Dear Dempsey,
Wow. I don't even know where to begin. It is absolutely crazy to think that you have been around for a half a year already! In some ways it feels like you have been with your dad and I for so much longer, and in other ways it is truly hard to believe that 6 months have already flown by since the day you were born. Look how much you have grown in your chair!
And for a different perspective, look at you on the day you came home from the hospital compared to you at 6 months old in your car seat!
You've been hitting your developmental milestones like it's your job! :) You can now sit up on your own, which is not only impressive, but completely adorable! You are able to roll over back-front-back and front-back-front. You can cover a lot of ground while rolling, that's for sure! And speaking of covering a lot of ground - you love your walker from Grandma Tutu, Grandpa Jeff and Great Grandma Marge Kast! You are able to "walk" in it and can even turn corners in that bad boy! You have so much fun playing in your walker and it can keep your attention (with the right toys) for up to a half an hour!!
You no longer like your swing; or rather you don't like that you cannot swing while lying on your stomach. Whenever we put you in your swing these days you grab on the the sides near your head and try to fling yourself onto your tummy. It is funny to watch, but not very safe....so we are about to pack that bad boy up! It will be nice for us to move your swing out of the way because it along with your other toys and belongings take up a lot of space and our home has a pretty small living area!
You are on a pretty good schedule these days. You usually wake up around 7:30 in the morning and go down for your first nap between 9 and 9:30. You are on a two hour increment schedule. When you wake up from your naps (which are usually about 2 hours long) I feed you and then we play for about an hour and a half or an hour and forty five minutes and then you go back down for another nap. You go to bed between 6:30 and 7 most nights; which can be hard because your dad coaches soccer and on Tuesdays and Thursdays you guys sometimes don't get to see each other for very long (he also goes to work at 6am). It might seem like a strange schedule, but it works for our family and that's important!
You continue to love the outdoors and even when you are fussy, going outside proves to be a quick fix. You enjoy walks, hanging out watching the chickens, playing ball with Oakleigh, or just soaking in the nature around you. You also still like seeing all of our friends and family - which is good because you went to 4 weddings this year! Plus you've been to several happy hours, birthdays, and general family gatherings. Below is a picture of us the day before you turned 6 months old at Ellen and Ben's wedding in Evergreen, CO.
I made it to your six month birthday breastfeeding you! This was very important to me. I'm sure that some day you will think that it is silly or gross to think about me breastfeeding you, but really it is and was the best thing for you. By making it to the 6 month mark, I got your health off to an incredible start! I'm not sure how much longer I will be able to breastfeed you though. When we took you for your 6 month check-up with Dr. Albert we found out that you had only gained 11 ounces since your 4 month appointment. She told us that you needed more calories and that perhaps my milk supply had dropped and you weren't getting everything that you need from me. She recommended that we supplement you with at least two bottles a day of breast milk or formula. And, unfortunately, I'm not producing enough milk to make 8 extra ounces for you each day. So, we will probably be switching you to formula soon. It makes me a sad, but I know it is for the best. You still have a lot of growing to do and we can't inhibit you by not giving you enough milk! :)
Speaking of eating....you got to celebrate your 6 month birthday in style, with food all over your face!! You got to try your first solid food! We fed you avocado and you had some mixed reactions. But overall, you were very excited and had a lot of fun! I've done a lot of researching on introducing foods and using purees v. just small bites. We chose to give you small bites, but Dr. Albert said only mushy stuff on a spoon for now. I'm not completely in agreement, but she is the doctor, so we will stick to spoon feeding you for the time being. Since your 6 month birthday, you have also tried sweet potato and rice cereal. You didn't like the rice cereal until I mushed up some sweet potato and then you loved it! You loved it so much you were actually very demanding and crying and reaching for the spoon between each bite - we couldn't get it in your mouth fast enough! You are a very messy eater, much like your Grandpa Jeff so we'll see if you grow out of it. ;)
I'm sure there are a million other things that I could tell you since you change every day. But, I think this gives you a pretty good idea of what you have been up to lately! I have loved being your mom since the moment we found out that we were pregnant and from the day you entered this world you have made me so proud. You are an incredible kid and I love watching you grow! I love you to the moon and back.
Love,
Your Mom
