Six months!

Half a year old.
That's how old my children are. Well, at least, that's how old they were yesterday.
But yesterday was Sunday and I didn't have the camera on me to take pictures.
Today I tried to take pictures and was quite determined to get pictures of them sitting, but you know... it didn't quite work. Apparently it's harder to sit on the bed than the floor...
But we're going to try again this afternoon, so check back tomorrow or Wednesday.

At six months old, my children are becoming children. Not infants. But children who play, who laugh at puppies and ducks, who try to take toys from each other, who lean in to give me kisses and love to read stories.

And who have slept through the night four nights in a row! (We're talking 11 hours... more on this later. Tomorrow?)





These boys love kissing. They lean in and plant big, slobbery, open mouthed kisses on my cheek, mouth, nose... it's adorable. I love it.
They love to kiss their daddy and their aunt Mary, too. I may have even started crying a teeny bit, when I saw Micah lean in and kiss his brother on the forehead. Especially when Grey turned his face to Micah and just grinned at him. They love each other! They love each other!



And they're starting to love other people, too! It was so sweet when we were at Travis' parents last Sunday, and I took Micah from his Grandma, and he reached out his arms and leaned back to her.  They recognize their family and they love them and want them! It's so sweet!

They've also both learned to blow raspberries, and they think it's hilarious. The day Grey learned it, he spent all day with big red cheeks and spit down his front because he wouldn't stop doing it.
The next day, after watching his brother blow raspberries all day, Micah starting trying to do it. But he didn't quite know how to do it, and kept his mouth in a wide "Eeee" shape.
But a day later he had it figured out, and then the boys were both doing it constantly.



They want to crawl soooo badly. They get up on their hands and knees and rock back and forth, but I don't think they've figured out that they have the strength to pick up their hands and move forward. So they're still just army crawling. They alternate between pulling themselves forward by the elbows and shooting themselves forward by pulling their knees under their stomachs and then straightening them out quickly.





Just yesterday, on their half-birthday, Grey learned to sit. Really sit, I mean. Before yesterday they could both sit with a bit of help, or for a few seconds at a time, before toppling forward. But suddenly, yesterday, I sat Grey up to practice sitting, and he didn't need me.
He would sit for several minutes at a time. Micah can still only sit for maybe 20 seconds at a time, but I think it's because he's too easily distracted. He wants things, whether it's the bottle Grey is holding or the pacifier on the floor, he knows the easiest way to get it is on his belly.
So he flops himself forward.
But at least it seems intentional. Perhaps if he intended to sit, then he could... ?



They love to watch tv.  No. I don't let them watch tv, but now if I am watching something on my computer or television, they are fascinated. They also are a teeny bit obsessed with my phone. They want it. In their hands or in their mouths, but NOT in my hands.
I've actually taken to using it as a distraction, like when I need one baby to calm down for a minute so I can help his brother. I turn on a video of the boys that I've recorded on the phone.
They LOVE to watch the videos of themselves, but I wonder if they really know that it's a video of them.
Maybe they just like hearing themselves (on the video) laughing and baby-talking.


 I know every mom says this, but I just love this stage.  Every stage that they've been in so far is more fun.  They are constantly laughing and grinning and playing with each other and with me.
And dang! I mean, seriously. These boys are CUTE.

And this is what it looked like trying to get them to sit up...