Combining months 4 and 5 lesson worked pretty well last time, so I'm going to combine our lessons learned from months 6 and 7.*Christmas with a baby is so much fun. We had a great time helping him open his presents and enjoying all of the wonderful holiday events with him.
*Spending time with Karsten and family over Christmas was great.
*Putting him down for bed while he is awake is the best thing ever. After the bedtime routine he knows it's bedtime and goes to sleep. As I write this he is babbling to himself in his crib and will fall asleep shortly.
*Weekday evenings continue to go WAY too quickly. By the time we get home, everyone eats dinner, it's time for a little bit of playing then it's time for the bedtime routine.
*Karsten can reach almost anything....quickly! When he's on your lap or in the bumbo seat, you need to be sure there is a halo of empty space around him so he doesn't grab a glass, pull over a vase, try to eat a pen...you get the idea. :)
*Karsten likes to eat - he'll open his mouth up wide as long as he's still hungry. When he's done eating, he'll still open his mouth wide and take the food, then he'll make a gagging sound and spit out the food.
*I'm trying to teach myself not to gasp or lung at Karsten each time he tumbles over when sitting on the floor. I keep telling myself that there are a lot more tumbles in his future.
*You can never have enough burp cloths.
*Someone needs to invent baby socks that actually stay on. Seriously.
*Baby boy clothes have come a long way in the past few years; however, they still have a long way to go before they're just as cute as some of the girl stuff.
*Karsten understands the camera and usually smiles as soon as he sees it.
*Just because his hair is not super short does not mean he's a girl. If you are out and you see a baby and want to compliment the parents but you are not sure of the baby's gender you have a few options: 1. Say " awww, what a cute BABY" (aka don't default to girl) 2. Look at what the baby is wearing, if it's all blue you may be able to assume BOY. If you are not sure - see option
*Karsten likes it when his highchair is in between our two chairs at dinner. After he's done eating he'll play with toys on his tray while we finish eating.
*We are trying our hand at making our own baby food. So far we have done well with the veggies, now we're getting ready to try fruit! Karsten seems to do well with switching back and forth between baby food at daycare and pureed food at home.
*Being flexible is key - we are trying to go with Karsten's flow and not stress things too much.
*Keeping a baby bundled up in the winter is tricky. When we get into anywhere we have to unwrap multiple layers of blankets from the carseat. Putting him back in the carseat is another trick - he's not always a fan.
*This age is so much fun - he's always making new sounds, new faces or new actions. He totally makes my day - I can not wait to get home to him each day!
