Bridges in Austin: Eli is 6 months!

When people say that "you look up one day and your kids are going off to college and you don't know where all the time went" I can definitely relate, and Eli is only 6 months old! But seriously, I can not believe that Eli is already 6 months old. It seems like we are still trying to figure him out and learn about his sweet personality that is emerging. Every day is a gift and we are enjoying every second of watching him grow up and experience things for the first time.

He truly is a great baby! We have been blessed to have a little boy who just goes with the flow. He'll miss a nap here, miss a feeding here, even hang out in a stinky diaper until one of us notices (I promise, it doesn't take us long to notice with the solids he's been eating lately). He doesn't cry to be fed, or cry to be changed, he doesn't cry when it's time for a nap, he just has these cues that he gives off when he is ready for any of these, and maybe one last squeal to get our attention, then he waits patiently to be attended to.
He has been sleeping through the night for the last few weeks now. When he does get up, we bring him into bed with us. He'll roll over on his side and play with my face, often grabbing chunks of my hair and scratching all over my face as he discovers my eyes, nose, and mouth (when he finds my mouth, I take a nibble on his finger which usually garners a little giggle).

He has gotten so verbal lately. I wish I knew what he was saying, because his expressions when he is telling us "stories" look like he is trying to tell us off "Quit dressing me up in those silly hats" or "Please feed me more!". It is so much fun to watch him as he tries to communicate, like everything that comes out makes total sense and we should understand.

He is sitting up on his own and taking a bath in the big bathtub (no more baby bathtubs). We have a letter of the day (one of the foam letters that we play with in the bath) and we talk about words and friend's names that start with that letter and sing any songs that come to mind.
He has two teeth, and two more that should pop out any day now. They new ones are on the top and his gums are so swolen, you can see the outline of the teeth just underneath. He is drooling all the time and chewing on anything he can get his mouth on including our shoulders, arms, and just tonight, a piece of mail that I left a little too close to him on the floor.

He had his 6 month appointment last week and he is weighing in at 22lbs 13oz and measuring 28 and 3/4 inches long. He is literally OFF the charts in height and weight. We knew he would be a big boy because Payton and I are so tall, but had no idea that he would be wearing 18-24 month clothing at the young age of 6 months.

He loves his exersaucer, and anything else that will keep him sitting up or standing up supported. He eats his meals in a highchair and is eating solids for breakfast and dinner. He also takes 2 bottles during the day and another at bedtime. He loves toys that light up and make noises, especially the really obnoxious ones that drive us nuts. He is also drinking out a sippy cup. Granted, he hasn't quite figured out how to tilt it far enough back to get water, but when I help him, he gulps it down.

Here are a few recent pictures: