How Old?
6 months
7 months!
Height/Weight
At his 6 month checkup, Panini was 18 lbs and 4 oz and 27 inches long. This puts him in the 75th percentile for height and weight. At this point he was shorter than Zilla was, but heavier. We love our little chunker. I’ve not weighed him for 7 months.
Baby Clothes
Panini can fit into 6 month onesies and pants though he is most comfortable in 6-9 month clothing. For pajamas, he is in 9 month outfits.
Milestones:
Panini has made some gains in his gross and fine motor movements. He can officially roll over now; thank goodness! Though he doesn’t do it often, and prefers to roll from his back to stomach (or from his back to off the ottoman). He frequently gets up on his hands and knees and rocks rocks rocks and then usually scoots himself backwards. He has done a few forward scoots and even a partial crawl forward if we put our hands behind his feet. He can also get himself up into plank positon. He is sitting great independently. He can also briefly hold himself up standing next to the ottoman when we placed him there, but is not pulling himself up to stand.
Fine motor wise, his little hands are starting to do more purposeful tasks like taking items out of a bowl or pushing beads along a track. He is really good at grabbing at things in space, which means I have to be very careful about what we are standing near when he is being held. We also have some stacking bowls that he started to mimic trying to put on top of one another after Zilla and I showed him. They can also be connected to make little balls and Panini will mimic holding one in each hand and try to put them together.
He enjoys making bubble noises and sighing. He recognizes his name and people’s voices. He will try to mimic sounds like screaming when Zilla screams…it’s marvelous.
Socially, he is starting to enjoy games like peekaboo and playing with his brother more vs independent play. He is also starting to notice when certain people leave the room or when he is put down and protests with crying. This makes leaving him after feeding him at lunch more difficult because he is crying more when I bring him back to the room. Though, if we sit him down on the carpet at home with toys he will sit there and play by himself for quite a while.
His bottom two middle teeth popped up from month 6 to 7. They certainly are sharp!
In the category of non-developmental milestones, he had his first Mother's Day and Easter.
He made his first trip to A&M's campus!
Panini is old enough to go on runs with momma now!
AND most exciting, he was Baptized into the Church on April 24th!
Baby’s Routine
Panini usually wakes up around 6am to eat, but I am usually able to get him to go back down if I lay him down next to his daddy in bed. From here, he usually eats around 9 or 9:30 and then takes a nap around 10. His naps aren’t very long, usually about 45 minutes to an hour if he is laying in a bouncer or crib. He’ll nap longer if he is in a wrap. From here he eats around noon and then the afternoon schedule gets all kind of wonky with napping and eating on and off with no real schedule. Sometimes he takes a nap in the late afternoon around 6 when we get home from school but it is usually a very short nap. We try to do dinner around 7 and then start the bedtime routine around 8.
I so wish I could say Panini is sleeping through the night; or something close to through the night. But he most definitely is not. After putting him down at 8 he will usually wake up again around 10, and then again around midnight or 1, and then sometimes he will sleep until six but other times he will wake up again around 3. So, you could say I’m pretty tired. We’ve tried some sleep training and trying to just rock or pat his back to get him to go to sleep but he is a hungry little man and I usually end up feeding him at each waking. On the bright side, he is in his crib for sleeping other than after his 6am feeding.
Favorite Food
Oh man. I was so sure this child was going to love solids. I was wrong. We have tried so many things. Sweet potatoes, avocado, green beans, carrots, bananas, mango, enchiladas, waffles, oatmeal. Whatever is on our plate. But he wants none of it. I try it right after feeding him milk, waiting awhile after milk, right before giving him milk. It really makes no difference. He will sometimes play with the food but does not want to bring it to his mouth. And it’s not because he can’t bring things to his mouth. We’ll give him a non-food object and in it will go. We’ve tried feeding it to him and letting him be independent. He just doesn’t like food. Usually when we try to encourage him to eat it he will start to reach for me and pull on my shirt. Sooooo I guess it’s safe to say his favorite food is still momma’s milk.
I’m trying to be patient. The Baby Lead Weaning book I read says that it’s normal for kids to spend a few months just playing with the food before they actually start to eat it, but I also think they are supposed to at least be trying to put it into their mouths. Also, I have a few friends doing BLW and their kids have just taken to solids so well. I’m a little jealous if only because I think he might sleep a little longer at night if he had something other than milk in his belly. I know it’s not affecting his growth, as he continues to meet milestones and isn’t losing weight, so we’ll continue to just give him opportunities to practice.
Favorite Activity
Panini’s favorite thing to do is play with his brother. He loves when Zilla comes over to him and shuffles around toys and interacts with him. Independently, I’ve started giving him a big red bowl and I’ll put objects with different textures, shapes, and sizes in it so that he can sort through it and practice taking items out and putting them back in.
He also likes being tossed in the air by his daddy and he thinks it’s super fun to be in a carrier while mommy does squats. He’s also pretty amused by laying on the yoga mat while I do yoga over him. I think he likes all the movement and up and down.
One activity that I’m so glad he still likes is being wrapped up. The ring sling is also growing on him, which is nice due to the ease of getting it on and off. I have been favoring the Ergo for quick trips because it is so fast, but recently I started wrapping again and I swear it magic how he will just fall asleep so easily when he is wrapped up in there.
Favorite toy
I guess the stacking cups or his big red bowl. He likes toys like fake keys and his chew beads to manipulate in his hands.
Big Changes:
I think his sociability is the biggest change. He is seeking out and giving attention more and it is so much fun to start interacting with this sweet little personality that has been growing. Hi mobility is also a change and we are having to be careful about making sure any of Zilla’s toys that have small parts are out of the way.
Zilla and Panini
Zilla is definitely Panini’s favorite person. He giggles just watching Zilla walk towards him; though their relationship is definitely changing. Zilla still thinks Panini is the coolest thing to ever happen to him, but he’s also learning more about sharing with his brother. I have started to give Panini some of Zilla’s favorite toys to play with on purpose and teach Zilla that there is no such thing as “my toys vs. Panini’s toys” it is all “our toys”. He is also learning about not taking from Panini. Right now, he can take from him and usually Panini won’t cry, but we are teaching Zilla about boundaries, waiting his turn, and asking if he can have something. It is rocking his world a little bit, but he is slowly adjusting.
They are still the very best of friends and when Zilla is extra cranky in the morning I can just ask him if he wants to say hello to Panini and he’ll just curl up next to him on the bed and hold his hand. They are so sweet together. They are the perfect pair. Panini loves watching Zilla and Zilla loves the attention he gets from Panini.
And a few more pictures from the past two months:
The Vrlyfries
