Zaden Update

It's a little late to do Zaden's 6-month update, I suppose!  Here are his stats from his 6-month check-up:

15 lbs, 2 oz (7th percentile)
26.6 in (46th percentile)

Since his weight had been in the 13th percentile during his 4-month check-up, the pediatrician asked us to bring him back in another month for a weight check.  Thankfully, she said we could do it in conjunction with Lucan's 3-year well-child visit; otherwise I may have just blown it off.  I wasn't concerned--Zaden had just started solids literally two days before this check-up, and he was (and is) nursing just fine, usually 5 times a day.

So anyway, we took him back in last week, and his weight is up to 16 lbs, 4 oz, which puts him in the 9th percentile for weight now.  I don't remember how long he is, and unfortunately, they didn't write it down for me this time and my hands were full with the two little ones.  All I heard was that I don't need to bring him back for another weight check!

This is a happy Zaden in the huge high chair that our friend Chris brought over.  I LOVE this thing!  He had definitely outgrown his swing, which was what we were using for feedings before this--rather difficult, since he learned that he could jerk his body and make the swing move, resulting in food being smeared all over his face.  Now I can plunk him in here and let him play with toys while I get his food prepared, and the chair has wheels, so we can easily move it.

The foods Zaden has tried so far include avocados, squash, carrots, parsnips, apples, bananas, and pears.  I've used chicken broth as well as breast milk mixed with the rice cereal; he really seems to enjoy the broth.  I need to puree some green veggies and start him on those; just haven't had time yet.

We're still working on figuring out the sippy cup.  Kenna was sweetly helping him with this tonight, and I managed to snap a picture.  (Yes, it's a pink and purple sippy cup.  It's the only one we currently have with handles!)  I think it's harder for him to figure it out because he hasn't had a bottle at all since he was very, very tiny and the doctor had told us we needed to supplement with formula.  (Thankfully that didn't last long at all!)

As you can see from that picture, he is sitting up very well.  I absolutely LOVE this stage, where the baby can sit up and play with toys in front of him but can't move anywhere yet!  His personality so far seems to be very similar to Arden, who was content to sit on his blanket and let the world come to him rather than Kenna's tendency to take on the world herself.  (I still remember Kenna trying to sit up using her abdomen muscles even from as young as 3-4 months old!  Zaden has no such interest!)

Zaden's preferred sleep position is on his tummy, and I still often find him sucking his thumb when I go to wake him.  I love how he had his ankles crossed in this picture with his little butt sticking up!  He doesn't seem to suck his thumb quite as often, though--only when he's sleepy, like when I wake him and he instinctively knows he's going to be nursing, he'll find his thumb before I sit down.  He still is a champion sleeper, taking 3 naps a day plus sleeping a good 9 or so hours at night.  I am extremely thankful for this!

Overall, Zaden is one of the happiest, easiest, most laid-back little guys I've ever known!  He adores his siblings and rewards them with shrieks of laughter, blown raspberries, and all kinds of fun responses.  He doesn't have any teeth yet.  He recognizes his daddy's voice and gets excited when he can hear Ted on Skype.  We look forward to celebrating Zaden's 9-month birthday by having Daddy HOME...or at least close to it!