Almost 6 months??

I can't believe my baby boy is almost 6 months old!! Where did the last 6 months go? Henry is changing and growing so much! I am proud to say that he has met a lot of his family! Wisconsin relatives, New Mexico, California, and Illinois relatives are the last on the list for him to meet! He and I along with mom, dad, and Abby went on a trip to Jersey, and it was great to see him with all of his great aunts and uncles, great grandparents and my cousins (I don't know what that makes it for him)! Henry is sitting by himself, weighs somewhere over 15lbs, is over 25 inches long, and continues to make Carl and I laugh every day! He is one of the happiest babies ever! We have been enjoying these warm sunny days, and can't wait for pool weather! He and I are going to have a blast! Well, he's telling me he is hungry and needs a diaper change...guess I better go take care of that!

Advice

If there was one thing that I was not prepared for in motherhood, it was the advice that every well-meaning person has for you. I know this is purely my own problem, but I can't help but feel judged when I make my own decisions for my child, that I know others have voiced opinions that are not in agreement with what I have decided. What I have learned most importantly from this well-meaning advice, is that no one person is right. What works for one family, might not work for another. You have to do what is right for YOU, YOUR family. And well, it's nice to think you can please everyone--you won't. Times have changed so much, and will continue to change, and you have to decide what is important for you...and how you are going to prioritize it. My biggest priority is exclusively breastfeeding Henry for the first 6 months. I felt with the winter months, he was going to get the best nutrition from me, and that he should get it exclusively as long as possible. I would be filthy rich if I had $1 for every time somebody said to me, "He'll sleep better if you start him on cereal", "He's how old...and hasn't had solids yet" etc. I am constantly having to remind myself--this is what works for our family! It's okay that not everybody thinks it's the best decision...heck why do I care so much anyways!? The other big one, is the choice to delay his shots. After all, he has LOW exposure, and by the time he is one, he will be completely on schedule, they just won't be completed by 6 months like the CDC would like. I am the one that has to live with the decisions that I make for my son...nobody else will have to live with the consequences for the decisions made except for myself (and of course, my spouse). Here's to doing what we feel is best, with the good Lord's guidance!