Finn's 1/2 Birthday!

As soon as Finn was born I could not wait until he turned 6 months old. That might sound terrible, but it's true. I feel like 6 months is when babies are at their prime baby age. They sleep better, start eating solids, have a less offensive cry, and they generally start doing fun things. The only negative thing about this age is teething, but we haven't entered that zone yet. As you can imagine, I was very excited yesterday when Finn was officially 6 months old! It might sound crazy, but I really saw a sudden change in him throughout the day. He feels like an older baby. (Ok, so he has felt like an older baby eversince he was born the size of a Thanksgiving turkey, but still...) His personality is that of a more mature baby.

I want to honor his special 1/2 birthday with a list of 6 things that I love about him!

1. I love how chunky Finn is. It's no secret that I always longed for a chubby baby. What's not to love about plump baby cheeks and squishy thighs? Killian was a very average size as a baby, and while he had some baby chunk, he wasn't a chunky baby. Finn is my solid chunker, and I love squishing him all day. He's so chubby that my lips get lost in his cheeks when I kiss him, each of his thighs takes both of my hands to wrap around, and his chins have chins - to the point where it's difficult to locate his neck. He's close to 20lbs. His clothes are sized 9-12 months, and they're quickly becoming tight. He's almost in size 4 diapers - the size Killian was in at 1 year old.

2. I love how cuddly Finn is. His chunk factor helps him to be good at snuggling in and falling asleep pretty quickly in my arms. He is a super clingy baby, which can be difficult because it makes getting things done very hard. But I'm trying to treasure every day of cuddling before he's too big to do it. In fact, there are many times when I could put him down and get something done, but we're both so comfy with him in my arms that I don't want to put him down. Nothing else is important enough to stop cuddling!

3. I love how Finn loves Killian. He watches him eat. He watches him while he plays with toys. Any time Killian is around, Finn is watching him. At least once a day, Finn gets into this mode where he waits for Killian to do something - anything - and he will crack up with his most sincere belly laugh. No one else can make him laugh like that. You know when he's in the mode because he stares Killian down and his eyes smile in anticipation of the next thing Killian does. When I see Finn getting into the mode, I tell Killian to laugh or say "boo" - and sure enough, Finn cracks up. Then Killian cracks up. This is my favorite part of each day. I love seeing them so happy and in love with each other. I can't wait until Finn is old enough to really play with Killian.

4. I love experiencing everything over again with Finn. I thought it wouldn't be as special with Finn after experiencing it all with Killian already, but I was wrong. It's fun knowing when new milestones are approaching and comparing notes on the boys. It was exciting when Finn rolled over for the first time several weeks ago. It's amusing how physical milestones take a bit longer for Finn because he has so much weight to maneuver.

5. I love how scrappy Finn is. He's generally a sweet-natured boy, but he has a sassy side. He has a self-mutilating problem which is not so fun (I will save that for another post), but it certainly gives him an edge. He likes to swing at me when we're within close proximity. He reminds me of a kitten batting at a ball of yarn. (He also sharpens his claws by scratching the couch, much like a kitten.) Usually he's harmless, but I have to admit that he has bitchslapped me on a couple of occasions. Now, I'm not saying that I want him to be violent, but for now it's kind of endearing.

6. The boy can sleep. I love Finn so very much for allowing me to sleep through the night every night since he was about 6 weeks old. Killian gave me such a rough time with sleep for several months after he was born. (He didn't start sleeping completely through the night until around 18 months.) Life is so much better and easier with adequate sleep. He has a crazy sleep schedule, going to bed anywhere between 11:30pm-2am and waking up between 10am-11:30am, but it works for us! I never take this attribute for granted.

And now some Finn pictures from the past 2 months: