CJ at 6 Months

I can hardly believe that CJ was born 6 months ago.  We are beyond blessed to have this little miracle in our life!

  CJ now weighs 14.02 pounds!  He has gained 2 1/2 pounds in a month!  This puts him in the 50% on the preemie chart for weight.

 CJ is 24 1/2 inches long.  He is OFF THE CHART tall on the preemie height chart.  His height has to be charted on a NORMAL BABY chart!  With that being said, he is in the 3% for height...but this is a huge accomplishment!

RSV season is coming to a close, but we still keep CJ quarantined at home.  We fought for so long and so hard to get him well enough and strong enough to come home that I will do everything in my power to keep him healthy and from going back into the hospital.  

CJ and I have finally moved upstairs.  Ever since he came home, we slept downstairs, him in a bassinet and me on the couch because that is where his oxygen tanks are located.  After 8 months, I finally started sleeping in my bed and man does it feel good! It was a little odd being back in my own bed, considering that the last time I slept in it was the night my water broke with him at 21.5 weeks.

Don't worry, we changed the sheets! CJ sleeps in the bassinet next to our bed.  He still sleeps hooked up to the apnea/heart monitor.  He started pulling off his cannula at night.  Multiple times we would wake up and the WHOLE cannula was off of his head...pulled it out of the tender grips too!  So, I decided to try him off the oxygen and he has slept so much better!   He will not take his last feeding at 8:30pm and sleep until 5:30am, eat, and go back to sleep until about 9:00am.   When he wakes up, he is the most happiest baby ever!

He is wearing size 3-6 month clothing and has graduated from a size 1 diaper to a size 2 diaper.  He is no longer our little bobble head and tolerates tummy time so much better, but prefers to be sitting up.  

He now pulls toys into his mouth and has gotten better hand/eye coordination.  His hands continue to be his favorite chew toy.  CJ has also graduated to eating rice cereal.  He continues to nurse 6-7 times a day, but also eats a rice cereal lunch and dinner.  He wasn't too sure at first, but he was up for the try...

 He needed a little time to process and move his tongue around to see if he liked this new way of eating..

 LOVES IT!  He takes a bite and smiles and talks and will waves his hands around until he gets another spoon full. It is so much fun to feed him!

 The Trio...CJ LOVES his big brother and sister and they adore him.  Are these not the cutest siblings you ever did see?  (NO, I'm totally NOT bias or anything :)  )

 CJ loves to watch what Clayton and Lacey are doing!

 We finally got a little break in the weather and CJ got to go outside for the first time ever.  We had a nice stroll around the neighborhood and later took Lacey to the park to play.  All the fresh air had him asleep in about 30 seconds!

My MOST FAVORITE new trick CJ has started is laughing.  His laugh is music to my ears! (I apologize for my "baby talk voice" but it made him laugh!)

CJ's next Riley visit to see his Pulminologist is this week. He will get an Echo done to check his lungs and heart to make sure everything is in working condition.  If all goes well, we will schedule his sleep study to determine if and how many Apnea episodes he has during his sleep.  If this all goes well, he could finally be completely OFF oxygen.  Thank you all for your prayers and support!  We couldn't be more grateful or more in love with our miracle baby and our family of five!