MONTH SIX.

I think the sweetness of the past month we've had with Finny can sort of be summed up in the simple and yet unforgettable experience that we had this morning.  Finn was up early, of course, but we had a slow start to our Saturday and stayed in bed while Finn lie between Justin and me, rolling from one side to the other taking turns putting his fingers in Papa's eyes, Mama's mouth, both of our noses. Out the bedroom window we all cuddled up under layers of blankets and watched as fat, fluffy snowflakes fell from the sky -- a rarity in Durham.

When will I stop saying "this was the most fun I've had with Finn yet"? Nine or ten years old? Surely by junior high. No time soon, I'm guessing. Month six was an explosion of movement and growth. So much newness all at once. As of yesterday's check up, this little guy is weighing in at 20 pounds, 1 ounce and is 28 inches tall. Officially over double his birth weight and half a foot taller, in some ways I have a hard time believing that this is the same baby I gave birth to six long/short months ago (depends on the day).  He is eternally curious, always running his hands over different textures, putting anything he can get his hands on in his mouth, and shimmying his way over to objects just out of reach.

The most obvious has been the arrival of two little bottom teeth that sliced their way through a very sad baby's gums. Those things weren't fun to get, and they aren't that fun to have now either. He likes to put them to good use on fingers, noses, etc. Good thing they are so cute. No signs of other teeth at the moment, and we'll take it, because Finn is sure enjoying this time off and he's way into getting a decent amount of sleep. His eyes have certainly changed too. Almond shaped like his Papa's and they seem to be taking on a hazel tone.

I keep thinking that we're getting so close to crawling, but we still haven't made it quite there. Finn is pretty skilled at spinning around the wood floor in circles, standing up (when propped up by the couch, or a chair) for a super long time!, wiggling himself up on his hands and knees, and lurching forward, but he can't quite figure out how to put one hand in front of the other. He does find it to be completely hilarious when I push him around as if he is crawling, however. His all time favorite activity is jumping -- it is probably his number one skill. He is also able to sit up, but pretty inconsistently.

We have also introduced Finn to the world of solids (its going a lot better than it was here). Finn is pretty excited about sweet potatoes, peas, and pears. This was the first activity that really showed me exactly how independent of a boy we have on our hands. He loves to guide the spoon to his mouth and I think would be much happier if I was just removed from the solids situation and he could feed himself completely. Not quite there yet. He also tends to exert his independence by not loving to cuddle a whole lot, and not often falling asleep in my arms.

A few other things that I don't want to forget about this past month is how Finn has stretches his vocal chords to their limits, continuously making low, rumbly growls, and neverending high pitched yelps. I love when he grabs my cheeks, tricks me into thinking I'm about to get a kiss, but instead quickly get a face full of slobber.  It is completely precious to see how he's taken up snorting to tell me when something is bothering him. I love how he loves a smile from across the room and how he's figured out how to suck (chew) his thumb. So many wonderful new things, every day it seems, make Finn completely magical.