month Alex has seen a lot of his family. My cousin Jes came to stay for a couple nights, my parents were here for Mother’s Day weekend and we took Alex on his first ever holiday with 10 other people! Alex and Leo met their Aunty Marge from America for the very first time, spent lots of time with their cousins and uncles as well as their beloved Nanny and Grampy.

                                  

                                      

Where have we been

At the start of Alex’s sixth month we headed to Bournmouth beach for a lovely day out. We also have had lots of trips to the playground as the weather has been nice but the best place we have been this month is Italy! I know Alex won’t remember any of it but while on holiday he visited Florence, Perguia, Assisi and the amazing city of Rome. We stayed in a beautiful villa in the even more beautiful Umbrian countryside and, as far as I could tell, Alex really enjoyed his first ever holiday. At just six month old he has already been on a plane, seen the Coliseum and experienced the amazing historical culture of Italy.

                                                                

Brothers

What does Leo think – Leo loves Alex, I know I have said this most months but he really really loves him now. The more Alex grows and starts doing new things, the more interest Leo takes in his brother and the more he want to interact with him. Alex is in his own cot now in his own room and some mornings I wake up and I can hear Leo has climbed into the cot and is talking to his baby brother. Leo seems to have accepted that Alex needs so much of my attention and doesn’t seem to be getting grumpy and annoyed with me as often anymore which is brilliant. I absolutely love seeing my two boys together and the love between them both is just wonderful to see.

Sibling bonding – These boys of mine love to play with Alex’s noisy V-tech tat (I need ear plugs!) and Leo is getting better at sharing. Alex’s little face is the cutest thing whenever he sees Leo and many a baby meltdown has been avoided thanks to Leo doing a dance or singing to Alex. It hasn’t all been perfect though, there was a time Leo forgot he was playing a bay and not someone his own age and he tried to push Alex’s head into the change mat -he was obviously told off and he has not done anything like it since, I think having Daddy and Mummy shout at him probably made him realised he’s not to play rough with his brother. Leo is really interested in Alex’s weaning and also likes to come and discuss Alex ‘eating my booby’ whenever I feed him! The boys are so adorable together and their bond is really starting to shine.

The little things

There are so many firsts from this month that I don’t want to forget

• Alex had his first taste of solid food at 23weeks old. He had baby porridge and he just kept trying to grab the spoon and what he did eat he pushed straight back out. We tried him with banana the next day and he loved it.
• Alex had his first flight this month. He slept through take off on the way to Italy but on the way home he screamed for the last half an hour of the flight.
• Italy is the first foreign country Alex has ever visited.
• Whilst on holiday Alex had a swim in the outdoor pool. The water was quite cold so he didn’t really enjoy it but he did like chasing around the big beach ball through the water.

• Whilst at a country park Oli put Alex’s car seat on large swing and Alex thought it was the best thing ever.
• At just over 6 months old we moved Alex’s cot out of our room and into his nursery. The first week has been a bit rough with lots of night waking but he seems to be getting used to sleeping away from us.
• There have been lots of smiles, giggles and coos this month. Alex has also started making this screeching sound when he is excited (mostly when he sees Leo).
• Peek a boo is one of Alex’s favourite games but he also loves to be lifted up and down whilst I sing The Grand Old Duke Of York.
• Alex now makes it clear when he wants to be held by a certain person, he doesn’t put his arms out yet but if someone else is holding him and he wants to come to me then he flops his whole body towards me – it’s so cute.

That is it for Alex’s sixth month update, I can’t get over how much has happened in just one month. Fingers crossed Alex starts sleeping through again soon and I will keep you updated on all his weaning progress and maybe he will be crawling by the time of his next update. See you at 7 months and, Alex, happy half birthday!

Have you got a baby of a similar age, how are you finding everything? Anyone else’s baby had a sleep regression, any tips for me? If you write baby updates too drop a link in the comments and I will pop over for a read.

If you want to follow Alex’s develop from his birth then you can find all is baby updates here.