Twenty four weeks.

A simple snotty cold combined with two fresh bottom teeth erupting made for one unhappy babe during the first half of your twenty fourth week. You cried when I set you down. You only napped for twenty minutes at a time. You really started to hate it when we wiped the boogers off of your face. You woke up to nurse every two hours. You were bored to boot and I wore myself out attempting to keep up with your constantly changing moods. The second half was much better, once you could breathe through your nose and the teeth were no longer working their way through your gums. Honestly though, this week was a blur for me and I did not write down a single note- no nap times, no nothing. I do remember much of it, though I'm guessing I blocked out the very worst parts.

You sit up in your high chair now and at breakfast I give you half a banana or a quarter of an avocado. I keep the peels on since it makes it easier for you to grip. While I eat my toast you proceed to smoosh your breakfast, smearing all over yourself, the chair, and the dog. About half of whatever I give you ends up in your mouth. You love this interaction though and are so happy to eat alongside me. Sometimes we give you another nibble at dinner time. We have mostly given up on spoons, instead preferring to let you figure things out for yourself with the real deal. This means I almost never have to cook or puree anything and you get the fun learning hand to mouth experience. Sometimes you wear a bib but mostly I just put you in the chair with just a diaper on, rinsing you off afterwards in the kitchen sink. You like to grab the water as it comes out of the faucet. One sunny afternoon you and your baby boyfriend crawled through every color of tempera paint, making art on torn out book pages and letting your mom make a print of your butt. Afterwards we rinsed you both off in the kiddie pool and you proceeded to eat and then take a two hour nap. Water and sunshine make for a very tired baby.

We bought a bonafide baby jail, a wooden playpen currently occupying a corner of the living room. You scoot and crawl so quickly now that I felt nervous just leaving you on the floor unsupervised for any length of times. And sometimes I need to shower. You hated it initially, wailing as soon as you realized you were surrounded by obstacles. Now though, you are content to stay in it for ten minutes here, twenty minutes there. In one corner of it I put a soft basket that holds your latest favorite things to chew on. You love to upturn the whole basket and attend to each toy, dutifully chewing on each item and pushing them from corner to corner. We have also purchased a crib, which is in transit as we speak. Partially because of your tendency to fall out of the bed, no matter how many pillows are supposedly barricading the edges. Partially because you are masterful at becoming the midnight crossbar in a familial "H" kicking your mother and punching your father simultaneously. And partially just to see what happens. We anticipate that you will spend 60% of your sleeping time in it. The hours between 8:00 and 12:00 are a given. I am hoping you will nap there as well, if only for my peace of mind. I am weary of finding you in the middle of the bedroom floor.

You grew stronger this week. One day you could not sit, the next you could. You are wobbly still but will sit unsupported, or in a high chair, or up against the couch. You are easy to carry, as you are pulling some of your own weight now. Your legs dangle out of the swing and the stroller. You fill spaces you didn't used to. You roll like a log as you settle down to sleep. I used to nurse you to sleep every evening and every nap. Now you eat for a minute or two and then roll over and put your favorite two fingers in your mouth. This is the cue to leave you to it. Sometimes I get up and do things around the bedroom... folding clothes, organizing the closet. You like knowing one of us is nearby. There is one rule, however: Do not make eye contact. If you do, the whole operation has to start over. If we decide to check on you mid nap, it is best done from around the corner. One glimpse of your belly moving up and down and then run away! If you were to roll over and glimpse us around the doorway you would either smile or cry but you would definitely be done with sleep.

We celebrated. Two years of marriage and our first Father's Day. Grandpapa babysat while we treated ourselves to artisanal whiskey drinks and brick oven pizza. We came home to a sleeping baby, cold champagne, and late night card games. Father's Day morning you and I went to the grocery while Pop slept in. We picked up flowers and bacon for breakfast and wrapped up a photo book for him to enjoy. Later we brought dinner to your Grandpapa's complete with a recreated photo of myself at five months old. Everyone tells us that it all goes by so quickly. I hadn't felt like this was true for us yet until I combed through pictures from your first days of life. It doesn't seem real, that you were ever so young. Almost six months have gone by very quickly. I find myself missing certain behaviors that you dropped long ago. You never fall asleep on our chests or while nursing. We no longer applaud every single poopy diaper. You are not always soft or gentle, trading in those baby traits for strength and stubbornness, plus sharp teeth. But the nostalgia is fleeting- what you're doing these days is so much more exciting. You recognize us, and dare I say, you like us! You are decisive in your movements, fixing your eyes on the prize and moving with great gusto. You are gorgeous and I love nothing more than seeing your eyes alight on something totally new and unique to you, something never before seen. You smile every day when Pop walks in the door and you let out cackles from the swing in the yard. You really seem to enjoy yourself and all of us are enjoying you.