Dear Nico,
i cannot believe how quickly this half year has passed. not that i should be surprised that the days have piled on top of each other like they always do to move time forward despite my protests. yet here i am still bewildered. i wish i could hit the pause button and keep you here for a few extra months because i am enjoying your babyhood so much.
you are so damn cute and smiley, your every interaction with the world brimming with innocence and wonder. life for you is a leisurely series of naps, feedings, games, baths, books, kisses and a stable bevy of adults who will act like idiots to make you laugh. and that's exactly what it should be for you and anyone else who is 6 months old. hell, it's what i wish my life was at 39.
we had a pretty good month together as a family, punctuated by many more firsts for you -- and some for us. we took our first family trip: an extended weekend of planes, trains, automobiles, light rail and even a boat ride. you handled your first time on each of these expertly (as long as you were being held). your daddy and i handled them with double the baggage, as is customary when traveling with children.
seriously, kid, even though you are just a 19-pound meatloaf with no neck, the five-day trip required us to bring your car seat, car seat base, stroller, diaper bag, 25 diapers, 10 outfits, 2 jackets, your sleep suit, baby bjorn carrier, white noise machine, several toys, hats, a first aid kit and a few blankets. and even then i was bemoaning the fact that we left one of your favorite teethers at home.
we visited Seattle, where your daddy was eager to take you to the Star Wars exhibit at the EMP Museum, and Portland, where i was eager for you to meet your cousins. we ate yummy food, visited a few breweries, went to the top of the Space Needle, took a daylong sailing trip on the Columbia River and saw a waterfall. you remained your cheery self through all of it, save a few screaming sprees when you skipped naps and became overtired.
all in all, we had a fabulous time and have vowed to take more trips while you can still fly for free as a passenger on my lap, where you slept during both flights, my nearly naked boob dangling near your face. your daddy and i especially welcomed the break from our household routines -- or perhaps "clawed toward that weekend as though we were escaping a burning building" is more accurate.
not that we are miserable at home. we just sometimes get tired by all of our mundane responsibilities, so the change of scenery was needed to help buoy us through the next long stretch of the same scenery. you seemed to enjoy the new scenery as well, marveling at all the exquisite nature that is inherent in the Pacific Northwest, nature that may inspire us to switch cities one day if your daddy has his way.
you particularly enjoyed the waterfall at Multnomah Falls. all displays of water interest you, in fact, so much so that when you get pissy, i've taken to walking you to the kitchen sink and turning on the faucet, which instantly quiets your crankiness and makes your owl eyes widen with fascination. your booster seat is now strategically placed near the faucet so you get a perfect view whenever dishes are being washed. it is a better babysitter than the TV.
your eating of solids has really picked up this month, though not as much as i thought it would as you still prefer the boob above all else and claw for it after every serving of solids to make sure your all-access pass has not been revoked. to date, you've sampled poi, banana, apple, carrot, avocado and sweet potato. you seem to like banana the best, the food i craved most when i was pregnant. you have decided you no longer like avocado and make a choking face like we are trying to feed you lemons whenever it's served.
your biggest discovery this month is the concept of things being inside other things. you now understand that your toys are in a bin and to access them you must reach inside or tip the bin over. you also understand that there are spaces inside the holes in my face, spaces you are determined to explore, usually while nursing. i mistook this at first for you sweetly caressing my cheek, but it quickly devolved into your fingers deep diving into my nose and mouth to tug at my teeth and tongue before trying to pull my lips off. we are now teaching you the concept of "gentle."
i think i am seeing more of your personality emerge -- and liking what i see. overall, you are a happy soul, particularly in the mornings when i come scoop you out of your crib and am always greeted with squeals, outstretched arms and a gummy grin. you seem eager and optimistic about each new day, a stark contrast to the end of each day, which usually finds you grumpy, impossible to please and demanding to be held, leading me to believe that you are a morning person.
you also seem like a social person, curious about new people and environments, which render you mute and bright-eyed until you figure out the scene, loosen up and begin your normal routine of babbling, grabbing at everything and trying to hang upside down. you play independently well and sometimes get a faraway look in your eyes when you're stuck in the car seat and looking at the changing scenery through the window, leading me to believe that you are quite the little daydreamer.
you're observant, more verbal than physical (for now) and very affectionate. your hands always land on top of my own when i'm touching you, and you never seem to tire of cuddles, smiling whenever you hear me say "kisses" before i start the smooch attack on your neck and torso. you've even begun giving hugs and burrowing your giant head into my neck when you're feeling shy or tired, prompting me to wrap my arms around you and press your little body against mine for as long as i can.
i promise to never be the first to pull away.
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