I feel so bad for you. After all the things which you went through, it is too bad that R has bad excema. It is good that you didn't start him on solids very early because introducing solids very early causes allergies in some babies. With R's bad skin condition, it is safer that you waited. Since he is 6 months old, try starting solids slowly with rice cereal for 3 days and then oatmeal/barley. After you introduce any new food, wait for atleast 3 days to see if he has any bad reaction so that you will know it is the food.
Regarding R crying, is it bad only after you came back from CA or even before you left. Is it a shrill sound like I am in pain or more a complaining cry. If it is the latter, he probably liked being outdoors and had fun there and now he is bored. Does he lift his arms up everytime he sees you and cry? If that is the case, he is just feeling bored and wants to be held. If it is a screaming cry all the time, call your ped.
About sleep, it looks like he is getting very tired by the end of the day due to lack of sleep. So try making him get some naps and he'll be able to sleep easily in the night. Diya was like that in the beginning and I used to wonder how she was not able to sleep at all. Even now, when she misses her naps, she is cranky.
This is what worked for us. Try putting him down for a nap about 1hr 15 mins after he wakes up. As soon as he wakes up, take him out for a walk in the sun and show him everything. About an hr later, bring him to his room, put some soft music on, read a small book and rock him for some tim till he looks drowsy. Put him down in the crib at that state. If he cries, give him 5 mins. Then take him and rock/breast feed and put him to sleep. If you BF him, put him next to you in your bed so that you don't have to move him and wake him up. The first nap is very essential for him to go to sleep for the rest of the day. So, at any cost make him take that nap. After he wakes up from the first nap, give him about 1 hr 45mins to play. After that soothe him just like you did for the first nap.Try to make him nap in the crib all the time so that he will associate crib with sleep. Try to put him down drowsy but awake. If he cries, give him 5-10 mins and if he still cries, try to soothe him again by rocking. Put him in the crib before he sleeps. Babies cry if they fall asleep in one place and wake up in the middle of their sleep to find that they are somewhere else. Try to make him nap every 2 hrs after he wakes up. He should have about 3 naps at this age(2 of them for around 2 hrs and one for 30 mins). As he gets used to sleeping alone, you can reduce the amount of rocking so that you can just put him down awake.
If you have any questions, you can email me at vidyaramesh@gmaildotcom. If you give me your phone number, I can call you too. Please don't worry, he will start sleeping much better once you do the same thing everyday. I know that you don't have time. If you get a chance,read Healthy sleep habits, happy child by Marc Weissbluth from your library. It is a long book. Just read the section from5-9 month babies and it will give you ideas on how to make babies sleep better. Sorry about the long message
Love to R and you
Vidya pk replied. Reena,

Try putting music for him. Music really works for us. Play some movie songs while he is playing and watch if he likes any songs particularly. They will stop playing and listen to the song if they really like the song.Play that particular song when he is cranky. My daughter likes a one movie song and when I put that she calms down and even sleeps of her own.

Tell your husband to sing for him. Babies like male voice better than female voice bacuse its more powerful. Smriti sleeps when her dad sings..no need of even hold her. But it does not work for me. Try not not to make eye contact while you sing to/pat him.
Try to put a humidifer or fan for him. Or a make shh.....sound.

In the daytime nap sometimes I open the window curtain/blindes and she stares thru the window and sleeps..You can try that too.
At night after putting her down I swich on the music and the light in the doorway and keep talking with her and \";escape\"; from the room.If she sees me leaving she will cry. Then she will make some sound to make herself comfortable and sleeps. If she is still crying I her give paci.

These tips may not work alaways but always try it some or the other time it works.


Take care,
pk naveena replied. i have question regarding this good sleep habits ,can i send u agmail too
bye