Zachary at Six Months!

Zachary is now six months old and we can't believe how quickly the time has gone and how much he's changed in that time. We had a look back at some of his early photos and he looks so thin and tiny! He used to spend much of his time asleep, but now he's alert for most of the day, wanting attention and to play with whatever he can find.

A cuddle with Auntie Phobe when he was just a few weeks old

Tiny at just three weeks old

A chubby 6 month old

 Commence the Weaning...

He has always fed well and we decided to solely breastfeed him until 6 months as recommended. We are now moving onto the 'baby-led' weaning approach i.e. the baby begins with feeding themselves finger foods, then moves on to self spoon feeding. Zachary had his first meal yesterday which was carrot, potato and sweet potato pieces. Carrot was the biggest success, as he squeezed the potato a little hard and it broke into pieces which he then couldn't pick up. He sucked on the carrot in his mouth for a while, bit off a few tiny pieces, then pushed them out of his mouth with his tongue. We're confident that once he gets the hang of it, he'll begin to eat anything and everything, just like Daddy.

Tasty carrot, lots of mess!

Mr Strong!

Zachary is very strong for his age and is now sitting up unaided, reaching for things to put into his mouth. He does occasionally topple over and is momentarily startled but easily distracted from being upset; we put his feeding cushion around him, just in case. The pram has now been converted into a buggy so he can sit up and look around which he loves.  He also loves to stand, and even to be walked along, holding both hands. He has rolled over from front to back several times but doesn't seem to be near crawling (perhaps he might go straight to walking like his Auntie Marilla). He's very flexible, and Daddy found it entertaining to see him chewing on his feet.

Zachary sits up on the bed to help with putting the laundry away

Sitting forward in his baby bouncer; we had to stop using it because he leaned too far and tipped it over

Lack of Sleep

Zachary's night time sleep patterns have varied tremendously over the past 6 months, improving at times, then descending into the realms of a torturous night-long endurance test. Staying with relatives also seems to disrupt things a bit; teething is a possible factor at the moment; he could be too hot or cold but we've tested that to no avail and are hoping he will simply grow out of it (soon!).  However, we've coped well and have adjusted to his nightly average of waking every 2-3 hours; Mummy naps at the same time as Zachary. He outgrew his Moses basket a few months ago and is now in his cot bed which he seems to prefer:

Watching the birds fly around in circles (thanks, Auntie Vickrum!)

 
Personality Profile

Zachary loves people and still enjoys being passed around; he coos away when you talk to him, desperate to talk back. He conveniently smiles on demand when you point the camera at him, anticipating the flash. He now loves baths and loves hitting the water with his hand to make a splash; he also likes rubber ducks floating in the water. We plan to try him in the big bath with Mummy this week, as he'll need practise for going swimming for the first time next weekend. He enjoys looking at himself in the mirror - perhaps he thinks there's another baby smiling back at him?

Admiring his own reflection with Grandad Harry

Zachary plays well on his own when you put toys around him, testing everything out in his mouth. He still pulls Mummy's hair whenever he gets the chance which drives her mad! He loves looking at lights and playing with anything that rustles, especially plastic bags - something to watch out for in the future. He is still incredibly jumpy at times, shocked whenever anyone raises their voice and has a split second of deciding whether to forget it or get upset. We took him to the pub last week to watch the football and he started screaming when Liverpool scored and some nearby men cheered; Daddy always knew he was a United fan.

Shaking a rattle and trying to avoid hitting himself in the face at the same time

I couldn't resist ending this post with a few photos of the snow - Zachary loves it! Daddy had the day off work yesterday so we all went out to play:

Daddy shows Zachary something he's never seen before

 

Walking in the snow