Six Months Old: Jake

Jacob Blue, you came into our lives on a foggy March morning and have been charming us ever since. I have to remind myself that you've only been here for a short time, as it feels like you've always been a cherished part of our family.

At six months old, you are full of happy energy and smiles. You love to interact with people, especially your big sister and brother. When they come into the room, you light up and crane your neck to see them. They adore you too, and have invented all sorts of silly games and songs to make you laugh. If ever we want to clear up a fussy moment, attention from your siblings will do the trick.

You are Mr. Flexible, and perfectly happy to go with the flow of our family. As the third child, you are toted everywhere, from school drop-off to soccer practice to family outings on the weekends. You had more experiences out and about in the world in your first six weeks than your sister and brother did in their first year! Fortunately you are a great sport about it and are happy to catch naps in transit throughout the day.

You have many nicknames. Lucie and Ryan like to remind us that your real name is Jacob, though we rarely call you that. Instead you are Jake, Jakey-boo, Boo-Boo, Cutie, Cutie-a-lot (Ryan's creation), "Guh" (your favorite sound), and the most fitting name of all, Lovable. With your chubby cheeks, eager smile and sunny disposition, this name fits you perfectly.

You've recently started to babble, with sounds closely resembling real words. A girl at the pool was convinced you smiled and said, "Hi!" to her, though I'm not sure you're quite that far along yet. You do say "da-da" over and over again. I wouldn't be surprised if this is your first real word, as you adore your Dad and beam whenever you see him.

Just within the past few weeks, you've mastered rolling over, both front to back and back to front. Unlike your big sister at this age, you don't roll much at night, and prefer to sleep on your side, with your arm flung across your face, in full surrender to sleep.

We're still trying to figure out if you will be a finger or thumb sucker. At this point you seem to like all fingers equally, or simply prefer to jam your whole fist (or fists) in your mouth. I often see you sucking on your arm when trying to fall asleep, but mostly your favorite pacifier is nursing. As our third baby, I'm so happy to have this relationship with you, knowing how quickly you'll grow out of it. Even in the middle of the night, I enjoy our special time, feeding and dozing off together.

You've grown and accomplished so much in six months. We can't wait to see what the next six months will bring (though I wouldn't mind keeping you at this age forever). Your entrance into the world has brought so much happiness and joy to our family. Happy half birthday Jakey-boo!