Ju is a full 6 months old and tipped the scales at just over 10 kilograms. At 75.7 centimetres, he certainly got taller. The two jabs and Rotavirus vaccine went down well (just a bit of yelling which stopped after Daniel gave him the bottle) and didn't cause serious side effects. The only effect it seemed to have was to make Ju really cranky and thirsty for a day or two.
Diet & Digestion
The pediatrician announced that Ju was ready for solids -- rice cereal to start with. I didn't tell her that Ju has been wolfing down rice cereal and jars of baby food for the past 2 months! I made my first batch of mashed carrots for him and decided it's too much effort for a serving of orange mush. It's Heinz for him till the weekend when I have time to steam and blend. His poo is now a mushy dark green with the holiest stink, sometimes its got the consistency of plasticine and on two days it got rather hard, making him cry a little when pushing. But we've been giving him lots of water and the stool softened. He's back to his normal daily bowel movement. He loves sucking on a piece of apple but we stopped giving him pear because his super gums bit a piece off and everyone panicked that it got stuck in his throat. He dislikes papayas and took grapefruit juice with a face. He accepts water.
Gross Motor Skills
Since 4 months, Ju has been bearing weight on his chubby legs and now he howls with fury if nobody helps him on his feet if he so wishes. He's been practising being on all fours and simulating crawling for a few weeks now, though he can't get far. He's been using his head to propel himself forward as he doesn't know how to coordinate his hands and knees yet. This week we were amazed when he successfuly backed himself into a quasi-sitting position. He's been practising that and now can go from belly to fours to sitting. He's not sitting too stably yet, so I only let him sit on our bed as the last few times on the playmat he lost balance and bumped his head. He howled blue murder. The other milestone is he has learnt how to pull himself up to stand in his cot! It takes him a while but I have a video to prove it.
Ju is quite strong for his age (he isn't a lightweight either) and kicks and wriggles almost incessantly, only getting subdued when he's tired and ready for a nap. He loves being in the swimming pool and has no fear of water, splashing joyfully with both arms and getting his face and Daddy's all wet. In the bathtub, he sits by himself and grabs hold of the sides so hard we have to pry his fingers away to scoop him out. He enjoys being held while the shower spews out water at him.
Fine Motor Skills
Ju has been grabbing and holding on to things for a few weeks. He can shake his favourite rattle without banging himself on the head and last weekend he managed to hold on to the mouth-end of a balloon for a few minutes, swinging and tossing it about gleefully. His fingers are more dexterous, he flexes them regularly and grabs anything within reach to put in his mouth. He can reach out for toys and go after toys that are beyond his reach. When I tossed a ball toward him, he could follow it visually and pick it up. His interest in objects end at grabbing and licking or chewing on them with his toothless gums. He likes to use his hands to pound on surfaces and recently discovered the buttons on his electric mobile. I don't know if he realises the music changes when he pushes the buttons, but he can spend minutes on end fiddling with the contraption. He also grabs his feet and licks his big toe.
Social and Cognitive
Ju's vocalising still comprises only laughing, whinging and something resembling cat meows when you rub your nose to his affectionately. Once in a while he makes a funny vowel vocalisation that leaves us bemused. He yells when he is placed on his back against his will and smiles readily when he sees a familiar face. He very obviously gives preferential treatment to his grandpa, rewarding him with instant smiles, giggles and meows when grandpa comes home at 4pm. He still has no stranger anxiety and is indifferent to anyone who carries him or plays with/speaks to him. We are taking bets to see if this is innate or if he develops stranger anxiety eventually. He is indifferent to other children and babies, but he responds happily if he likes the look of you (or the funny sounds and faces you make).
He continues to sleep well, from 8.30pm (he takes about 15 minutes to toss and turn before finally falling asleep) to 6.30pm. Somehow he has been waking up at 5.30am the past two nights and it's been hell for us. Today my eyebags are evidence of this anomaly. His naps are getting shorter (he takes one after every feed most days) and his demands for attention more insistent. He still has no sense of object permanence which is great for taking things away from his reach. He smiles at his reflection in the mirror, and I get a kick out of him thinking it's another baby. We shall have to see when he realises it is himself.
Coming soon: Toys For Boys
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