Wee Baby Schmitt: Andrew is SIX MONTHS OLD!!!!

"Paging Mister Personality! There he is, smiling, waving, talking, and entertaining anyone in his orbit. Your baby is also ready to explore a bit more, so beware his impulse to touch (and taste) everything and anything within his reach (including dog biscuits and poop!). He's probably able to bear weight on his legs when you hold him upright and may even be ready to hit the road, albeit at a crawl. Some little acrobats can pull themselves into a standing position or get into a sitting position when placed on their tummies. Stimulating your now-older baby requires new activities that'll help boost large and small motor skills as well as social, intellectual, and language skills. Get ready for the third round of immunizations (and remind your practitioner in advance of any previous reactions) at the 6-month checkup.

In other news, plenty of babies (really, not just yours) are still not sleeping through the night— so this may be a good time to consider some sleep strategies. Your growing baby may also be ready to make the move to the big bathtub: Start slowly (a dry run in the empty big tub can ease the way), and always practice safe tub-time. Nursing moms who have yet to offer a bottle might be in for a bit of a battle once you do, but there are ways to win over your picky man. If your baby's got teeth, it's not too soon to start brushing baby's teeth (with a baby toothbrush only, please). And speaking of teeth, the best way to keep your baby's choppers (and gums) in good shape is to avoid baby-bottle mouth (the result of falling asleep regularly with a bottle — or breast — in her mouth). What else is up? Perhaps your baby's appetite — so now's the time to consider dietary dos and don'ts, such as introducing new foods one at a time and avoiding certain foods altogether (steer clear of citrus fruits until the eighth month and honey until after her first birthday)."

--Whattoexpect.com

...Wow. Our little man is SIX MONTHS OLD today!!! SO insane.... I cannot believe it has been six whole months. Although in a way it seems like just yesterday we came home from the hospital with him.

New developments (I'm thinking this should be a regular occurrence on these posts from now on):

Sitting on his own, supporting himself on his hands-- he even catches himself if he begins to fall over and is now experimenting with letting go of the floor and sitting straight up!
He is getting EXTREMELY interested in solid foods. We really wanted to wait the full 6 months, and our pediatrician agrees so I think next week will be the week Andrew gets his first taste of Rice Cereal (organic o'course!) It is so cute, he stares open-mouthed as you eat and even reaches for the food. He is gonna gobble that cereal up haha!
STILL sleeping through the night. Funny how everyone says immediately "Wait 'til your next one"... what is with parents who constantly say things like that?? We know we are dang lucky, we say it all the time. If our next kid is nuts, whatever but can you let us enjoy our many blessings for a while without being pessimistic?? LOL
Andrew is now sleeping extremely well without a pacifier OR swaddle pod. And putting him down for bed is heart-achingly precious. We give him a sandwich kiss (which gives him the giggles), lay him down, I hold his arms up while Jesse swoops in with the blanket and tucks him in, and then we hold out his stuffed elephant. He smiles and reaches out for it and usually ends up smiling, gabbing away and waving the elephant around as we whisper good night and sneak out. SO sweet.
He reaches for things like a pro. My new favorite activity with him is to lean him up against the back of the couch and line toys up on the top. He reaches for things one by one and examines them.
He also ADORES this toy. We sit him up, hold it sideways in front of him and ask him to take each ring off by color. He looooves taking them off and examining/ tasting them and is starting to be interested in putting them back on but has not figured that one out yet.
Babbling!! Lots of bah-wah and ba-ba and even an om-nom here and there :)
He loves taking showers!!! After swimming or the beach, we wear our swimsuits in the shower, strip baby down and wash him off-- he can't stop grinning and chatting!
We THINK he is teething. For quite a while now he has been drooling buckets and chomping on his fingers but now he is starting to also chew on everything else he can get his hands one, has one or two white spots on his upper gums and really like cold teething rings. Also a bit more fussy and some grabbing his ears (yes we are on the lookout for signs of ear infections as well due to that last one)
He loves touching peoples faces.
He imitates sounds-- most recently, blowing raspberries The other day he and I blew them back and forth at each other :)
One of the funnest things is when you say something or make a sound or laugh-- he will stare SO fixedly at your mouth and then look up and grin or giggle until you do it again and then gets all focused on your mouth again. So clever. But I may be biased ;)
And last but not least, he stares intently at every page of every book we read him and even helps turn the pages!