Beach Fun

Louis is at home in the water, whether it is at the pool or the beach, bathtub or sink. Even water
fountains bring joy to our lil boy.

He really enjoys playing with the sand. He gets a very serious look on his face when he begins to touch it.














Leah took time out from her playing and search for hermit crabs to show Louis the wet sand and talk to him about all the different living creatures you find in sand. She also showed him some seaweed.








Leah and Louis searching for snails and hermit crabs.

Happy 30th Birthday Daddy!

We went out to dinner and celebrated Matt's 30th birthday. Louis was so excited and happy to sit at the table with us. He even had some mashed sweet potatoes for dinner.

Happy 6 Months!

Louis is 6 months old today. Unbelievable! Where did the time go?

• Turns toward sounds and voices
• Imitates sounds
• Rolls over in both directions
• Is ready for solid foods
• Sits without support
• Mouths objects
• Passes objects from hand to hand
• Lunges forward or starts crawling
• Jabbers or combines syllables
• Drags objects toward himself

Standing Up!

Louis was playing his crib while I was folding some clothes. I look up to find him doing this:


A few seconds later he went to get down but he doesn't have the control to sit from standing yet so he bumped his head a bit on the crib :( He was okay though, just a few tears.

Guess it is time to lower the mattress and take out the mobile.

My Guys

I know Louis is perfectly safe but this still scares the crap out of me.


Cute lil belly button

Red & Black

Louis in his Gen-Y cover in the Bad Luck Club print and Organic Cranberry BabyLegs.

More Pool Fun

We went out to the pool yesterday and while there Louis tried out our friend Danni's baby float.



It worked really well for Louis. He couldn't tip it over by trying to reach his hands in the water. It has a canopy to keep him out of the sun. He was pretty comfortable in it. We went out last night and picked one up for him.

We used it at the pool today. It is meant for kids 9 months - 24 months but at almost 6 months he fits pretty well in it.

Best Big Sister Ever!

This was one of today's entries on Leah's blog:

Louis was suffering more than usual tonight due to his teething. Very irritable and tired. I've been applying Humphreys Teething Pellets to his gums and it has helped quite a bit, especially before bedtime. But tonight nothing was cutting it. Not nursing, not his teething rings, not the teething pellets, nothing was helping.

After tucking Leah in for the night she asked if she could lay down with Louis for a bit. I told her he was very cranky and may not be the best company. She was sure she could get him to calm down. She suggested I read to both of them. I read them Judith Viorst's "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" and Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are". Louis laid there next to Leah and listened to me read.

Next she suggested I sing him the same songs I used to sing her when she was a baby (and sometimes do now because she likes them). That did it. He went right to sleep.

She is very gentle with Louis and very patient with us when we need to care for his needs ahead of her's. Many people say "well that is how it is now, just wait a few years it will change" and I cannot help but disagree. I had a very similar relationship with my youngest brother Gilberto and it never changed. As a preteen/teenager I was happy to take him with me everywhere. I suspect Leah is going to have a great bond with her brother as they grow older together.

Independence

Louis becomes more independent every day. He is sitting very well on his own and can sit for longer periods of time playing with his toys.



One of Leah's favorite toys as a baby and tot were her ring of keys. She still has them. Louis loves playing with the keys as well.




It comes as no surprise that whenever Louis sees a computer or keyboard he wants to be all over it (especially because that is where you can find Matt & myself nightly on the couch-on our laptops). He enjoys some of the Peek A Boo games on the Fisher Price website.
A lil Computer Geek in training.

After School

Most days after Leah gets home from school our routine is the same. She eats a snack, does homework, reviews her work from the day. We may do a practice sheet or two of review depending on what she learned that day. Afteward I sit outside with Louis while Leah colors, paints, hula hoops. We usually take a walk through the condo community as well. The last couple of days have been really nice so we have put Louis's exercise gym mat outside and just hung out on the drive way. He is happiest on his tummy. Another benefit to cloth diapers are that they make the perfect bottoms on hot days. No real need for pants.