Happy half birthday!

Dear Colin,

It's here. Your half birthday. Already. So awesome, yet so sad at the same time. You're no longer that little bundle of skinny baby who was content sleeping the day away.
In fact, it's hard for us to get you to sleep. We have started to let you cry a little before you go to sleep now. It is no fun, but it's a life lesson you need to learn. Mommy would love so much to rock you to sleep every night until she knows you're down for the count, but your friends would make fun of you at sleepovers 8 years from now if I kept doing that. You're sad about it, but you're a big boy and you're beginning to understand. You need to start sleeping through the night again so Daddy wants to give you a little brother or sister some day.

These days, you're a bundle of boy. Instead of lying on the floor, you'd rather sit up and play with your toys...
...or sit in the box the toys go in.
You are certainly on the move all the time! You like to stand up and do lunges. You don't like to be in one place for very long, which means Mommy and Daddy carry you around a lot. Daddy is excited for you to be able to move around on your own. Mommy can wait a little while longer. Since you hate being on your tummy long enough to figure out that you can learn to scoot or crawl, we think you might be one of those straight-to-walking types of kids. You've loved to stand since you were just a little guy! We'll see what happens. You might surprise us!

Tonight we went to the grocery store and you sat in the shopping cart for the first time, instead of lying in your infant seat. You did a fabulous job! This means that we *think* we're ready to move onto the big boy cowmooflage car seat. You just don't like being in that baby seat anymore, and you're getting pretty heavy to carry around in it anyway.

We're pretty sure you're teething right now. You love munching on your teething rings, and sometimes we feel some little bumps on your lower gums. You're going to look very cute with those pearly whites!

You're still eating rice cereal about twice a day. It's thicker now, and you continue to be a master of the spoon. We've tried little tastes of squash and sweet potato, but not enough to call it a meal. We think you might be allergic to oatmeal cereal, because your eczema seems to get worse the day after you eat it. You have your 6 month appointment in a few days, and we'll ask your doctor what she thinks. We'll also ask about starting your puree foods, just to make sure we're starting with the right ones.

You have the best smile and the best laugh. The word "boo" is sure to get at least one good giggle out of you!

Love you forever, little man!
Mommy