Let's see... as an update, at six months my precious boy:
- Is eating solid foods... usually TWO jars of baby food + rice cereal at each feeding!
- Is learning to sit up... he can sit on his own w/out support for quite a long time now (up to 30 minutes); but still topples over.
- Is back to sleeping through the night--woot! woot!
- Takes two naps pretty consistently during the day, and unlike Elizabeth who had to be nursed to sleep (or she would cry and wail and scream), I can put him down awake but tired, and in just a short time he will be out! AMAZING!
- Continues to LOVE to suck his thumb! We think it is part of what makes him so laid back and such a good baby... whenever he gets upset, he just pops it in. Liam will often just put his thumb in his mouth, lay back, suck away and OBSERVE! He's such a good baby!
- Seems to recognize a few ASL signs... especially the sign for "eat" and "milk," which seems evident from the happy, excited reaction he gets when I ask him if he's ready for either!
- And continues to LOVE to cuddle. This is extremely different from my very energetic, extroverted, kinesethic Elizabeth who was and is always on the go, always wanted to be in the middle of the action, always very ADAMANT about what she wanted, and who NEVER (to this day) could just lay back in my arms and cuddle. Liam, however, could cuddle with me all day every day... he pops in the thumb, and often rests his head on the crook of my neck, and just CUDDLES! A few weeks back he even fell asleep like that! I think my heart literally melted that day!!! It's amazing how different my children's personalities are; or maybe it is the difference between boys and girls? Whatever it is, I love both--my extroverted, energetic Elizabeth... and my laid back, introverted Liam!!!
His favorite things include: Mommy/Daddy/Sissy; books with pictures of babies; toys that sing/make noise... such as Puppy and Ollie the Octopus; watching the fire and Christmas tree lights each morning from his playmat; bathtime; getting nakie-time each night; and EATTING!
His least favorite things include: carseats, being put down, loud/sudden noises; being too slow with the spoon!
Weight: 16.98 lbs - 39%-tile
Height: 27 inches - 69%-tile
Head: 17.5 - 70%-tile
Development: Right on target! Even impressing the doctor w/his sitting abilities! :)
Despite being an otherwise healthy baby, for those of you who did not know, we have been quite worried about our little man! Since Thanksgiving, Liam has been secreting tiny drops of blood from his nipples. We first noticed it during a bath on Thanksgiving, and since that time would find drops of blood in his shirt. While it is extremely normal in a newborn (the hormones from the mother passed along through the placenta often cause all sorts of nipple discharge in the newborn baby--and in fact, when Liam was born, he did have quite engorged nipples and even some milk discharge, which went away after about a month), it is NOT, however, normal to have bloody discharge at 6 months.
As a result, we had an ultrasound today, which resulted in a diagnosis of "infant ductal ectasia." Before anyone panics, please know that this is NOT serious, and that it will most likely resolve itself within 3-9 months. However, we would ask for your prayers that this would resolve itself sooner rather than later, and that it would not present any additional complications for our sweet boy!
Taking him in today was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, and watching the ultrasound screen, wondering what the tech was seeing and recording, and then waiting for the doctor to call (which seemed like an eternity) with the results was nerve wracking! In fact, during the ultrasound I thought I was actually going to pass out. Hearing words like 'cysts,' and 'mass', and 'surgeon' coming out of the lips of our doctor was frightening! Thankfully, though, it seems that this is not serious and that it should work itself out in time! PRAISE GOD! I honestly do NOT know how parents cope when their child is gravely ill; and I pray that I NEVER have to find out! Life is SO fragile; and I am SO thankful to the One who gives life and restores life and makes all things new! We will keep everyone updated if there are any changes or additional information to pass along! And continue to pray that His hand would be on both of my children, keeping us well in His precious name!
