Letter: Month Six

Dear E,

This week you turned six weeks old. It’s hard to be believe that you’ve been a part of our family for half of a year: the days have gone by so quickly and yet it feels like you’ve always been a part of us. Before I became pregnant with you the days, weeks, and months seemed to stream by in a blur. Don’t get me wrong – life was very good. I enjoyed my hobbies, my job, traveling, and spending time with your dad. But on some level it felt like the days were slipping through my fingers like sand. One week was much like the next.

But since you were born, every day is different and most of them are simply lovely. You have such a great sense of humor and are so good-natured. It’s interesting to introduce you to new things and see how you react.

Last weekend you had your first scare – when your dad unwrapped his birthday presents it freaked you out. Your eyes got so big at the noise and then your face crumpled up and you started crying. I would by lying if I said it wasn’t kind of funny. You settled down pretty quickly but continued to look distrustfully at the wrapping paper as if you were waiting for it to attack your dad again.

Hmm…other things you’ve been doing lately include your pacifier out of your mouth and staring at it like it was the most wondrous thing ever. You started grabbing your toes this month and bringing them to your mouth; it’s ridiculously cute. We got you a jumper that hangs from the doorway but you haven’t quite got the hang of it yet. You kind of list from side to side and slowly turn yourself around it in. But you continue to love standing on our laps and have started to creep forward on your tummy a little. But you still tire of being on your tummy after a while. It’s hard for you to hold up your giant noggin. I don’t blame you–your head is probably a solid fourth of your body. At your six-month checkup it measured 44.9 cm around, which puts it in the 75th percentile. You’re also a tall little guy. You measured 27 and 3/4 inches long (90%) and you weighed 18 lbs. and 1oz (50%).

This month there was some more health-related drama for you. Nothing too serious, you just had a bad flare of eczema on your face that was misdiagnosed and turned into a secondary infection. It took about 4 weeks and 3 trips to different doctors (one of them a pediatric dermatologist) to get it cleared up. At one point I had to give you two baths a day and then slather multiple creams all over you. And you took it so patiently. You’re such a trooper.

The days continue to quickly stream by but now every day is different because every day you’re different. And it is so much fun to watch you grow.

Love,

Mama