Yep, haven’t posted in the past 4 months and ALOT has changed. We’ve seen our little booger go through so many changes it’s almost impossible to fathom. He’s now rolling from his tummy to his back (but not quite from his back to his tummy) yet, but he is twisting a whole lot. He’s eating solids like sweet potato, oat cereal, oatmeal, celery, carrots, avocado and pureed beef and and chicken. I’ve had quite a few LOL moments giving him lemon, or that one time he tried to eat a string bean by himself and stuck it up his nostril by accident, almost puking. We (I) give him pears and apples as a treat and he absolutely loves them.
Nathaniel is going through a lot of vocal changes right now too; he sings, yells, and makes all sorts of noises like his daddy throughout the day. Maybe he’s getting it from his daddy who always sings, makes funny sounds and faces at him? He got a knack for eating the tags on toys because you know, playing with the toys themselves is overrated, right!? He loves his jolly jumper and his seated, twisty, toy station. (or whatever the hell you call those things)
The big one… he’s sleeping with his arms out and is out of his swaddle! (Finally!) His sleeping patterns are much, much better than they were a few months ago, and he isn’t waking for any feedings at the moment which is an amazing thing. He does seem to be getting quite attached to Mommy and Daddy and loves being in our presence.
Six months is the point in which there was a transition from married David and Nicole to Daddy David and Mommy Nicole. We’ll admit it, it was extremely difficult the first 6 months and especially the first few. It was hard to swallow the responsibility that we just signed up for as parents. We didn’t (and still don’t) really know what we’re doing, but we’re getting better and better every day. I find myself at work during the day, thinking about Nathaniel and what he must be doing. I used to think that having a child would be an infringement on my freedom, and that I wouldn’t be able to do what I want, when I want and how I want anymore. Life would become less spontaneous, and more planned and thought through. In truth, it has. We can’t just pick up and go on a whim anywhere anymore, even simple places like the movies or dinner. We can’t go to all the foreign and adventurous vacation destinations like we once have been able to, for now at least. It’s strange, I miss these simple things more than the adventurous vacations.
But you know what? These past 6 months have taught me far more valuable lessons than living “for me”. Yes, we would LOVE to go to Kenya, or Morocco, or Australia right now, but we will, in time. Sometimes we THINK that without children, we would be fine dining 3 times a week, and traveling the world, staying at luxurious destinations when in fact, this is far from the truth. Nicole and I traveled together what, once or twice a year pre-children? This isn’t going to change WITH children. Yes, the destinations will change for a bit, but the sacrifice is worth the benefit of raising and loving your child more than your own life. We bloat the idea of what life would be like without children, when that isn’t reality. Look, you’ll never really know if you’re ready for children, no one does, but I think through children, people find out a lot about themselves and what they’re actually NOT missing out on. Know what I mean?
When you’re old enough to appreciate these lavish vacations, we will go and the experience will be special for all of us. I can’t wait to take you to places that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. I can’t wait to see your reaction to the ocean, beautiful parks, airplane rides, safari’s, the desert and the likes. These past 6 months have taught me about patience, empathy and has taught me about the strength of what women are capable of and their mothering instincts. It’s given me perspective on life, and I can only imagine how much more it will show me as he gets older.
