My incredibly active, energetic and smiley little man is SIX months old. Chase is officially old enough for me to see newborns out and about and get that pang of nostalgia for the early days when Chase was itty bitty and would fall asleep on my chest while we binge-watched Grey’s Anatomy and nursed every 2.5 seconds.
Though the snuggly days were very special to me in their own way, I must admit that this phase is my favorite so far. Of course I miss Chase’s little piglet baby grunts and the way he’d doze off in my arms, but his contagious giggles, constant flirty smiles, excitable kicks and high-pitched squeals of excitement are way more fun. (We call him “DinoBaby” because his screeches sounds like some kind of a pterodactyl.)
Chase is so animated and lively that when he finally calms down enough to sleep or nurse, I can practically feel my heart stop and eyes get teary as I look at my peaceful baby and know that these days are so darn fleeting. It’s cheesy and likely eye-roll inducing to read, but it’s also so, so true. I can only imagine that the next six months will pass as quickly as these last six months and before I know it my squishy little baby will be a toddler. Ah!
At six months, Chase has such personality and is so engaged during playtime. We feel like we’re really able to play with him at this age and I love watching his determination as he attempts new skills. He stiffens his whole body and grunts up a storm! Chase also smiles so much which is so rewarding to me as a mother. It feels wonderful to have positive feedback from my tiny little guy and when he smiles and giggles while we play, there’s nothing better!
Sleep
Slowly but surely, sleep seems to be improving! I think I stressed myself out WAY too much in the beginning by reading tons of sleep books that had me absolutely convinced that my baby should be sleeping through the night at an early age and napping for hours and hours on end. Once I let that feeling go, I relaxed a bit and started rolling with the punches.
Chase still nurses roughly two times in the middle of the night. He’s very tall but also a very lightweight little dude and in the past my mama instincts told me to keep feeding him at night because his nighttime nursing sessions continue to be some of his longest and best feeding sessions. (I’ll get a good night’s sleep eventually, right!?)
At yesterday’s 6-month pediatric visit, our doctor encouraged me to work toward dropping his nighttime feedings to make our life easier in the future, since now is apparently when babies begin establishing habits and start to learn to expect food in the middle of the night if they continue to be fed every time they cry out. Wish me luck on working toward this one!
I’ve also started to try NOT to get Chase out of his crib in the morning unless he wakes up happy. When Chase wakes up crying before 6 a.m. he usually just needs more sleep. Once I realized that taking a fussy baby out of his crib to start the day never seemed to work well (he’d end up going down for a much-needed nap 30 – 45 minutes later), it dawned on me that I was probably interrupting what was likely a continuation of his nighttime sleep.
Now if Chase wakes up fussy before 6 a.m., I’ll try to let him fuss a little and he’ll typically grab his paci and go back to sleep or if he’s really fussing, I’ll go in and nurse him and put him back in his crib and he’ll often return to sleep for another hour. This is AMAZING for my morning productivity! This mama is FINALLY able to finish a full cup of coffee in the mornings on occasion and the ability to begin some work before Chase is up for the day is fantastic. It still doesn’t happen all the time, but even if it only happens a few mornings a week, it feels like a small victory.
Feeding
We’re in a bit of a groove with breastfeeding right now which is great. There are still days when it feels like a battle (mainly if I’m trying to feed him on the go and not in the quiet calm of his nursery), but I feel fortunate to feel like we’re hitting a bit of a stride right now. Chase is still extremely distractible and everyone close to me knows that they basically cannot speak to me if I’m feeding Chase around them because the minute I begin talking, he’ll come off my breast, start cooing and immediately want to play.
Chase has also started doing some hilariously adorable things during our feeding sessions that I made sure to write down in his baby book because I want to remember them forever since they make me smile so big. (Side note: I just started Chase’s baby book this month. Oops. Hopefully the past monthly recaps I’ve shared on this blog will help me fill in the blanks for the first five months of his life.)
When Chase is feeding, the hand that is closest to my face will often start exploring my neck, face, nose, lips and mouth. Chase will remain latched but his tiny hand is all over the place which cracks me up! He’ll also start pounding his little fist while he’s eating sometimes which is way too amusing.
And here are a few random things I’ve noticed related to my body’s response to breastfeeding this month:
- When I eat a lot of oatmeal, I truly do notice an increase in the amount of milk my body produces.
- Breastfeeding hunger is REAL. I can tell when Chase is eating more or going through a growth spurt because all of the sudden I will feel ravenous for a few days. I’ve noticed a need to constantly snack all the time while breastfeeding anyway, but sometimes my hunger is so intense that I’ll find myself eating peanut butter or something else in the middle of the night because nursing makes me so hungry!
- Sugar is a beast… and I want it all the time. Nursing mamas, do you feel like your sweet tooth is even more intense when you’re breastfeeding? This could also be my diet (I’ve never been one to shy away from sweets…) and I’m wondering if I need to be better about saying no to sugar-laden foods since I know eating sugar makes me crave sugar. It’s a vicious cycle. Whyyy is sugar so darn delicious? #GimmeAllTheCookies
A few of you asked if we are starting to introduce Chase to solids and the answer is yes! Right when Chase hit six months, we started introducing organic whole grain rice cereal and he’s done really well with it so far! He doesn’t eat a ton of it at one time (maybe four spoonfuls?), but he opens his mouth, mushes it around and swallows, so I consider that a victory! He also really wants to touch the cereal and play with it while he eats which makes feeding quite the messy experience.
Likes
- Sticking out his tongue
- People (He is such a little flirt and smiles up a storm at anyone and everyone these days!)
- Bath time with Dad (Chase cracks us up during bath time. He doesn’t smile during his nightly baths but has the most serious look of concentration on his face as he kicks up a storm and splashes in his tiny tub!)
- When someone jiggles toys over his head
- Watching Sadie
- Cold soda cans and water bottles (Every time I drink a can of LaCroix around Chase, he reaches for it and wants to mouth it!)
- My sweatshirt hoodie strings (He loves pulling on them and putting them in his mouth.)
- Playing around in his activity jumper
- Standing up (Supported, obviously)
- Outside/Anywhere NEW
- Petting things/New fabrics
Dislikes
- The 5 o’clock hour (Always a battle…)
- Getting dressed (BLESS YOU, zipper onesies!)
- Any one activity for more than 15 minutes (This boy needs variety)
- Having his nose and face wiped
Six Month Favorites
PLAY
We’ve had some new toy discoveries this month that Chase seems to love! Here are a few of his new favorites:
- Manhattan Toy Color Burst Rattle (Three of my friends have this toy for their little ones and gave it rave reviews. We ordered it on Amazon and it was an instant hit!)
- Jelly Strands Baby Teething Necklace
- Nuby Icybite Teether (This was a gift from my friend Leah and Chase LOVES it when we put it in the freezer and he has something cold to chew on!)
And here are some tried and true favorites from the past few months:
- Tagies Monkey
- Baby Einstein Octoplush
- Oball
- Skip Hop Activity Mat
- Baby Einstein Activity Jumper
- Baby Einstein Take Along Musical Toy
- Chicco TRE Stroller
- Chicco Bravo Stroller
- Pottery Barn Stroller Blanket
SLEEP + EAT
New favorites:
Past favorites we still adore:
- SkipHop Portable Changing Station (Great for travel!)
- Wubbanubs
- Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit
- myBaby Sound Machine
- Motorola Baby Monitor
- Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth, M.D.
- Hands Free Pumping Bra
- Nipple Shield
Past Baby Updates
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He is getting so big!!! WHAT a cutie!!
So cute!!!! Sleep will get better with time as you said! My little man took until 11 months before we were consistent on sleeping through the night. Then teething hit so I don’t know if I would say we really have EVER been completely consistant but those few months were we did sleep through the night were amazing! I had friends and other family members who told me it took their kids 3 weeks-2 months and something was wrong. I finally realized every kid was just different!
Oh my gosh, that first picture is heart-melting… <3 SO precious!
Breastfeeding hunger is so real! I eat so much more breastfeeding than I ever did pregnant! Chase is doing great and he’s such a cutie!
I am still nursing my 18 month old and she still wakes up MON so I typically nurse her back to sleep. Did you know that babies can nurse for food or also nurse without getting the milk to letdown so just for comfort – breastfeeding is so fascinating to me! I can tell when my daughter eats while nursing in the MON vs just for comfort. 🙂 so cool!
Also – have you looked into baby-led weaning?? It has nothing to do with weaning from the breast but how you introduce food – I think you would really appreciate the concept and it is actually much easier than baby food. I’ve always taken the “food before one is just for fun” approach – since once you start introducing solids, the BF and food combo was always stressful for me! Also, if you notice any stomach discomfort or issues with Chase’s sleep after the rice cereal – you may want to hold off as it can be difficult for little ones to digest. We started with banana and avacado and it was great knowing the food she was getting was just whole food!! 🙂
My little guy is 7 months (this past Sunday!) and it’s so fun to read about you and Chase going through the same things as me and my little Max 🙂
So cute! I have a question from yesterday’s post. What primer and foundation or powder do you use?
Also the yurbuds you like are on sale at target right now for 17.99!
Just encouragement on the sleep front…it will happen. My little guy (now 19 months) was nursed at night until about 11-12 months. The doctors told us at 4m to drop night feedings but for my sanity I kept them and now i can look back and comfortably say I did the right thing for myself and my kid. Don’t put the pressure on yourself if you need the sleep and he goes right back to sleep. It won’t last forever and it will get better. Like previous comment said…once we got over the nursing, the teething started and then the night dreams…it is always something!!!
The breastfeeding hunger is real! Its funny because I ate pretty normally for the first few months and then all of a sudden I could just not get enough food. And the chocolate cravings are insatiable. I too find myself scarfing food in the middle of the night because I’m so hungry. I also went through a period where I was determined to sleep train (after months of saying I would NEVER sleep train) and, like you, things got better when I accepted that I have a night time nursling for the time being. I love reading your updates-there is no eye rolling over here! Being a first time Mom makes everything new and incredibly exciting. Don’t apologize for that!
He is such a cutie! If you find a way to cut out nighttime nursing please share! My 8 month old has yet to make it through the night without nursing. It’s usually only one feeding, but I know she doesn’t need it. We’ve tried cry it out but my girl has some stamina and while she will fall back asleep, she wakes up shortly after and continues to cry until she gets a boob.
He’s so adorable! I love reading all about him. No kiddos yet for me but hopefully soon 🙂
oh my gosh this post is cute. My friend is pregnant now and I told her about your blog and keep an eye on the Baby section! 😀
Oh my goodness he is SO cute!
So great to hear about your breastfeeding experience, thanks for sharing! I am currently BF my third, she is two months old. My second baby breastfed for nine months which felt like a huge accomplishment because I work full time, pumping all day. When I got home he was so used to bottles he didn’t want the boob anymore. 🙁 It’s great you get to stay home with your boy, and he is feeding so well. I know the entire time I was BF, my baby woke up at least twice a night to feed. Ah, babies. I will say that it passes quickly and so I am trying to enjoy it while it lasts. But I know it doesn’t come without its hardships. I miss a long night’s (uninterrupted) sleep. Love your blog!!
If you are interested in Baby Led Weaning, the BLW cookbook is definitely worth it. The recipes in there are legitimately good (ie, we’ll continue making them after our BLW days are behind us), and they work for littles who are working on their pincer grip and may not have enough teeth to eat just anything. Highly recommend.
What an adorable little boy! Precious and happy 🙂 I have an almost 7-month old and can always relate to your baby posts!
We have several Nuby teethers (love them!) and I read somewhere along the way that they shouldn’t be placed in the freezer, only the fridge. I don’t remember the reason why, but I thought I’d pass this along in case you want to look into it and maybe start putting yours in the fridge instead.
Does Chase still sleep in his Magic Sleep Suit? My dau is 5 months and still has to be fully swaddled.
We’re doing Organic Whole Grain Oatmeal Cereal instead of Rice with our 7 month old. I’ve heard from a few people, including our Ped. that it’s a little better for them. The rice is more of a wasted calorie than the oatmeal!
Ha – I guess I am not alone in binge watching Grey’s on leave! And YESSSS to the La Croix can facination! My guy is only 4 months and reaches and grabs for the can everytime. He is ok getting dressed (and LOVE getting undressed) until you try to put his arms through sleeves – what is with that? Unfortunately for him, we live in Chicago so will be in sleeves for the forseeable future….fun times!
He is seriously so handsome!! My daughter will be 3 in August and I seriously find myself saying “no, THIS is my favorite stage”, so I completely understand when you say that! Each stage has their fun but I really do mean it when I say 2 1/2 is my favorite stage (until 3) 😉
I think coming to peace with how your baby sleeps is a HUGE win! Even though we’ve been blessed with Adeline being a great sleeper (9-10 hours straight!) I still tell people that hesitantly, because I genuinely try to take it night by night, and know that some nights she might wake up, and to not be surprised or worried or angry! I also try to tell my friends who respond to me saying that “how do you get her to sleep so long????” I always try to say ok well, she DOES to go school all day, so she’s extra tired at night, and she’s been sleeping good stretches since about a month old, and I think she’s just gotten into a solid routine. Some nights on rare occasions she’ll wake up at 3 am and just want mommy, especially if she’s going through a developmental leap of some sort. But anyways, all babies sleep differently, and all babies have their own points of struggle. For us, she may sleep great, but she’s got acid reflux and I have to watch her like a hawk when she’s playing on her back during the day, so she’s almost always propped up in a bouncer or swing instead. Chase is so cute, and remember that these days are going quick, and someday you’ll miss spending those extra early hours with him nursing and rocking 🙂 I even have nights where I secretly hope she wakes up just so I can cuddle with her a little extra! I’m also just waiting for a major sleep regression, I’m sure it will hit me like a ton of bricks, ha! But maybe not. Night by night, no sense in worrying about what might happen! Good luck, Julie! You’re such a great mom!
Oh my goodness, I am SO MUCH HUNGRIER now that I am breastfeeding versus when I was pregnant. My daughter is only 6 1/2 weeks, and I frequently find myself enjoying my morning oats/peanut butter at her 3am feeding instead of waiting until we are both up for good!
Aww! Chase looks so happy and cute! Good job mama!
He has such beautiful blue eyes, Julie! It must be fun to see Chase developing a personality like a little human now!
What a relief to read your comment about sugar! Yes, same here…I’ve never craved sugar like this before in my life. I work full-time and fortunately/unfortunately there are always sweets around the office.
I try to eat intuitively but it’s hard to believe my body NEEDS this much sugar!
My daughter is 7 months old and still nurses 3-4 times during the night. I think you get what you get in terms of your baby’s sleep habits. Some things can help, but to some degree you just have to wait out this stage if you don’t have a great napper/sleeper.
Do research on “dream feedings”, usually around 10PM or so. It can help him make it through the night. Worked like a charm for my daughter at 6 months.
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Whisperer-Solves-Your-Problems/dp/0743488946/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455120808&sr=8-1&keywords=the+baby+whisperer
My little girl is 5 months and I could live on sugar and anything sweet! It truly feels like an addiction!
OMG HE IS A LITTLE MAN! Look at that first picture… he’s breaking hearts all over the world already!
So glad you guys are getting into a routine. And I secretly love the idea that you only get him up if he wakes up happy. I don’t have children yet, but I’m kind of thinking that we should all live by that mentality.
Love that he’s growing up happy, healthy, and loved. Smiles all around. :o)
I love his smile! What a sweetie!
Such a cutie!! 🙂
Aww!! Happy 6 months to Chase!! He is such a cutie!!! Love these posts!
Chase sounds so similar to my 5 month old! I feel ya on the early morning wake ups. On Saturday and Sundays I bring her into bed with me and she sleeps an extra hour or two. I must admit I love it too! Curious to see how dropping a nighttime feeding goes. I still get up to feed her twice nightly too and since she is a small baby I feel like I still need to do that because like you said she eats the best at night. Also the SUGAR cravings!!!! I’m so glad I’m not the only one!
I have a 7 month old who sounds a lot like chase!! very active and small! she crawled at 51/2 months. she still eats 1-2 times a night. but she eats up a storm! go with your mom instincts on feeding him at night, you know him best not your dr! also try acacados for evening time food. with all the fat it keeps them full longer. also so easy on there tummy. I just mix it with breastmilk and she eats it up! I’m baffled why rice cereal is the go too for baby’s. it’s so fun to read about chase! she is a cutie.
He is too, too cute!! 6 months! It goes SO fast.
So precious!! And I totally feel you on the hunger thing. Every time my little guy (8.5mo) goes through a growth spurt I find myself SOOO incredibly hungry!! I definitely had a major sugar craving early on, but in the last few months it has gotten a lot better. I’m not sure whether that’s just because I’ve been consciously eating less of it, or because we’ve finally moved past that phase.
I think you are doing the right thing Julie by feeding Chase at night, even if it’s just once. Chase was very small at birth and is still small weight wise, the extra calories are definitely beneficial for him! Always trust your instincts!
Oh wow! Little Chase sounds so much like my 9 month old daughter! She would and still does that touching and feeling while nursing…except now, she sometimes grabs and pinches really hard during her last feeding before bed. I don’t know if it’s part of her being tired and cranky, but it hurts! She also loves baths and HATES getting dressed. She literally cries more getting her PJs on than when she gets shots. She also loves my sweatshirt strings and water bottles. Now that she’s crawling and walking in her walker and with her push toy, she doesn’t want anything to do with her bouncer…”mom that was soooo 2 months ago!” 😉
Oh and the sugar addiction while breastfeeding is definitely REAL! I blame it on the sleep deprivation and wanting/needing that extra boost.
6 months is such a fun age! He is so cute! My little girl is 2 and it seriously seems like just yesterday she was Chase’s age. It makes me super excited to have a little boy in May. 🙂
The first picture that you posted looks exactly like Ryan!! Dont worry, you will get a full night’s sleep again! Good luck with everything! You are doing such an amazing job and give yourself a pat on the back for such great work! It’s hard work being a mama but also the most rewarding!!
He is such a cutie!!
That first picture is frame-worthy
Hey Julie-do you primarily nurse Chase or do you use bottles more often now? I am due any day now and hope to breast feed as well. Just wondering when you introduced a bottle/started pumping and how often you do both? Thanks!!! ???
Oh my gosh, Chase sounds just like my son! I know if Cullen wakes up fussy/crying he hasn’t had enough sleep either, but man can it be a battle to get him back down. . .usually we lose. And Cullen kind of just started sleeping through the night at 15 months but it isn’t very consistent yet. I sure would like my sleep back soon! Our pediatrician encouraged us to night wean him at 6 months too, but after 2 attempts of the Ferber method for 2 weeks each time, I gave up. He just won’t be getting a sibling anytime soon! Ha!
I just have to say I smiled a bit when I saw you used the term “paci”! Everyone I know refers to a paci as a binky and as a toddler i knew it as “paci,” and nobody else knows what i’m talking about!
I call it a paci also!
Adorable!
I was going to comment about the rice cereal as well. The rice cereal is so processed and stripped of any nutrition. The Earth’s Best products are great for the different varieties of whole grain oatmeal. Doctor’s don’t always know about nutrition so they won’t tell you this kind of stuff. I thought Lucie’s List was a great blog for baby info. I’m happy to hear that you waited till Chase was 6 months old before giving him food. You’re doing a great job and he is a super cute baby!
I LOVE reading your updates on Chase! My baby girl is only a month older and it’s fun to see the similarities and differences in them!
Also, I’m with ya on the sweet tooth craving! I have been loving my sweet tea in an unnatural way lately.
Thanks for sharing!
It’s crazy how much your little guy reminds me of my little gal (5 months 1 week). She’s so smiley and incredibly active – just like Chase! She’s also long and lean (something like 90th percentile for height and 10th percentile for weight – makes me nervous at times, but she’s so healthy otherwise!). She’s soooo distracted while breastfeeding (goodbye talking on the phone or to other people in the room or watching Netflix while nursing), and I can’t believe how hard it is to dress her already. I wonder what it’s going to be like when she can crawl / walk and not just kick / roll – yikes! SO.MUCH.FUN, though. 🙂
I craved sugar soooo much when nursing my youngest son. We had a ton of m&ms around the house because he was born around Easter and I was hitting them hard. Pretty sure my inlaws thought I was crazy. Then I read on pioneer woman how to make iced coffee in the fridge….and how she puts sweetened condensed milk in her coffee and it was game over! That stuff was great!! But yeah….eventually I had to wean myself off it lol I think as he started eating more solids and nursing less I started craving less sugar. Good luck with the sleeping schedule! That can be rough. Parting books in general are hard because each recommends something different and sometimes they have conflicting information…and each child is so different that what works for one won’t for the next. Sleeping books are really tough because there are some experts who are really against crying it out and some that are for it….and hello mama guilt!! Trust your gut – sounds like you’re doing great!
Love this update! He is the cutest little guy and you are the sweetest mommy!!!!! Ours little guy will be here in two months or less, so needless to say this post melts my heart!