The First Six Months of Lovely Baby

I intended to post this as a monthly type of deal but it got away from me. So instead, here's a more compact version of baby Hezekiah's first six months on Earth. :)

Weight & Height: At birth, Mister Hez was 8 pounds, 2 ounces and 21 and 1/4 inches long. At his two month checkup, Hezzy weighed 11 pounds, 5 ounces and was 22 and 1/2 inches long. Now at six months, he's around 17 pounds and is around 23 inches long.

Medical Issues: Hezzy has a medical condition that all my boys have had. He will most likely have outpatient surgery between 11 - 16 months. Otherwise, he's been very healthy. He's had one little cold/sinus infection type deal when the seasons changed but it cleared up very quickly.

Sleep: Hez started sleeping "through the night" from around midnight or so until 8 AM around 3 months. Then he started going to bed a little earlier, like around 10 and sleeping until 7-ish. Right now he's waking up around once - twice during the night. He takes either 2 long naps or 3 short(er) naps.

Sizes: Around 2 months he started to edge out of newborn stuff and move into 0-3 month clothes. Around 4 and 1/2 months I started moving him into 3-6 and now at 6 months, he's wearing 6-9 month stuff. So he's stayed pretty much right on target. At about three months, he moved from size one diapers to size twos and has been in them since.

Diet: EBF (exclusively breastfed) but I am looking to start him on some first foods here in the next month or so. We are probably going to do BLW (baby led weaning) like we did with Zac.

Baby Gear Love: My Moby wrap has been great while we're on the go but since he's getting better and has much more of an interest in what's going on around him, we don't use it much anymore. My momma-made meitai and my Ergo carrier work better for the stage he's at now. He's really starting to outgrow the bassinet so we'll be moving him into a crib probably within the next couple weeks. Otherwise I guess I don't really have any "gear."

Milestones/Firsts: He first appeared to be teething on 4/27. He's a drool machine and he's chewing on everything but still no teeth. He started "army crawling" and scooting around 4 months and is now pretty much full blown crawling, albeit very slow and he still gets tripped up on his arms/legs. He can also now push himself up on all fours and practically stand on his head!

4 Travel Places for Young Toddlers and Babies

You’ve got your “go with it” attitude adjusted to super smooth. You’ve got your packing list and your airplane tricks laminated AND memorized. Now then. Where to go?

While you really can go ANYWHERE (almost) with your baby, you might not want to. Keeping your “chill the heck out” in check might be easier in a quiet costal town than — say — at Carnival in Rio.

Family Friendly Beach Resort – a la Beaches or Club Med. Clean, quiet, somewhat secluded. All inclusive means no fuss for the tired parent and an easy way to budget. Plus, most have excellent child care programs for the occasional date night or trip to the spa. Best perk:  naps with Baby in a beach cabana!

Clean Camping – not necessarily the time to pitch a tent and pummel your infant with bug spray. ‘Tis the age for cozy and CLEAN cabin rental. You’ll get away with the comforts of home available to you.   Best perk:  cozying up by the fire for bedtime stories.

Italy and France – if you can handle the long plane ride, don’t be afraid to venture abroad. Italy and France are perfect places to tour with Bebe or Bambino because the cultures tend to embrace the idea that your child comes out and about with you. Young infants will gladly sleep in the sling or stroller through museums and city walks. Older infants and toddlers will delight in a sidewalk gelato or morning croissant.  Best perk:  wine, cheese and bread al fresco tends to erase the memory of a sleepless night.

Disney – while they will surely enjoy it more at a later age, the Disney parks and resorts were BUILT for families. Infants can ride most rides with parents, diaper stations are clean and plentiful and baby necessities from stroller to crib are available to rent.  Best perk:  Baby’s first Mickey ears.