The Accomplishments of A Six Month Old

Rowan turns 6 months old today. I blame routine for making time fly the way it has. I know there is nothing I can do to slow things down and I should be grateful that Rowan is changing as quickly as he is because it means he is healthy and happy, but part of me wishes life would just hold on a tad. I feel like I am trailing behind and that I will never catch up! I think I am still stuck in week one postpartum! In my mind, Rowan is still a tiny little thing when in reality he is this beautiful little boy who is developing and changing every day. Reflecting on his accomplishments today reminds me of just how much he has done/experienced in just half a year. Perhaps routine isn't to blame for time flying after all. Perhaps it has been marveling at Rowan's biology that is to blame? He is my yard stick against which I will measure the years but he is a grossly exaggerated one right now because of how rapidly he progresses.

In these first 6 months of life Rowan has:

• filled approximately 1080 diapers
• had 120 poop explosions
  
• had 1440 meals at the boob
• doubled his body weight
  
• learned to flap his arms at the sound of his mother or father's voices
• become a professional smiler and has been warming the coldest of hearts ever since
  
• discovered vowels and blowing bubbles
• slept through the night (and we mean an entire 13 hours) without waking
  
• tried broccoli, squash, sweet potato, peas, swede (what ever that is), pear, apple, banana, mango, pineapple (and made the funniest face you have ever seen before he went wild for it), spinach, carrots, turnip, parsnip, strawberries, cantaloupe, prunes, apple and berry rice cookies, rice and oatmeal cereal, and peaches.
  
• refused to take a bottle but insists he can use a sippy cup
• wanted to feed himself but now settles on mommy or daddy helping
• taken 2 trips to England and has been to Blind River, Toronto, and Cambridge
• grown 2 teeth
• had 2 rounds of shots
  
• fallen off his mother once and on to the bed and cried
• fallen on the stairs with his mom and laughed
• had 2 bleeding fingers because of nail clippers
  
• learned to sit up on his own for a few seconds
• discovered the joy of rolling over and over and over
• laughed and laughed
  
• put everything from a remote control to cell phones in his mouth
• used a jolly jumper, an exersaucer, a bumbo, a swing and a bouncy chair
• loved the car, hated the car, tolerated the car
• gone from facing us in the stroller to being happier while facing outward
• outgrown many many outfits, some of which he was only able to wear once
• gone from size 1 to size 3 in diapers
• found his feet
  
• learned to imitate us when we put our arms up
• played "pattycake, pattycake" (or pat-a-cake as J pointed out) and actually participated
  
• had allergy tests and lived through the pricks
• completed one round of swimming lessons
• survived being passed around and around between family and strangers
• been to 4 birthday parties (and sadly missed 1)
• taken the train to London and Cardiff
  
• learned to leap out of his bumbo
  
• been a model for a day
  
• peed on his grampa, mommy and daddy
• pooped in mommy's hand and lap
• been to the dietician with mommy
• crawled over a pillow on the couch and nearly fell off because daddy was taking a photo of the moment
  
• deliberately tried to get our attention by smiling and making funny noises
• caused his mother and father to do very silly things in public

This is an amazing list. It is no wonder that we are so incredibly proud of him! Every day there is something new in him or because of him. There really was no way to be prepared for the amount of joy that he has brought us. In 6 months, Rowan has succeeded to take over our lives and to turn them into something richer, more meaningful and complete just by being himself.

This picture was taken today as we were waiting in Heathrow to make our way home. Happy Half-Birthday Little Man!