Hudson at Six Months

Hudson turned 6 months old on Saturday!

I wanted to wait until his doctor's appointment (this morning) to post an update. He is long and skinny. He is 27.5 inches tall (85-90%), weighs 15.19 pounds (20%), and his head circumference is 17.25 inches (50%). Our doctor wasn't concerned about him being in the 20th percentile for weight since he is content to be on a 4 hour schedule, and he sleeps well. And between 6-9 months, their milk intake decreases and their food intake increases, so he is eating more food and requiring less milk. He got a few shots, and cried very hard. He kept crying the whole way home, which was probably more from missing his morning nap than any pain from the shots.

The appointment took 2 hours, and Elijah was a big pickle, and gave me a lot of trouble. It was the first time I really struggled with Elijah's continual disobedience "in public." It was not fun at all. So we were all glad to get home, and Hudson crashed in his bed. I wish I could crash in my bed too!

Hudson's 6 Month Schedule:

Wakes at 7 (milk)
Eats at 8 (cereal)

Naps at 9 (usually 45 mins to 1.5 hours, but tends to be on the shorter side)

Eats at 11 (milk)
Eats at 12 (fruit or veggie)

Naps at 1 (usually 1.5 to 2.5 hours, but also tends to be on the shorter side)
Eats at 3 (milk)

Naps at 5 (30 mins)
Eats at 6 (fruit or veggie)
Bedtime at 7:30 or 8 pm (bottle of milk)

His naps are MUCH better, and his night time sleep has made an incredible transformation. Around 5 or 5 1/2 months, we took the paci away for all sleep times, and it transformed the way he slept. He now sleeps 11-12 hours at night, without waking at all. His naps are also better, but that's mostly due to sticking to a schedule and giving him time to grow into it. I kept a log of his naps, and it helped me to see his patterns and to see improvement in the big picture. There were some really rough days along the way, and some rough nights too. But it is all worth it now. He's much more predictable, and it helps me so much to have both boys napping at the same time.

A few things I want to remember...

Hudson is an eye rubber. When he's tired, the minute we walk into his dark room with the noise maker turned on, he starts to rub his eyes. If he doesn't rub them, I know he's not very tired yet.

When he's sleepy, he also shakes his head from side to side. It's hilarious.

He blows raspberries quite a bit these days. And of course, Elijah likes to imitate it and showers us with spit.

He is still rolling, as he has been for a while. He can get his knees under him sometimes, but he's not rocking yet.

Hudson plays contently for long periods of time. I don't have to move him from one thing to another every 5 minutes. It's wonderful.

He is a tummy sleeper. He has been for several months. He can fall asleep on his back now, without fussing, but he always rolls over to his tummy. (I have put his bumper pad back in his crib. He kept getting caught in the bars.)

He has two teeth showing under gums, but not breaking through yet.

Hudson has tried a sippy cup but just licked it over and over. I'll try again when he's hungry. (I just put 2 oz. of formula in it.)

He doesn't suck on his fingers or thumb. I haven't introduced a blanket or stuffed animal yet. He's learned to self soothe and cries just a minute before going to sleep. I'll eventually give him a blanket like Elijah's.

His personality is very different from Elijah's. You may remember Elijah's "scowl" and his furrowed brow. He had a very intense personality as a baby. Hudson smiles very easily, and is very content. He is much more laid back at this age than Elijah was, and he has finally learned to be the good sleeper that Elijah was (and is).

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The doctor said to lather the boys up with sunscreen for the summer. He said that 15-30 SPF was all that they needed--anything higher had too many chemicals and could cause them to develop rashes. Dr. F also said that bug spray was effective if it had 21% Deet or more. The sprays are safe, even if Hudson were to lick his arms or legs.

At 6 months, babies get 75% of their nutrients from milk and 25% from food. At 9 months, it reverses, and they get 75% from food and 25% from milk. Interesting!

And he talked to me about foods, and things to introduce over the next three months before his 9 month appointment. It was a good refresher!