Darker and Colder

Daylight is scarce and the temperature is dipping lower and lower. I'm missing our daily walks, and I know Leo is, too. We try to get out here and there, but the wind really makes it hard to walk too long and Leo's poor cheeks get chapped.

jb is out of town for the weekend so it's just me, my little sidekick and Uncle Daniel. Leo has reconnected with his love for napping - as long as I stay close, like, really close. So that combined with the chill in the air makes for a lot of cuddling under the covers.



Leo has recently had a major influx of toys. One of our new neighbors was clearing out toys that her kids no longer use and we were lucky enough to get a couple bags of hand-me-downs. Leo is in toy heaven and it's great timing for us, since we are staying at home more and more because of the weather.

I wouldn't say Leo didn't have many toys, but well, he didn't. We've never bought him a toy. Ha, that sounds awful. Abi has bought him a few and he has a few stuffed animals from his baby shower and some other miscellaneous gifts - but mostly he just has a lot of books. Which he loves - but I think he was kind of amazed by the invasion of brightly colored, flashing, singing plastic things.

It's cool because we are learning about what he likes and what we like - and don't (that telephone that sings "who is calling, who is calling" over and over may disappear soon...) One thing he's loved is the exersaucer (which we half-jokingly refer to as the ring-of-neglect), which is something I probably never would have bought from a store. He will happily play there on his own for 15-20 mins, which is perfect to throw in a load of laundry, fix lunch, or flip through a magazine. And I like that it keeps him off the floor because after playing on the floor for a while his hands and feet (which seem to be allergic to socks) begin to feel like ice cubes.

When we do make it outside I wear him in a carrier or wrap and just zip my coat up around him - good thing I stretched it out so much when I was pregnant.

Even indoors he loves to be wrapped up tight against me while I do things around the house.

He recently had his 6-month well-child pediatrician's appointment. He weighs 17 lbs 2 oz and is 26.5 inches long. Both stats put him at just above average. His teeth are looking good and the top ones should be coming in the next month or two. We did finally find a pediatrician's office here in Philly. They are nice. Fine. Good, even. I just miss our Pittsburgh practice.

Leo is also wearing shoes regularly - which is the most ridiculous thing ever, but they help keep his socks on his feet.
He's continuing to try new foods, but still it's mostly just a bite here and there. Some go over better than others.

As I type he is sleeping soundly beside me. As long as I sit here next to him, he will sleep peacefully and deeply like an angel. Of course if I try to sneak away and have some time sans baby he will wait about 10-15 mins (enough time to get invested in a TV storyline or get started on a sewing project) and then begin crying until I return to bed to nurse him back to sleep. So I've pretty much resigned myself to hanging out here in the bedroom. I've got my computer, my phone, and my library book. Good times. He's lucky he's cute.