Every Friday both your dad and I work from home, alternating between watching you and getting some work done. These days start at a slower pace then the rest of the work week, enabling us to sleep in a little and then snuggle in bed until we’re all ready to get up and face the day. Then we take a nice walk with you and the dogs down to the coffee shop. In all, it’s about a 45 minute trip, but it’s a perfect way to start the day. I relish these walks with our whole family, and I love that it kicks off a full three straight days in a row that I’ll get to spend with you.

This evening we met with the nannies at Kristen’s and Greg’s house to chat about how everything has been going these past couple of months that they’ve been watching you. It was fun hearing from them about their two days a week they spend with you, and how much you’ve been growing and changing. Their experiences mirrored our own with you, filled with lots of stories about how active and engaged you are. They told a funny story about you and the stroller.

When we started the nanny share with Isla it was apparent we’d need a double stroller. Right when we were starting to look into buying one, nana and papa found one in Breckendridge, and it was free. It is in great shape although it’s missing the shade canopy on the front seat. Kristen and Greg rigged up a couple of poles by which the nannies can hang a blanket over to provide shade for the baby in the front. They said usually you’re in the front because the seat is smaller than the one in the back, and you’re the littler of you and Isla. But they said that it is entertaining because you love to work and pull down the blanket. They said you’re constantly trying to grab it and pull it down; you apparently just want to observe the world around you.

Anyway, we had a good conversation with the nannies and Kristen and Greg, and I think for now this daycare situation is working great. It’s going to be dramatically different over the next couple of months as you guys start to become more mobile and eventually start to crawl. We’ll just have to keep checking in with the nannies and making sure that they’re able to keep up with you two, and that you two are getting enough variety, challenge and activity each day.

Your dad’s first word was banana. A rather tricky word for an infant’s foray into the English language, but he succeeded with it nonetheless. I can only imagine what a big impression the fruit must have made on him at such a young age for this word to trump the usual firsts of ‘dada’ or ‘mama’ as the first word he uttered.

You had your first banana tonight. You haven’t been a huge fan of rice cereal, and after giving it to you the requisite five days we decided we were ready to move on, and we deemed the banana a worthy second food to try. You really enjoyed it, eating down the entire bit that we had pureed for you and enthusiastically grabbing the spoon to try to assist in the eating process. You even kept grabbing your bib and licking off any rogue banana puree that had landed there. I think we have another banana lover in the family.

A couple of months ago your dad started playing with you by holding you over his head and moving you about. One of the activities is called ‘The Sprinkler’, and he rotates you around in short bursts from one side to another, then smoothly rotates you back (you know, like a sprinkler!), all the while making sprinkler-like sounds. You are so cute when he does this, usually breaking into a smile.

He also holds you above his head and walks around the house (or yard) with you, like you’re flying. We often found ourselves singing ‘I believe I can fly…’ while he’s doing this, and before I knew it your dad had pulled up the R. Kelly song ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ and he was helping you fly all over the house with the song providing a musical background to the activity. I will forever think of you when I hear that song, and think of that song when I see your dad helping you fly.

I got home from work this afternoon and your nana told me to wash my hands and feel in your mouth. I did and you had another tooth! I can’t believe how quickly you’ve gotten not one, but two teeth. I figured we’d feel the tooth working it’s way up, notice sore, red gums, and see lots of drool and fussiness on your part. But it really hasn’t been like that as all. Hopefully all the rest of your teeth are this easy.

We started today with an epic sleep fest. You slept great last night, sleeping through the night and waking up around 7. I fed you and we all snuggled in bed. But then we did something we’ve never done; we all fell back asleep and didn’t wake up until 11! We all must’ve really needed some sleep.

Once we finally woke up and got going we decided to go for a walk to the pool and take you for your first swim. I’ve been anxious to take you swimming for months, but had to keep telling myself that the risks for you didn’t outweigh the benefits. The doctor said that you are so little that you’ll get cold really fast and we’ll have to be careful to make sure you stay warm enough. She also said that you can easily pick up germs that cause diahhrea and other sicknesses from getting the water in your mouth. And lastly, we need to keep you out of the sun and so finding a warm pool either inside or in the shade has proven difficult.

Until today. The clubhouse in Breckenridge has a nice, enclosed pool. Your dad was at the pool a couple of months ago with your cousins and said the water was really warm. So we headed up there today. When we got there the water wasn’t quite as warm as he remembered it, and I was a little worried about taking you in the water. But the space was very warm, and the dressing rooms were outright hot, and we figured we’d put you in the pool just for a little while then could quickly retreat to the dressing rooms to warm up and dry off. We put on your little swim diapers and then your dad and I got into the pool with you.

I slowly immersed you up to your neck and everyone closely watched you with anticipation to see what your reaction would be; your papa had the camera at the ready. And you had absolutely no reaction. It was as if we were just holding you in the air, moving you about, and you were looking at us wondering what all the fuss was. Your dad swam back and forth and made some splashes, trying to get your interest level up. But you just seemed nonplussed by it.

I suppose this is a very good sign that you showed no anxiety about swimming, and that in fact you seemed rather indifferent about it. At one point I was holding you and you tried to bend forward to grab your feet, and your face went right into the water. It happened so fast that I wasn’t able to react and keep your head up, and we all watched closely to see if you were alright and what your reaction would be. You came up and looked surprised, but you didn’t cry at all. I think you might be a little water baby!

After the swim we needed to rinse you off but there were only showers (and one too-small sink) in the dressing rooms. So, you had your first shower. Your dad held you and I lathered you up. You did really good, even when water would run down your face.

On the walk home we decided to take you to the playground to swing. The nannies take you swinging every day, but we haven’t yet been able to take you. We’ve been looking for some bucket swings in our neighborhood, but haven’t yet found any. We do have a little bouncy swing in our house that for the moment is serving as a swing, but this was your first real swing adventure with us. You did seem to really like it, but you spent most of the time trying to turn around in your chair and see behind you.

Maybe I should’ve just turned you around so you could face that way. You are so tiny in the chair, even with a big towel behind you there was still lots of extra space. Papa had fun thinking about how in a year you’ll be so much bigger and you’ll be running around playing on the slides too.

You woke up around 6 today and we decided to go on a walk with you and the dogs to get some coffee. On the way we went by the church where your dad and I got married, and I took your picture in front of the church.

After our walk we all headed to Frisco for the art festival, then went to Dillon for a BBQ competition. You really seemed to like these events, taking in all the sights and sounds.

Tonight we offered you more rice cereal and you really weren’t interested. So we just put it away and we’ll try again tomorrow.

On our way up to Breckenridge today we stopped in Dillon for some drinks and an early dinner, and nana and papa met us there. The waiter brought us a highchair, which we usually turn upside down and set your carseat on. Today I decided we’d set you in the highchair the proper way and see if you’d be able to sit in it. You did great! We buckled you in and had to use a blanket behind you to help fill in the space and support you a little bit, but you are definitely highchair-ready! This will be great as we start to introduce solid foods.

Tonight was your first real adventure with food, and we started you on rice cereal like the doctor suggested. It really was mostly milk with a little bit of cereal, but we had fun giving it to you with a spoon and watching your reaction. You actually didn’t react too much, though you really wanted to hold the spoon and suck on it. I’d basically dip the spoon in the cereal, more coating the spoon in the cereal than filling it up, and give it to you to suck and lick off. You had really good coordination with the spoon, getting it in your mouth on your first try more often than not. We’ll give you a meal a day of rice cereal for about a week, then we’ll start introducing other foods. And gradually we’ll start decreasing the milk proportion in the food so that it becomes thicker and thicker. This is going to be a fun and messy adventure!

Today was my last trip for the foreseeable future, hopefully for at least a month or two. You and your dad picked me up from the airport tonight and when I got in the car you gave me a big smile. When we got home I nursed you and you fell asleep in my arms and I just held and rocked you for awhile. It is so hard to be away from you, and it makes my time with you that much more special. It is literally soothing and rejuvenating to hold you; you gave me a much-needed boost to get through the week.

Awhile ago the three of us were lazing around in the backyard on a blanket. We were watching you play and were so content just hanging out as a family. I asked your dad to tell me what things most surprised him about having you. The first point he stated was that he was surprised with how enamored he is with you. And this is true. He is absolutely, positively, 100%, head-over-heels in love with you (as am I). He would, and does, do anything for you. He is the best dad.

The second point he made, and he preempted it by saying that he knows it is cliché, but is how fast you change. We both had heard many times about how quickly babies change and grow, and in fact that’s partly why I’m writing this blog. But to witness and experience it firsthand is absolutely amazing. Someday you’ll start doing a new movement or sound, and sometimes even just one day later you have already moved on to something new. Other actions will take you days or weeks to master, and we can literally watch you progress every day, like when you were learning to roll from your back to your front.

Often when you first encounter something new you furrow your brow and study it intently; you are visibly taking in and processing the new information. When you were littler and we’d make a new or surprising sound you’d open your eyes wide open, as if in shock. As you’ve been exposed to more and more things, the world around you apparently seems less shocking and your dad and I struggle to get a wide-eyed response from you anymore.

But to look back at how much you can do now compared to when you were born is shocking. I wonder if the amount you’ve grown and learned in these six months is more than any other six month period in your life?