Joshua Daniel: Seven Months

It's still surreal to think that Joshua has been outside of me as long as he was on the inside. My pregnancy with him felt like it lasted forever ha. But these seven months of him on the outside are going by faster than I'd like. 

Joshua has started laughing and we all love trying to get him to do it. He is such a happy little guy and I'm grateful for his pleasant, fun personality. I feel so blessed to have had such sweet, fairly easy babies. He is either all smiles at people or pretty stoic. There doesn't seem to be much in between. He still loves blowing bubbles and drools a lot. He tries to stick anything and everything in his mouth. He has started sucking on his two fingers (like Miss Paige, but the opposite hand). Definitely gonna make sure that doesn't become a thing for him.
Joshua likes playing with his toys and has gotten down the ability to grab things and hold on to them. When you hold him he likes to reach out and touch your face. He seems to really like Dan's beard. His banket is his soother. Once that's up around his face he gets more content and calms down if he's upset. He's getting better at sitting up on his own and will probably be able to for good in the next month. He's hit or miss with rolling over onto his belly but is doing it more frequently. Just today he rolled from his back to his belly. He's found his toes and that's probably one of my favorite baby milestones. It's so cute to see him grab them and play with them!
Joshua has started enjoying his baths. There's hope for him to be another water lover yet.
Joshua still isn't sleeping through the night, but he does usually have at least five hours stretches now. Glad it's at least getting longer (finally!). Really hoping he starts sleeping through the night soon. Thankfully he's always been really good at going back to sleep after he does wake up and eat. He puts himself back to sleep once I put him back in his crib. He takes a good nap in the morning and the rest are kind of sporadic, which usually happen when we're in the car running his sisters around. It's been near impossible to get on a schedule but that's almost better in my opinion because then he's flexible.
Joshua is still in 3-6 month clothes and size one diapers. He is finally on the growth curve for non preemie babies though, just barely, but he's on it! Well, his head circumference has been on it for a while haha but now his length and height are too. He seems to have slowed down a little in his growth, and he's not eating as long as he used to either, but I'm not worried about it because he's still growing.
Josh is also finally healthy! Knock on wood. Let's hope he can stay that way for a while. He has been constantly sick since coming home from the NICU, with little reprieve in between his little colds and coughs.

Our little Louisiana boy that we "found in the King Cake."

Evelyn put him in his own little pillow house.

When your Dad is a bone doctor you can wear skeletons year round.

Poor kid is always getting girlie things put on him.

We're still as obsessed as ever with this little guy and the girls are constantly fighting over holding him. He's the best little brother we could have asked (and even not asked ha) for!

Joshua Daniel: Six Months

Happy half birthday to our favorite little guy! Can't believe we're halfway to a year already.

Thankfully, this month was less eventful with doctor visits. We only had one this month and it was to see an OMF specialist about Josh possibly needing a helmet. I'm happy to report that his head is shaping out how it should be. We've been forcing him to look to his left (he prefers the right) when he's laying down and that's been working to even it out. We do have a follow-up to compare scans in two months, but the Doctor and helmet specialist both said they don't think he'll need one.
Joshua has moved up a size in clothes! He's in 3 months and 3-6 months. Still in size 1 diapers. I felt like he's growing so much quicker than his sisters because he was so tiny when he was born. I'm not ok with it!
Joshua has discovered his fists and fingers. He really enjoys sucking on them. If his binky falls out, he'll use them to sooth himself. But he doesn't really need either to fall asleep sometimes, which is kind of handy because now that he can use his hands better he pulls his binky out. He's been different from his sisters that way too though, that he doesn't seem to need a binky to fall asleep. He just makes his little soothing sounds or quietly falls asleep. Really hoping weaning him off it will be the easiest yet. He has gotten pretty good at grabbing things and is slowly improving controlling it how he wants. He's still kicking his legs like it's his job too. Little guy likes to wiggle.
We still haven't introduced foods yet. He has an appointment with his pediatrician tomorrow and we'll see what she says about him and dealing with his adjusted age. I'm hoping that when we eventually can introduce foods it helps him stay full longer because he's still breastfeeding every 2-3 hours during the day and mostly the same at night. He's given me a few 4-5 hour stretches in the past week that I'm hoping he continues. I have moved him to his crib. He had his first night in it last night and did well. Hoping maybe that'll help him sleep longer too, having a little more room. 
Joshua had his Mardi Gras parade! Gotta teach him the traditions of where he was born ha. Afterall, he did come from a King Cake (if you know you know).
Poor little guy has had a lingering cough for about a month now. I don't know how to get rid of it. He was really only grump the first day it showed up and has been his happy self since despite how long it's been around. He will occasionally spit up quite a bit of mucous after being burped. 
His sisters are still obsessed with him and fight over who gets to hold him. They enjoy reading him stories and giving him his toys. He was able to get some major Grandma snuggles in while they were visiting, and some Grandpa snuggles too but that was a little more difficult for him because Grandpa is recovering from shoulder surgery.
I have finally gotten some giggles out of him! It's hit and miss but of course I love it when he'll do it. He's gotten good at blowing his lips together and making bubbles. We've had to start putting bibs on him because he drools so much. He has started grabbing my face when I smile at him and I love that too. I feel so lucky that he lights up when he sees me. I love being his mama. 

He loves story time with his sisters.

The same outfit his Kelley cousins wore! Thanks to Aunt Nikkole for letting us borrow it.

Milk drunk.

The baby king!

Evelyn kidnapped him and made him a special spot on her bed inside her curtains.

Mardi Gras parade. He did really well despite his sad face. He was tired at this point.

First nap in the crib.

Life with sisters.

Having Joshua during Dan's residency has been one of the hardest things I've had to do. Being postpartum and adjusting to everything while trying to keep the other three girls going and do my best to support Dan has me feeling like I'm drowning most days. I'm beyond grateful my parents were able and willing to come out this past month to help. Life would definitely be more doable if there were two parents around. And I'm not blaming Dan for any of this, I'm just stating truth and that I really dislike residency sometimes ha. Little Joshua Daniel is worth it all though. He's the miracle I'm grateful Heavenly Father blessed me with.