Yesterday I was talking with our little son. A conversation that involved no more than me repeating the sounds he produced. After quite a long run of different sounds there was suddenly a very recognizable combination of sounds. Pa-pa! (daddy in Dutch) The sound was only made once and my initial enthusiasm was tempered a little because Alex refused to make any more sounds, but still… I was the proudest dad!

Alex likes to be outside, but when we take him for a stroll in his little car he usually falls asleep quickly. This is perfect when it’s time for a little siesta, but at night we prefer that he stays awake a little longer because going to sleep early results in him waking up very early as well.

To solve this issue we started using Alex’s carrying construction again. Hanging with his arms and legs in the air we went for a short walk through the area. Alex likes it a lot and is clearly enjoying himself! He’s looking at everything with curiosity and remains awake. When we arrive home we bath him in a nice warm bath and afterwards he sleeps like a baby.

The vaccination went as we had expected. Alex was tough when they put two injections in his leg. He cried a little bit, but he quickly forgot about the pain and fell asleep in his stroller. We did get some unexpected news. Alex had two teeth already! It happened without us even noticing. We had heard that the growing of his teeth would result in sleepless nights and we did notice Alex was in a bad mood some time ago and experimented with a special bite toy from the fridge, but in the end we just figured (incorrectly) it was some kind of phase.

His statistics:
Weight: 7.190 grams
Height: 65 centimeters

Alex has reached his first half year! Six months have flown by with the speed of light.

Alex has grown from a tiny small baby to a big baby actively working to control his limbs and the discover and understand his little world. A little man that started life with just a few drops of milk every few hours and is now drinking entire bottles of milk, eating cereals and enjoying his fruit mixes thoroughly. Alex is a happy kid who likes to laugh and who can enjoy himself with his toys. He sometimes (loudly) claims the attention when he feels bored.

As parents we also experienced an impressive change. We got more secure as a family and we really got to know Alex perfectly. We can sense when he’s tired or when he’s hungry or when he wants to play. We help him to fall asleep and we try and introduce him to new experiences on a regular basis.

Sadly, this milestone in Alex’ life will be celebrated with a couple of injections. He will get three vaccinations today. Now so nice, but it’s all part of growing up. The good news is that probably this afternoon we can start with ‘real’ food. Finally he will get some nice vegetables and just plain warm food. Exactly how food should be!

Alex has finally discovered his dummy. It took five months in which he kept spitting out the little plastic thing but he has finally changed his mind. We hope his thumb will finally get some rest. According the pediatrician a plastic dummy is better than his thumb because of the bad effect the thumb has on the developing teeth. Still, it seems every so-called child expert has a different (contradictory) opinion.

On this picture you can also see Alex reacting to his mirror image. He was a bit surprised, but since some time he is actively trying to grasp his other self.

Today was the last full day that my parents were able to bathe in the warm sun. Tomorrow they leave the 25 degrees next to to pool and return to the -15 degrees in the Netherlands. A difference of 40 degrees! For sure they will notice. Today Alex, Ana and I went to the hotel for a visit. We enjoyed the sun and Alex enjoyed himself a lot. He was laughing with grandma and grandpa.

In addition to these movies you can also view a few family pictures.