Six months

I recently read a book in which the female heroine, a woman without children, declared her disdain for the things all parents seem to say. In particular she was amused by the way every parent would exclaim about how big their kids were getting, how quickly they were growing. The book put it more eloquently, but basically she said - what do they expect? That their kids are going to shrink? Stay the same?? Take 3 years to grow an inch???

I was reminded of this as I looked at my now six-month old baby and thought... really? Halfway to a year already??? Yes, it's a cliche, but c'mon, cliches exist for a reason. Six months ago Charlie was unable to control any muscle in his body, doing nothing but eating or sleeping 23 out of 24 hours per day, not really caring who was holding him as long as someone was.

And now... he can use his muscles to roll over, reach for and grasp an item, bring same item into his mouth, bend his legs so that he can suck on his toes, support himself on his legs for quite a while, and sit up on his own for short periods of time. And when you consider how heavy his head is compared to the rest of his body - being able to balance that melon is quite an accomplishment!

And then there's the social stuff: he definitely recognizes his family - his little wiggle and squeal when he sees me from his crib is enough to make me smile the rest of the day. Charlie's eyes follow Zach wherever his big brother goes, usually with a big grin on his face. And he knows Daddy is the one who makes him laugh by wiggling his eyebrows or throwing him in the air.

So really, that is a lot to accomplish in a few short months. And when I think about where he'll be six months from now - not only sitting up, but rolling in both directions, then crawling, maybe walking, and stuffing actual food into his mouth with his own hands, including the frosting on his birthday cake - I do have to marvel at the miracle that is our baby. And as much as I LOVE what's coming next, I can't help but get a little teary too.