Pippin @ 6 Months

Howdy Humble Readers!

Well, it's three days late, but I really wanted to get this down for posterity. 

I cannot believe it's been six months since we met our wee little man.  Pippin's grown so much!  I haven't weighed him recently, but I know he's well over 18lb.  We go for his well-baby check up on Thursday, so we'll get a good accurate measurement at that time.  He's totally outgrown 99% of his 3-6 month wardrobe, and we're going to have to head to the consignment store on the weekend to pick up some new pants for him. 

He wanted to help with the Christmas lights

We are still struggling with his eczema and cradle cap.  Because of the cradle cap he's lost a lot of hair, except for a strip down the center of his head, so he looks like he's got a faux-hawk going on.  Pip's eczema quieted down in September and October, but as soon as the cold dry weather started, he flared back up.  He often scratches his face and head (no matter how often I trim his nails), so he looks like he's been fighting with a cat. 

Every morning is a new discovery of scratches. 
I've tried the socks on his hands thing and it just doesn't help.

 

He rolls.  Oh how he rolls... everywhere!  I generally put him on a blanket in the middle of the living room and within seconds he's in the dining room, or chewing on the rocking chair. 

And speaking of chewing... oh my stars!  Pip chews on anything and everything and drools like a faucet.  Ginny has a large plastic Noah's Ark and for some reason Pip thinks it's a teething toy.  He's teething like mad, but still not making any real progress.  There are some bumps in his gums, but for all the pain he deals with, they don't seem to be going anywhere.  Ginny didn't get her first tooth until around 8 months, but I'm hoping for Pip's sake that he doesn't have to go that long. 

When Pippin isn't rolling, he's trying very hard to push himself up onto all fours.  He's desperate to keep up with Ginny, and sometimes his frustration at being left behind gets the better of him.  He's also recently begun to pay attention to the toys around him.  He will roll to get to certain items, and has an incredible grip once he gets hold of something (and he loves to wrap his fingers in Mummy's hair... ouch!). 

He loves to sit up, but can't manage it for very long on his own just yet.  He loves his toes, thinks they are the funniest things in the world, next to his sister.  He has yet to discover his penis, but given the strength of his grip, that's probably a good thing.  :)

Pip babbles and jabbers so much more than Ginny did at this age.  I always knew that Ginny was quieter, but wow!  He talks non-stop all day.  Of course it's still all nonsense syllables but it's a marked difference. 

First meal of rice cereal
(Finally got the pic to post!)

He's just started eating solid foods this week, and he's loving it!  He dives for the spoon, and gobbles up his rice cereal like a mad man.  Later this week we'll be adding sweet potatoes into the mix.  Of course, the addition of solids has not been all giggles and shits... Pip's had some tummy issues over the past few days.  A small increase in gassiness and some ooky changes in his poopy diapers are of note, but Ginny went through similar challenges when she first started solids too. 

Sleep at night is great.  Both he and Ginny are sleeping in the nursery now (Ginny goes down at 7:30 and he snoozes in the living room until 9 and then has a final diaper change and bottle before moving to the nursery), and they have managed to deal with each other's noises.  Napping, on the otherhand, has been a challenge.  At least part of the issue is again logistics.  He NEEDS a nap in the morning, but fights it so hard, I think because Ginny is up and playing.  At most he'll sleep for 20 minutes to a half hour.  In the afternoon, he'll often sleep when Ginny is napping, but where to put him is still the question.  I need to just bite the bullet and try putting him down in his crib at the same time as Ginny nap and see what happens. 

I know I've shared this pic before, but I just adore it!

 He's such a happy, laid back baby.  He adores his bouncy/jumper thingy, and will try to bounce on your knee.  He fusses when he's tired or hungry, but it's an obvious need.  He smiles and laughs constantly, and he's such a joy.  I can't believe he's 6 months old already! 

*****
The crud has landed on Ginny.  Poor sweet girl has a fever and a seriously runny nose.  I hope and pray that she doesn't get it as bad or suffer with it as long as I have (almost 100%... my voice is still really weak). 

Monday Snapshot: Goin' Shoppin'

Hey Humble Readers...

Ginny has become fascinated with my shoes.  She's always looked on our footwear as some of her favourite playthings, but recently she's started trying to walk around in my shoes.  She doesn't seem to want to wear my Beloved's shoes, but mine have shown up in all sorts of places around the house.

And when she wears them, invariably it's because she's "goin' shoppin'".  She usually has some sort of bag or bin or something that she carries to put her shoppin' in, and she's always specific about saying buh-bye. 

When did my wee sweet girl get so big? 

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This is posted as a part of PAIL Bloggers' Monday Snapshot series.  Click over and check out what others are sharing today!

 

Sunday Night Chit Chat:

Hey Humble Readers...

I hope you all have had a nice weekend. 

Ours started out busy, but has ended with a serious lack of motivation.  I blame the crud.  Yes, I'm still nursing this stupid cold, and I'm so sick of being sick.  I'm now on day 10 of wretchedness.  I am getting better, but it's going ridiculously slow. 

Ginny using Pip's bumbo chair as a helmet.

What are you....

Reading - The Hobbit!  Of course I'm re-reading it in advance of the movie coming out next month!  I'm super excited about going to see it.  And for those who asked... Casual Vacancy by Rowling... it was really good.  Obviously, very different from Potter, very sad in places.  It has a lot of colourful language and there were parts that were hard to read because her portrayals of family violence, drug abuse, and bullying were very gritty and heart-breakingly real.  All this darkness is held up in stark contrast against the quaint beauty of the village of Pagford, and is a commentary on the 'not in my backyard' mindset that holds us back from accepting that we are all a part of the problem AND the solution.

Watching - Once Upon A Time and Upstairs Downstairs.  Sadly, last week was the season finale of Call the Midwife.

Cooking/Baking - made two yummy lasagnas... one for dinner tonight with enough leftovers for at least two lunches for my Beloved and I this week, and another to freeze.  Had Caesar salad and garlic bread too,

Happy you accomplished this week? Finally moving those stupid bookcases! (see yesterday's post)  Sooo glad that's done.

Looking forward to next week?  My Beloved is taking this next week off, so I have all kinds of plans!  A good deep clean on the hobbit hole, watching the LOtR movies (my Beloved has never watched them... how is that possible?), rearranging the nursery, a possible date night, and my Beloved's vasectomy (no looking forward to it per se, but glad it will be done).

Thankful for today? That I am in relatively good health despite this stupid crud.  For the men and women who have served our country faithfully, even to the point of paying the ultimate price so that my family may live in freedom. 

Do you have any hobbies? If so, what are they?  Reading, spending a ridiculous amount of time online, crafting (just a bit of this and that), and of course, blogging. 

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This was posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat.  Click over and see what the others are chatting about tonight.  Or even better, join in!

Just A Note

Hey Humble Readers...

Today I was fully planning on writing Pippin's 6 month post.  It is his un-birthday after all, and it was a pretty momentous day as he started solid food (very eagerly). 

But, it ended up being a busy day...

- Making a big breakfast for the family (something I've started doing most Saturdays)

- Grocery shopping with the whole family (because it always takes me forever to get used to driving in winter conditions.)  There's a reason why I like doing the shopping by myself.  Yikes!

- Making a big batch of oven roasted marinara. 

- Making paella for dinner

- Moving two of our bookcases (something I had been putting off ever since we bought our new couch the week before Pip was born).  Of course this involved taking all the books off said bookcases, unbolting them from the wall, shifting them the needed four inches, fighting with the screws and brackets, putting more holes in my walls, and then reloading all the books back onto the shelves.  All so we could have a side table on either end of our couch.  *sigh*  At least it's done. 

- Framing a portrait of Pip. 

All in all, a bit busier than I anticipated and sadly the post about Pip had to be bumped to another day. 

What did you get done today?

Foodie Friday: A Work in Progress

Hey Humble Readers...

First up, thanks for all your suggestions on my last post.  I think I'm going to go for it, and hang on to the reciept just in case.  :)

And now I need some more input.

I used this recipe tonight for inspiration but it wasn't exactly what I was hoping it would be.  It was good, even worth repeating, but it needs some tweaking.  The author of the original claimed it tasted like the spice blend in KFC without all the deep fried badness. 

(And just take that comparison to KFC as a warning.  This is comfort food, not health food.  Tonight, I reeeeeeeeeally needed comfort food.)

I did tweak the spice blend a bit, because it did seem rather bland as written.  My issue wasn't with the flavour.  I'm happy with how that turned out.  I'm just trying to figure out how to get the crunch factor I was hoping for. 

Baked Fried Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs)
Milk (enough to cover the chicken pieces)
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp grill seasoning
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 400F.  Soak the chicken in milk for 20-30 minutes.  In a large ziploc bag, combine flour and spices.  Melt butter in a 9x13 baking dish in the oven.  Spread the melted butter over the whole pan.  Toss chicken pieces in the flour and spice mixture to thoroughly coat.  Place chicken pieces in pan and return to oven.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Flip the chicken breasts and bake for another 20 minutes.  I then put them under the broiler for 5 minutes to darken/crisp up the coating.

I served them with mashed potatoes, corn, and a simple pan gravy. 

How could I have made them crunchier?  Maybe add some cornmeal to the flour mix?  Or panko?  Any thoughts?