Dear Nolan... You're 6 Months Old

My squishy, dreamy-eyed little boy...
I was holding you on my chest tonight as I rocked you to sleep.  Your long, almost 20 pound little body snug against me, I must have kissed you 100 times.  You are such a mellow, sweet, smiley little guy - already your little zest for life is starting to show.  You laugh and giggle so easily, love to fly in the air, love watching your big sister, and you are really watching and soaking in all of your surroundings.
Watching you grow this last month has been amazing.  You are getting strong!  On June 18th you started rolling back to front with a little more ease.  I was a concerned a couple weeks ago because you weren't rolling much.  Well, in the last week, you have really started rolling - in all directions, front to back, back to front!  You see toys and reach for them, or roll to them - and you have great control over your little fingers.  You have a strong head and neck and you are very close to being able to sit on your own.  You love to sit in the bumbo because it keeps you upright.  You will sit in it for long stretches of time reaching around for toys and blankets.  It's really cute because your sister always wants to be near you and she will pull her chair up next to yours.  You also love to lay on your back and stick your toes in your mouth!
You went into the jump-a-roo for the first time on May 31st and immediately liked it.  You are crazy in that thing... jumping up and down like a wild man.  You also love the water - you kick and splash and chew on toys in the bath.  You and Andie take them together and it is so much fun to see you interact with each other.  I am so happy you love the water - it always makes you content.
You are a very good eater.  On June 3rd (just over 5 months old) I gave you your first taste of sweet potatoes... you ate so well and now you are eating apples, bananas, carrots, prunes, and avocado.  You open your mouth up really wide and let me just shovel it in... it is really adorable, and I am relieved that you like solid foods.  We are still breastfeeding, and I am so grateful that we have already made it 6 months.  You are quite the little pooper as well - sometimes you manage to have 3 or 4 big, outfit changing bow outs in one day!
Daddy and I took our first overnight trip away from you and your sister last week and Gramz and Pops came to stay with you while we were gone.  It was much harder on me than it was for you, but I knew you were in good hands.  You did very well for them.  You love to snuggle and sleep - we call pops your "popsupedic" mattress because you sleep very well on his chest.  It is so cute how happy and comfortable you are with them!  We also left you with our sitter, Julia, for the first time this month and you did very well for her.  She liked getting to cuddle with you, too!
You are wearing size 3 diapers, 6-12 month & 9 month clothes, and you're getting close to bumping up to 12 month sleepers.  You are long and heavy, and although I am devastated at how big you're getting, I am also relieved that you are growing and thriving.  You aren't the best sleeper - sometimes you will be up every hour, and sometimes you will go for a 5-7 hour stretch.  We still haven't hit our stride with sleeping, but we will eventually.  In the mean time, I will just continue to soak in my time with my little baby boy needing me so much.  I can't tell you how much I love snuggling with you!  You have quite a few nicknames - "No-yin, buttercup, butter, night-owl Nolan, squishy, bubba" - to name a few.
Nolan, I can't believe that you are 6 months old today.  I can't believe that so much time has already passed since I met you for the first time.  You are such an amazing baby, so happy, loving, and snuggly.  You are absolutely beautiful and my goodness, I am so unbelievably grateful for you every day.  Your smile lights up our whole world - and all I have to do is close my eyes and I can see it and it immediately makes me feel happy.  My favorite thing you have started doing this month is giving kisses.  You lean in, open those big luscious lips and push your face into mine.  It is ridiculously adorable.
I am so blessed to be your mommy.  I love watching you change and grow everyday.  It's amazing how quickly you're learning, and how much you are observing the world around you.  I am very proud of you, son.  You are giving me a whole different perspective on the world and seeing you laugh and smile is the highlight of my day.  You and your sister have made being a mom the most treasured journey of my life.
Someday, when you read these letters, I hope you know that I look forward to writing them every month and I love you more then you will ever be able to comprehend.
6 months... one half of a year... I am such a lucky mommy.
Love you forever and ever,
Mama