Abraham at six months

I call him my sunshine.

My sweet Abraham is the happiest baby I know. And he loves me so much.

My birth experience with him was gentle and peaceful. He has smiled at me every day since he was a few days old. He was easy to figure out as a newborn (thank you, Priscilla Dunstan method!) and we have had a good stride going for months now. His nap schedule isn't perfect, but it's pretty good. When he wakes at the wrong times during the day, I take advantage of the moments to cuddle or read and pray with him.

He loves to read books with me. He sits in my lap while I hold the books and read aloud. He then turns the pages and offers commentary, sometimes quite loudly. He loves to read with Rilla too, either sitting in the big recliner in her bedroom or sitting in their respective bumbo and booster chairs together on the floor of the living room.

He loves to roll around naked. I suppose most babies do, but Abraham is particularly gleeful about grabbing his toes and rolling from side to side as soon as I take his diaper off. He isn't quite sitting up unsupported yet, but he's close. He only rolls from back to stomach, not stomach to back. He can go the other way too, but he usually forgets about that option.

He loves to bounce. It might be his favorite thing to be supported by two loving adult arms and to bounce himself up and down until the adult's arms are totally worn out. He just bounces up and down, up and down, grinning and grinning and grinning. (I had a feeling well before he was born that he would love bouncing. I was right. Mom intuition is an odd thing.)

Abraham adores his daddy. Even with Keith being away so much right now, he recognizes him instantly and gets such a big grin when he sees him. He learned to say "da da da" in the last week or so, and he says it constantly now. If we say "da da" or "daddy," he starts up again. He says it in all tones and pitches, usually starting with a low, cheerful "da da da da da" and briefly rising to a shrieking "DA DA DA!" before settling back into a mellow "da da" and then tapering off. He's brilliant, I tell you.

He adores Rilla, too. They play so well together. He usually plays in her crib for a while in the morning, and plays on the floor while she plays next to him, and sits in the bumbo chair on the table while the solid food eaters of the family have their breakfast. He usually has a plethera of items clutched in his strong little grasp during all of this. For somebody who looks so mellow, the speed with which he reaches out to grab a toy, a book, or his sister's hair is rather startling.

I love how much our children love each other. There have been a few altercations lately, mostly caused by misunderstandings... Rilla joyously jamming her toothbrush down Abe's throat in an attempt to brush his teeth, Abe's fingers accidentally closing with an iron grip on her wispy hair... but they give each other a hug and kiss before and after each nap time, and they are equally delighted to cuddle and read and enjoy one another's company most of the time. Abraham lights up as soon as his sister enters a room, and Rilla asks about her brother as soon as she wakes up.

He goes to bed every night in his lovely non-toxic crib with the organic crib mattress and organic sheets and all that, but by 3:00 am or so, he is on our less healthy bed, where he cuddles with me for the rest of the night. I love that. It makes up for not getting to hold him nonstop during the day. Rilla was out of our room at two months, and that was fine and good, but Abraham is still in our room at six months. Partially that's because Rilla's bedroom for her first year was still only eight steps from our bed, and Abraham's (eventual) bedroom will be across the house from us. Mostly he is still in our room just because we haven't gotten around to moving all the storage stuff out of his bedroom, but I do love the additional closeness.

I still swaddle him to sleep. Not tightly, of course. He has plenty of room to kick his legs, and has since his first month. But he still sleeps best when his arms are pinned to his sides. The huge swaddling blankets that we bought for him are barely big enough to wrap him up in, and they are wearing out, but he still wants to be swaddled. I'm sure he'll outgrow it eventually, but it is funny to wrap up a twenty-pound-baby like he's a newborn.

I still rock him to sleep, too. Or bounce with him, depending on the need. But he goes to sleep quickly, and I love that time of getting to hold him and cuddle him. He still chuckles a bit and smiles on occasion while drifting off to dreamland.

It is hard to believe that my little son is six months old as of yesterday. He is developing so beautifully. I love watching Abraham make new discoveries every day. I love that he loves his family. I love his beautiful bright eyes and chubby little body and especially his broad grin that still makes my heart melt like warm butter fifty times a day.

I love this little sunshine of mine!