6 Months!

My little man is 6 months old!

New Stats:
Weight: 14 lbs. 10 oz. (between 5-10%ile)
Height: 26 inches (25%ile)

New Nickname: Baby J
Brian was telling me about a movie one night that has an character named G Baby. To keep a long story short, we started talking about it and before we knew it, Jackson's new nickname was "Baby J." Plus, it works well because it's easy for Chyler to say.

Good News: I am happy to report that Jackson no longer needs his acid reflux medicine AND is no longer dairy sensitive!

Sleep Habits:
Days
Jackson falls asleep independently for all naps (meaning no binky anymore)! After I lay him down, he usually cries for about 20 seconds and then stops.

Nights
Jackson also falls asleep independently for bedtime each night.

Despite being able to do this for naps and bedtime, he did not apply this skill to the middle of the night! For the past 3 months (since I moved him to a port-crib), he has been waking up at least two to three times every night. At 5 1/2 months, I finally decided "no more." I knew he wasn't hungry, just that he when he woke up (which every person does in the middle of the night; adults just don't remember) he didn't know how to put himself back to sleep. So after receiving some encouragement on Facebook, I let Jackson cry himself back to sleep the first time he woke up after going to bed (but continued to get up with him the other times he woke up). It took a good week or so, but soon he was applying what he learned all through the night. Now I usually just get up with him once in the night for a feeding. The doctor said he doesn't need a night time feeding anymore, but I figured I'd continue for a while longer.

Eating:
Since I am blessed to stay-at-home with my kids, Jackson is breastfed. It's a good thing too because he won't drink formula. (I haven't tried a ton, but the few times and brands I have tried, he won't take). Thankfully, he will take a bottle of breast milk. So if I know I'm going out, I just pump.

We recently started solids and he's a much better eater than Chyler was! It's been so nice to give him food without him spitting it out. I've been pleasantly surprised that he likes veggies more than fruits, so far anyway!

Here he is the first time I fed him solids!
It took a little getting used to.

Movement:
Jackson's neck has always been a little weak. For the first few months of his life, he held his head at an angle. But thankfully his neck has gotten stronger on its own and he holds his head up straight now. That being said, he is NOT a fan of tummy time. With daily practice though, he can hold his head up for a few minutes at at time. No crawling anytime soon though (which I'm ok with :)

No consistent rolling yet. He's making progress by making it to his side though, so I'm sure it's coming soon. At Jackson's doctor's appointment today, he recommended that Jackson have more tummy time and that I practice helping him sit up independently.

Things Jackson Loves:
Jackson is a naturally happy baby, but there are a few things that really get him smiling and giggling:
Chyler (so precious to watch), being thrown in the air, hearing Mama's singing, when we blow on his tummy, being tickled, and getting Daddy's kisses.

We LOVE the addition Jackson has made to our family!
He is the sweetest little guy you can imagine. He can lighten any sour mood and make anyone smile.
We're so grateful he's here and a part of our family.