To Noah at 6 months

Noah,

Happy six month-aversary of your birth! The last six months seem to have flown by and I am astounded by how much you've grown and how much you've changed. When we brought you home you were a mere larva, and now you are like a real little boy. In the last couple of months you have started making consonant sounds, sitting up with support, and eating solid foods. And you are quite an eater! We haven't discovered anything you won't eat and every meal ends in whimpering because you would prefer to eat until you explode Though you haven't started creeping yet you love to roll around on the floor and reach for things in your vicinity. Your favorite toys are your Exersaucer, linking rings, water bottles and granola bar wrappers. You like your picture books and being read to but nothing is quite as exciting as watching Daddy play guitar. And I can't forget the cats! You LOVE to get your hands on Parker and Spy. Sometimes you will squeal, chatter, and stomp your feet just because you have caught sight of one of them. And though they do their damndest to say out of your grasping claws, they are still fond enough of you to always want to be where you are.

We had your six-month check-up with Dr. Ronin today. You HATE that crinkly paper on the exam table. Every time we had to set you on it you started to cry - and you cry so rarely now that I knew you meant business. I have to admit I'm not a big fan of the feeling of it on my skin either. You are 27 inches long, which puts you in the 60 percentile for length and you have a 17.5 inch head. At only 15 pounds even you are only in the 20 percentile for weight - which means you are long and lean like your Daddy. You carry all your pudge in your chin (like me) and in your doughy thighs. Dr. Ronin said you were right on developmentally and gave us some suggestions for getting you to fall asleep on your own without being rocked, giving you more finger food and introducing some formula into your diet.

My developmental guide says that you should be able to recognize your name soon but I fear that isn't possible - because we rarely use it. You get a new nickname everyday. But most commonly I call you Schmoo, your Dad calls your Boobert and Gram calls you Beebop. Your father and I were feeling a bit of regret about your name recently because we found out that Noah had become such a popular name lately. I have never met a Noah so I had assumed it was quite rare - but we have since learned that isn't the case. We hope you aren't one of three Noah's in your class.

The last month has been a tough one because we have been back and forth to Gram's house (or whatever we decide to call my mom) because her husband Larry has been quite ill. You spent a fair bit of time in the hospital cheering up your Gram and everyone who caught a glimpse of you. I couldn't believe how calm you stayed despite spending hours in a hospital room - but you're always so taken with new sights, sounds and people that you were mesmerized just to be someplace new. Your gigantic eyes try to take it all in.

I didn't think it possible but I know I love you more today than on the day you were born. Your easy smile and hearty laugh bring such incredible joy to my life and I love watching you as you discover the world. I had feared that not returning to work would be hard for me but I have to admit that my most challenging day at home with you is far more fun and fulfilling than even my best day doing pointless office paperwork. Thank you for spending your days with me!

With undying unconditional love today and always, Mom