6 months!

Can you believe I have been here for 6 months already? Mommy sure can't! Although I am 6 months old today, I do not return to the doctor until the 20th. The past month I have been growing even more, and mommy and daddy are very anxious to see how much I now weigh. (Edit: At the doctor, I weighed in at 18 lb, 10 oz and measured 27 1/2 inches tall). I have been practicing both sitting up and rolling over. I can sit up with no support very well for 20 - 30 seconds, sometimes even longer. My balance is getting better every day! This past week I began rolling over more than ever. Every time mommy lies me on my back, I immediately roll to my stomach. The only problem with this is I still dislike being on my stomach very much, so after I roll over I scream and scream until somebody helps me roll the other way. I have 2 teeth in the bottom of my mouth and mommy says more are coming soon. This teething thing is rough, but I'm not too difficult to handle. In fact, mommy and daddy feel continually blessed by my positive demeanor.

Here are some pictures of my adventures over the past month:
We call these first 3 "Adventures in sitting up"





Spending time with my cousins at Nina's house

I love to play the piano!
Look at me concentreate on the music while I play
I'm 6 months old today!
Now that I can sit up, I can play in this fun saucer toy. I mostly like to teethe on the plastic ball. Yes, that is the Cardinals vs Brewers game in the background. The Cards won 8 - 0 sweeping the 1st place team!

Mommy washed me up in the laundry and changed my clothes =)

I had to add this one to show everyone how cool I look in my favorite (not to mention only) pair of sunglasses.


Of all the growing and happiness in life, our family has also faced a tragedy. My Grandpa Herman passed away suddenly on July 25th. He loved me so very much, and I loved the time I spent with him. He loved to hold me and rock in the living room, something I am told he also did with all of my big cousins when they were babies. The week before he passed, daddy, mommy, and I saw him more frequently than usual. He visited us at home 3 times that week. He said, "Your face and that smile are the last things I see before I go to bed at night. I dream about that baby's smile." He also kept a picture of me in his wallet and showed it to everybody. When daddy went through his wallet, he found the picture very worn as it had obviously been taken in and out many times. During the week, we bought a new leather couch for the living room which grandpa helped daddy move into the house. It was a very difficult job as the couch measured larger than the width of the door frame. Alone mommy and daddy would have given up, but not grandpa. He figured out exactly how to get it inside without a scratch and did so with the utmost patience. That's how my grandpa was: patient and carefree. While other people stressed themselves over money and other little things in life, grandpa was always happy just being with his family and helping other people. We will all miss you grandpa!