McKinstry Moments: The Sixth Month

We are half way through Reid's first year, and that boy's just getting cuter everyday!

I took both my little fellas for their check-ups yesterday and here are the stats:
-Reid: 21 lbs 8.3 oz and 27.8" (~90-95 percentile for both weight and height)
-Caleb: 37 lbs and 41.06" (~60th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height)

Though Reid seems to be slowing down a bit rather than the exponential growth we were seeing the first few months, he still has plenty of meat on his bones. We went to a baby shower last weekend and when my friend Amy saw him, it reminded her of a story one of her friends told about how a lady had walked up to her in a store and commented that her little one's legs looked like a container of busted biscuits. She said her friend didn't know whether to laugh or be offended, but it cracked me up! I don't think I had ever heard that phrase before, but I had to admit that it was a pretty accurate description for all that baby chub. So for your viewing pleasure, here's some pictures of my Pillsbury boy. (I just can't get enough of those legs!)

Big things were definitely happening in Reid's development this past month. He is a lot better at sitting up on his own and doesn't fall forward as often. If I just put a pillow or two behind him, he can sit and play with his toys for a few minutes now. Occasionally, he still loses his balance and falls over, especially if he is stretching to reach a toy, but for the most part he stays upright.

He is becoming more coordinated with his hands and can entertain himself more now. Reid doesn't need Mommy or Daddy around to help him play all the time, which frees us up some but is also kind of bittersweet.

We are in that drooly pre-teething phase if you can't tell.

Big enough to play with that cash register NaNa got him for Christmas

While he's getting old enough to play by himself to some degree, he isn't satisfied too long unless someone else is there to join in the fun. Mommy and Daddy are pretty good but if his brother or sister give him any attention, Reid lights up.

Hmm...I might want to play with that princess castle too.

I think you have enough toys, Reid!

While my mom doesn't get to visit too much anymore since she is now trying to run a trucking business single handedly, Reid has a lot of fun when his crazy NaNa gets to stop by for a bit. She's always got some type of silly shenanigans going on.

Watch out! Here I come!

Oh, no! I think I see a speed bump!

One of the most significant things that happened this past month was his introduction to rice cereal. For five and a half months, Reid only got to have "Mommy milk" (as Caleb calls it). Aside from the Zantac he takes for his acid reflux (which tastes yucky), some Tylenol, and the oral vaccines at the pediatrician, his taste buds didn't have a lot of experience. While I started the other two kids on cereal when they were a month or so younger, I wasn't in a hurry with this guy. He seemed pretty content just nursing and wasn't eyeing our food like a little bird waiting for a worm, which is the sign the pediatrician said to look for, so I just waited. Nursing is easier anyway - no dishes, no messy food to scrub off the kid or the walls, no highchairs, etc.

Finally, one Sunday evening while the other two kids were napping, we decided to go for it. As with any first feeding though, most of the food seemed to just dribble back out and down his chin. Not surprisingly, he got the hang of it eventually and that little mouth just kept opening up for more.