the brave one.

first, we'd like to welcome any new readers with a cheerful "hello." we hope you find this ongoing project for mercer jackson interesting for at least a few minutes a day. we (mom and dad) update this blog at least once daily, sometimes more, usually at night. we've been trying to keep up on the weekends, as well, but we'll see how that goes. right now, the mercer process (named after the process we use to put the little guy to sleep each night) features news on mercer's progress, family updates, up-to-date photography as well as photos from the archives, a fun poll from time to time, links, and some music the family is currently in to. we hope to add more features in the future, such as baby product spotlights, kid-friendly activities, and that sort of thing.

let's get right to it, then. mercer had a big day today. first off, it was his six-month birthday. mom and pop just can't believe how quickly time has passed. it's the most boring thing a parent can say, but it's really the truth. pop barely remembers holding little mercer in what seemed like the palm of his hand. pretty soon mercer will be running around the living room and we won't remember what it was like when he was six months.

mercer also had his six month checkup today. everything checked out OK in terms of development. he's "tripoding," which means he's sitting on his butt and holding himself up with two hands. he weighs 18 pounds, 9 ounces, which is in the 75th percentile, and measures over 28 inches, which is in the 95th percentile! the whole "percentile" thing just means that mercer is taller than 95% of the kids his age, etc. it's something that parents have continuously asked for over the years so they can grade their children against other kids, but all we really care about is that he's developing normally.

mercer got more shots today, too. they don't normally give shots to babies who are sick, but mercer had no infections or fever and he's recovering pretty well. in addition to his normal shots, mercer also received his first flu shot. he was very brave through the whole ordeal. of course, he cried when he felt the needle pricks, but he was more hungry than anything else. he was out of sorts for the rest of the day, too; tired, whiny, and probably achy. mercer has had a lot to deal with these past few days, but sickness and flu shots would make pop whine, too. he's such a good boy.

now we're getting ready to put mercer to bed for the night. he's been sleeping pretty well recently. he's also been eating most everything we throw at him except for solid foods. it's not great to introduce solid foods to a sick baby, so we'll have to wait it out a bit. our next project is to make our own veggies for mercer; family project!

we put a new poll up tonight asking everyone what mercer's cutest facial feature is. i know, it might be hard to pick just one, but that's what makes this fun. so please, vote away, leave lots of comments, and forward our little blog to your friends and neighbors. mercer loves new friends.

mercerMusic:
radiohead - "15 step"

happy six months, mercer! sleep tight...