Whoooaaa, we're half way there!

LIVING ON A PRAAAYER!! Ahem. Sorry, I never thought that song would be so true to life, but it is! Benjamin is 6 freaking months old! I can scarce believe it. This journey has been so crazy and ridiculous, but in many ways, good and bad. I am so excited to finally see what God has done to our family and what He's brought us through. I mean, hey, there were days when I "cried it out" for 15 minutes because I was so tired that my body forgot how to fall asleep. Ben screamed for most of his (not eating) waking moments during the first 3-4 months, before he had his chiropractic adjustments. But even in the trying times, there were also bath time splashes, first smiles (and even giggles!), squishy bottom dimples, sneezing fits, and sleepy time cuddles....the things that made each day so much better than the last.

Angel face Christmas card photo shoot

6 months is a fantastic age. I kind of wish I could freeze him at this spot, when anything that lights up or makes noise (preferably both) deters any major meltdowns, and before he learns to talk back. He's also getting pretty hefty and I'm not sure how much longer I can pick him up and put him down. I swear, in one week, I was dressing him in 3-6 month clothing and then the next day they didn't fit. So I went up to 6 months and he outgrew those in a day! He's now in the very few outfits that are 6-9 months to 12 months and I'm keeping him in disposables so that his giant cloth diaper butt doesn't get in the way. Plus, he's quickly outgrowing those diapers, too, so I have to use them before they don't fit! What the heck, baby? Did we feed you 4 bowls of food on top of all your meals every day?? Oh, wait. We did. But you were asking for it so obviously it was necessary.

We went to the doctor's for his 6 month checkup and he's doing great! He grew 2 inches in the last 2 months, which explains the lack of clothes that fit him now. He can sit up unsupported for as long as he's not distracted. That, however, is not very long as he's discovering more and more things around him that are fun to look at. He loves grabbing at stuff and I caught him picking up his pacifier with his feet, transferring it to his hands, and then shoving it into his mouth. What a sneaky baby! I am so crazy about this kid. Sure, he has his moments, but most of the time I'm bummed that he has to go down for a nap all the time. If he could just stay awake and not be crabby, I would be perfectly fine with that. As long as he gets his beauty rest, he is the most laid back kid. He hangs out and listens to music, watches YouTube videos of other babies laughing, plays with toys, eats, pukes, gets tired and snuggles with mommy, and then takes a nap. That kid's got the life! Now that he's more socially acceptable and it's the holiday season, he's been getting some quality time with his cousins, Will and Sam. This year, we had a 3 year-old, 1 year-old, and 6 month-old at Christmas and it was too cute for words! They had a photo shoot and we got some hilarious pictures from that as well as a few videos of all us old people screeching in the background at their cuteness. Here are a few of those gems:

L-R: Ben, Sam, & Will

Cousin Love

Smirk.

Blue Steel.

We had a wonderful Christmas, filled with lots of food, laughter, spit up, and crying, but overall a great time. I'm glad it's over and can finally get some much needed rest. The house survived all the people we stuffed in here and the smell of cookies is still lingering in the air. I have been waiting for this day since Ben was just a few weeks old, when he was completely miserable and I needed some kind of light at the end of the tunnel. The days were long but the weeks flew by! Before I know it, he's going to be crawling, walking, and then running....after girls probably. Until then, I am going to enjoy every moment that I'm the only woman in his life.

Alto Cinco!

Hooray! We made it to 5 months old already! I can't believe how quickly time is passing by! Ben celebrated his 5 month birthday just after Thanksgiving (and I'm only now getting to write about it!) while we were visiting family in Chicago. We were with my side of the family for the first time as a group in over a year so it was great to meet some new additions as well as wise-crack with the regulars. It was a great time and I'm sad it's over...and that everyone lives so far away. Dang.

Ben laughing!

If you were on the edge of your seat waiting for an update on the life of Benjamin, I do apologize. Now that the holiday season is officially upon us, I have been getting caught up in decorating, cleaning, feeding, and the usual commotion that comes around this time of year. We are hosting Christmas at our house for Aaron's side of the family again, which will be a good time and an interesting one now that we have tons of baby junk to hide somewhere in the house. Trying to find such places and keep on top of regular housework has been occupying most of my time these days.

This summer baby does not like hats. Or clothes....

Ben's really blossoming in so many ways. He's finally a real joy to be around when he's awake (yay!) even if he has his classic stoic look, which is common. He's teased us once with a ridiculously cute laugh that is suppressed most of the time and he's a dream child in the car. No more hours of listening to hysterics from the back seat. I am so glad those days are over...for now. Ben is recognizing people's faces and absolutely loves when daddy comes home! He's already a football fan, and will sit watching it with Aaron whenever a game is on. Even if I'm facing him away from the TV, he will strain his head around to try and catch some of the action. I'm hoping that being born into a Bills family, he will learn the virtue of being a good loser.

Some other things that have been happening in his life include starting some solids and grabbing things, especially his best buddy, Zig the cat. I wanted to wait until 6 months to give him some food but after a few weeks of him being a "brat at the boob" as I call it, I succumbed and gave in. Turns out, he was hungry, which explains why he was kind of a grump for a while. He wasn't always crying like he used to, but he was whiny and had a very short attention span. Now, we stuff his face until he starts blowing raspberries with his mouth full (what a mess) and he is happy as a clam for hours. It's also nice because now Aaron can feed him at least once a day and they can bond while I get a short break. Zig, still thinking that he's the baby of the family, loves everything that has to do with Ben. Often times, I will find the two of them cuddling after nap time and a pile of dirty baby clothes is like heaven for this cat. Now that Ben is learning to grab things better, he is enjoying petting his buddy and punching him in the face (at my encouragement). He also likes daddy's beard and mommy's hair or earrings (ouch), as well as spoons and his toes. Pretty much anything he can get his hands on, he will, and it'll probably end up in his mouth. He still loves being naked, which will be a problem now that it's snowing, but I'm sure he'll learn quickly that being naked in winter is no fun.

First attempts at crawling!

Lastly, with Christmas approaching, I put Ben through his first photoshoot done by his Aunt Val. I really wanted to do some sort of Christmas card this year and had to take advantage of this kid's cuteness while it lasts. Enjoy the pictures and video clips. He's a real ham and I love him.

Blowing out candles for daddy!

Sweet potato lipstick totally brings out his eyes.

Watching a movie with daddy and Zig.

Hard to tell, but very upset with mommy at this moment.

I could look at this picture all day!