Half a Year Old!

Benjamin,

You are 6 months old now!I have been wanting to sit down and wite you this post for about a month now, I love taking a moment to think about who you are, what you were and what you are now, it's so amazing to me, your life and the privaledge we have to raise you!

 

Half a year and you are soooo big, both in size and in personality! Gosh I love everything about you!

Size wise, you are off the charts in legnth!

40% on weight

and 97% for your head circumference- wow, you have a big boxhead like your daddy, the data supports it!

Look how you are bigger than your bear now!

These days, your eyes are always on your sister, you will turn that neck of yours as far as it possibly will go, just to watch all the fun being had by her! Because that sister of yours LOVES to play pretend and you often end up being a character in her story! It's a sweet time for the 3 of us, you playing in your own way ( gumming on a toy), Bekah being one of the many princesses she adores and mommy taking a moment to enjoy her kids : ).

I really can't get over your smiles! Anytime I smile at you, you smile back! It's the funnest thing and I love the connection you make with people when you do this! It's new for me, because Bekah was a bit more serious and would smile when SHE wanted to, but you, you smile whenever you want to or someone else wants you to!

You have alot of different happy faces:

This is your thinking pose : ).

Pretty much the same as the 1st one, but your mommy thinks they are all special and different in their own way!

When your smile gets real wide like this one, it reminds me of your daddy, you just might have that handsome jawline that is so familiar to me!

Okay, so with these pics of him in his bed, I can give the update on your "sleeping!"

Wow! We have been down quite the road, haven't we?

Up until this point, you were swaddled, and you were having a hard time falling asleep on your own, so we rocked you. Then, the rocking did not work, you kept waking up, then, the swaddle was not working, you kept busting out or it would upset you SO much, you could not fall asleep. It made for some crazy evenings, we could not get you to go down for the night!

So, we let go of the swaddle, and embraced the sleep sack, it took about 2 to 3 days for you to get used to it, and you did!

Whew, that was a relief!

But you were still IMPOSSIBLE to get to go to sleep and STAY asleep, so from about 8pm to 10pm, it was me and daddy going up and down the stairs to rock, put the pacy back in, and in some desperate moments, for me to nurse him! And if you did go to sleep, and stay asleep, you were up by 2 or 3, ready to nurse again . . .

Finally, when MayMay was here, right before the ranch, when i didn't think I could do this any longer, out of desperation, I tried to ferberize you, just like your sister. I did not want to do this until after the ranch, but you wouldn't let us rock you, you kept arching your back, and then, when we put you in your crib, you got upset. So, for about 1.5 hours, we did the sleep training that we did with Bekah, working from 5 minute intervals, to 15 minute intervals at the end. It was very difficult on mommy and daddy, and poor MayMay, no grandma should have to be apart of that. Even Bekah was obviousely awake for all of it, reading books quietly in her crib.

And yes sweet boy, I know you did not like it either! 

You are one determined fella too, because after an hour and a half, you were wide eyed, bushy tailed, and I felt so defeated, that all of that crying was for nothing! MayMay said she would love to rock you to sleep, and she did, and that was that.

At the ranch, we continued to try and sleep train you, to fall asleep on your own, and thanks to my sweet friends and mother in law, I think we made some progress! By the time we got home from the ranch, you could fall asleep on your own in your crib at night and then, slowly, that transfered over to naps! It was AMAZING! You learned what your sister did, only you did it in your own way, reminding me that you two are so very different and special in numerous ways!

Looking back, I am so grateful for that one hard night, because it seemed to have made a difference and it really helped you, with a few "supportive" nights to follow. Now we have been on the right track for about a month and a half now and it's GRAND!  :)

On a good night you sleep from about 8ish to 4 ish (with maybe one to two pacy replacements at night), and that too will change next month, when you start going for longer stretches, but that is your 7 month post!

Oh and something funny about you and sleeping, you HATE being on your tummy to sleep! You want to be on your side! When you end up on your tummy, you just lay there and cry and I always go in there to flip you back over, which you can do, but just don't in the middle of the night? Funny boy!

I'm trying to get as many pics of your toothless grin as possible, it won't always be like this!

Goodness, I am sentimental with you!

 

In addition to smiling, you have done many other things this month : ).

You have spent some good time with your pal James while the girls are in ballet class:

You made it to your first baseball game, to cheer on your "big boy" friends, Mason and Barrett at Pearland's Opening Day : ).

You had fun, but the real fun was had with whatever felt the best to bite! Man you like to chew and drool!

Hunter was especially sweet to you that day, I know he will be a good bud to you!

Mason and Barrett

Daddy and I couldn't help but get excited about the day you too will have an Opening Day!

Trying to get as much time as possible with all our Houston friends,Bekah with Lina, 

And once again, with your friend James : ).

Taking y'all out for dinner is really fun these days! You like to watch everyone and Bekah is very well behaved, especially when Daddy is around and she gets to have Breakfast for Dinner, at Buffalo Grill! Gotta love the neighborhood restarant that is 2 minutes away, and only takes 10 more minutes to get your food!

I like this pic of you with your daddy, it really does symbolize the relationship he has with you and your sister. You are always "looking up" to him, waiting for him to make a silly face, silly sound, so you can make one back, and he is always making Bekah smile and feel special : ).

You certainly have an adoring daddy Benjamin!

Another baseball game, at the neighborhood park. Luckily, Bekah has an interest in it as well, so she won't be so bored at all your future little league games! : )

Tried the jumparoo, but as you can tell from your face , you were not too impressed!

You met some special friends like precious Eleanor.

You guys will both be baptized on the same day at our church! I am very happy about this and I think it is so appropriate, for Eleanor and her family were one of the special families that really got us connected at a church that changed all of our lives. It is the church that I wish we could stay at forever, but I trust that God will find us a new church home up in Indy.

(speaking of church, you go to the nursery all the time now and there is even a nursery worker who can get you to fall asleep in their "napping room!" It's awesome for you and me, I get to hear an entire sermon AND go to communion!)

Another precious little girl that ALL of us have been wanting to meet is sweet little Gwyneth Mae, Evie's sister! Congratulations to  Mary Pat and Ryan and Big Sister Evie, it was a joy to finally head down to SA to meet this girl we have prayed for for so long!

She was the cutest little thing, just like a little doll! We miss her so much!

We can't wait to see you soon Gwyneth and Evie!

You are more on a schedule now, but every once in awhile, you will still fall asleep on someone's shoulder, namely, daddy's! : ) Daddy had his big annual test this month and we are sooo glad it is over, we have a little bit of our daddy back!

Your blue eyes are still as blue as ever. I have been asked if they are bluer than Bekah's, but I think hers were just as blue at this age. Maybe your darker hair makes them look brigher?

Funny how I have myself 2 blue eyed babies, those Burkhart genes sure are strong, and I couldn't be happier about it!

See that drool coming down? That is how you have  been for the past 2 months! No teeth yet, but you sure are keeping us on our toes!

In addition to capturing the drool, I took these pics because whenever I imagined my future son, YOU, in my imagination, as far back as when I married your daddy, I had you in a little john john like this. Putting this on you for the first time was just one of those sweet moments when you are reminded of how God answers your prayers : ).

i

After a fun afternoon at the park, we decided to give you a bath with your big sister, first brother/sister bath and boy was your sister excited! You were content, as long as you had a toy in your hands, it was fun! Looking forward to alot more crazy/fun family times like this!

Another first was your first food!

And who else would be there by your side, other than your sister???? She was all to excited to give you your rice cereal, and as cute as it was, it was sort of a little overstimulating for you, so Daddy sort of "redirected" bekah to read some books with him, and then, you scarfed it all down!

You liked it much more than Bekah ever did, even though your face here does not suggest it!

Baby faces with cereal on them are the cutest!

You liked it with breast milk, so I tried to express/pump about 1-2 ounces each morning after I nursed you and you really enjoyed it! 



I really came to look forward to this time of day with you!

And for the other "first", you got your first haircut, by mama! Now, I know that your hair is endearing, the way it spikes up and is so unique to you, but, I just couldn't keep looking at that rat tail of yours, so I cut it!

That rat tail was pretty impressive! I liked to say that it "kept you humble" : ).

In a few months,  Daddy will need to take you to the barber ( there is an old fashioned one down the street) for some father son time : ), but for now, this will do!

I love you so much Benjamin!

 I truly do marvel at you each and every day. I simply can not believe that you are ours and that God gave you to us!