Beckett & Eli are 6 months old!

"If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle." Vincent van Gogh

Eli 6 months old

Beckett 6 months old

I have often found since the boys were born that during certain moments, I wish that I could hit pause.  Slow time and just savor it a little more.  I talk to some new mothers and they feel so overwhelmed by the changes in their lives.  The "lack of freedom" and "fun" that formerly existed in their lives.  Maybe its because I waited so long to have children or maybe its because at one time I wasn't sure if I would have children but the past 6 months have been so full of joy for me. 

I sometimes just close my eyes with my face, bury my face in their sweet little necks, and breathe deep hoping that I never forget the feeling.  The feeling when I am laying beside them and they reach out and touch my face.  Grabbing my lips and nose.  The sounds of their sweet talking (especially Beckett).  Each morning at 6:00, I wake up and feed them their early morning bottles.  I never quite no exactly what position I will find them in their cribs!  I love that they are big enough for the blankets to be unwrapped now.  They love to grab them, play with them, put them in their mouths, and pull them over their heads.  When I walk in and look over the side of the crib, they will pull them down and smile at me :-)  That is my special time with the boys each morning.  Lots of loving and kissing.  They go back down for a brief nap after that feeding and they will lay in bed "talking" to each other.  Justin and I lay in bed listening to them on the monitor and crack up.  We can tell which baby is talking. They have very distinctive sounds.  Beckett is full of "oos" and Eli is full of "eys" like he is saying hey hey.  I think Beckett might be my singer.  He has a full range of sounds.  Including this ear piercing screech that he loves to do. 

We survived our first virus this... or should I say first 2 viruses.  Very scary for mom and dad.  High fevers, ulcers in their throats, throwing up.  Once we got over that we transitioned into a respitatory illness.  All of this lasted about 2 weeks.  It was right after vacation too so we were not getting much sleep through this.  Beckett slept either on my chest or Justin's in the recliner most nights.

I am happy to say that they are both well and doing great.  Beckett is weighing a little over 19 lbs and Eli is 1 lbs behind him.  They are both only 25" so still short little guys.  I have to roll up most of their pants at the top and bottom.  They are at the top of the 9 month sizes and getting ready to transition to the 12 month size.  I can tell we aren't growing as fast now. 

They are loving their solids!  We have such good eaters.  We start the early morning with a bottle.  They usually take 7 ozs with 3 scoops of cereal in it.  We have moved to the Level 3 nipples.  Then they wake up at 8:00 for a little Handy Manny (my favorite too!) and then Praise Baby.  Their daily morning cartoon routine.

Enjoying cartoons with dad

Then its exercise time!  Around 9:30 they have a bowl of oatmeal with a jar of fruit.  Then at 10:00 they have a small bottle and go down for a nap around 10:30.  They are sleeping about 2 hours during the morning nap.  At 1:00 they have their lunch. A vegetable and a fruit and then a small bottle around 1:30.  The nanny takes them on long walks each day, sometimes they visit one of her friends in the neighborhood (which is how we met her).  The weather has been gorgeous so they are getting lots of outside time now.  They go down for an afternoon nap around 2:30 and sleep until 4:00 or sometimes 4:30.  Then its time for dinner.  A bowl of cereal, a vegetable and a fruit.  We have dropped the evening cat nap so they play, get baths, hang out with dad until I get home.  Then bottles and bed at 7:00 and they are back to sleeping all night! 

They are eating mainly Earth's Best Organics.  Sometimes Gerber Organics depending on what is on sale.  If I find a really good sale, I use my coupons, and I totally wipe out the organic baby food to stock us up.  They are eating apples, apricots, plums, bananas, mangos, pears, peaches, blueberries and raspberries (not the biggest fans of those), carrots (Eli's favorite), sweet potatoes, squash - both winter and butternut, corn, summer vegetable mix, pumpkin, green beans and sweet peas (Only Beckett.. Eli won't eat those).  Beckett makes the sweetest sounds when he eats.  He basically says "yum" after every bite.

I joined this website Babyfood 101 and it sends me a weekly item that I can introduce. But we pretty much introduced a new vegetable every 3 days until we go the basics.  Then we moved on to fruit every 3 days with the vegetables until we got the fruit.  My pediatrician says all Stage 1 and Stage 2 are game as long as they don't have meet because there is no difference in the puree.  Just the portion size.  Sometime feedings they split a big jar and sometimes they eat the whole jar just depending on the feeding.  Next up.. introducing avocados (which is a baby superfood) and also organic plain yogurt.  I didn't realize that yogurt has no lactose so it is safe to introduce since it isn't considered dairy without the lactose.  We also introduced the sippy cup last weekend.  With their milk in it warm and I got those Nuby kinds where the spout if very similar to a nipple and it has handles on each side.  They practice holding it and getting use to the fill.  We have to help them turn it up but they can take a few sips out of them.  I think they have more fun playing with them though!

The snore dog keeps us occupied while mom & dad get the meals ready.  Our cousins gave this to them for Christmas and the love it.  The fur on the front of the dog moves and tickles when he snores. 

We are getting better at sitting up.  They can balance for a few minutes before falling forward.  Head strength is doing great.  Kinda stubborn about rolling over.  We have now seen them both do it.  But they are interested in doing in much.  Eli will get on the floor and then start twisting like he is going to roll over, look at me, and then fall back and laugh.  I will get down there and tease him and say, "You better roll over Mr. Eli" and he will just laugh and laugh.  Fun game :-)  Beckett hates to be on his stomach.  He has to do it everyday as part of his exercise.  They still love their bouncers more than anything and it is so funny to watch them "bounce" themselves.  They will kick those legs and get them going so fast!  Eli really likes to work out his right leg the best.  They are finally getting long enough to put more than a toes on the ground in their jumparoo and exersaucer so those are fun too.  Eli is very serious about playing.  He studies each toy, fiddles with it to see how it works, looks and it so intently.  Beckett just goes wild.  Slapping everything and jumping.  It is amazing to watch them learn and see how different their personalities are.  They have both graduated to the "big boy" tub and the infant tub is packed away :-(

I am blessed to be their mother and get to share in their lives.  I am looking forward to all the memories to come. 

Love, The Riley's