This is one mom's journey.
To grow a deeper love for my Creator and my husband.
To raise 2 rambunctious children, plus foster more in the neighborhood.
To be a support and an encouragement for the single moms in our area.
To learn how to strip off the sugar coating of the "American Dream."
Making food from scratch.
Not being perfect.
Learning how to express myself. Nearly 3 decades of suppressed emotions.
Embracing motherhood and all that comes with it.
I haven't posted in a while mostly because I always find half a million other things to be doing than enjoying my free time (hah!)...but since Ben has had a cold for the last few days, I've had a lot of opportunity to sit on the couch and watch the same Veggie Tales videos over...and over. Cold and Flu season are upon us and as much as I'd like to keep Ben away from germs, it's not going to happen. The kid eats dirt, people. That's not even the grossest thing he does either! He likes to raid the garbage can and find used paper towels to suck on. Seriously...boys are disgusting. Mine happens to be ridiculously cute, which helps up to a point. So, despite my best efforts to keep him relatively clean and healthy, he finally caught a bug. With noses running and Larry the cucumber singing silly songs, we have been parked on the couch in various awkward positions trying to make the most of being trapped in the house for days. So in case you're wondering how to cuddle, take a look at the experts:
P.S. If you see any boogers on my clothes, I'm not sorry. I am walking and talking, human-sized tissue, apparently.
Disclaimer: I was really lazy at uploading pictures from my phone to computer so I am finally putting my foot down and posting this before he turns 10. I am so excited to be writing this post! My little man is 1 year old! I'm not going to take the credit but I did joke that he made it a whole year without any permanent damage from me. It has been a roller coaster ride, that's for sure. I still remember counting down the days until he would be 6 months old and then maybe it'd get a little easier. Thankfully, it did, and now he is really the joy of my day. I'm always watching videos of him on my phone and looking at pictures from the day's adventures. This past week month, we have been celebrating this birthday milestone with some fun activities and new experiences. It has been really freakin' hot lately, so Ben has been enjoying plenty of opportunities to be naked around (and outside) the house! We even managed to catch him in the act of relieving himself and got him to use the baby potty. That was pretty exciting and came from pure dumb luck. Nevertheless, I know he can do it so potty training is really going to kick in soon. My sister in-law, Val, took a picture of his tremendous deed but I will spare you that. It's on Facebook though, so you can find it on your own time.
We went to Seabreeze with a lot of our family and it was hot. And we got stuck in traffic on the way there for a while, which always helps. But the nice thing about not having air conditioning in your car is that you're more than ready to take advantage of your local water park! Once we got situated, it was off to the little kid pool area. Ben was apprehensive at first but once mom sat in the water with him, he was perfectly happy getting splashed! He got to ride on the merry-go-round, eat watermelon, and ride a train around the park. He also got himself a nice farmer's tan and some sun on his face. I brought sunscreen and totally forgot to use it because we were so dang hot. I'm hoping his 1/4 Indian genes will make up for my lack of parenting in that department.
The week before his birthday, we went to a really beautiful neighborhood nearby with the Erie Canal, train tracks, and tasty treats readily available. Initially, the trip was to rescue some baby birds that my cat literally kept dragging into my house. After a quick stop at the vet's, we checked out the library so that I could get some piano music and Ben could play tag with me. He flirted with a bunch of little girls before we were off to our next stop. We walked along the canal, stopped to watch the train go by, and then found a cute little sandwich and gelato shop to have a treat. Ben wasn't into sharing any gelato with me and started to throw a mini tantrum. But the lady working there was kind and gave him his own scoop and cone to enjoy. He preferred eating the cone and then smushing the gelato onto the table top and wiping it around with his hands. What can I say - this kid likes to earn his baths now. We had dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house and Ben made out like a bandit with new clothes and toys. And he ate more watermelon and some ice cream to boot. He still enjoys plenty of time hanging out with his kitty, going on adventures with mama, and of course, having lots of girlfriends stopping by to lavish him with love and affection. Don't worry, I already know I'm going to be in trouble for that one. We took a trip to Jazz Fest with "uncle" Matt and everyone would stop and stare at this ridiculously good lookin' kid in a fedora. Yup, my good lookin' kid. He loved watching the musicians and all of the festival people walking around. "Rochester's Finest," if you ask me... Here's some pictures, now that I've finally got them on the computer. Still in the brainstorming stage on what to write now that I managed to somewhat faithfully post about Ben for a whole year. Stay tuned!
Lookouts keeping the backyard safe.
Picking Ziggy's nose while having breakfast on mommy? Sure.
Well, here we are, almost at the 1 year mark, and I am scratching my head wondering what the heck happened to my life!? But then I think about it a little more and I realize that this past year has very little to do with my life, because if it weren't for Benjamin, things would be a whole lot less wonderful around these parts. I have so much to be thankful for. Even in this sudden summer-like heat, I am so thankful for a happy naked baby who loves staying up as late as possible with mom and dad on a Sunday night. I'm thankful for so many family members who live close by, as well as the ones who live far away and force me to be better at staying in touch. I am even thankful for living in our neighborhood, although some people may not think it's all that great from the outside, because we have a platform to love on the people around us every day. I have grown so much in the past year being around some great and rambunctious kids who adore my son and love spending time with us.
Head butts!
Playing under the short tree.
Ben is just as awesome as ever, learning lots of new things and getting better at the stuff he already figured out. He's a fast crawler and walking is just around the corner already. He's got a half dozen teeth poking out all over and likes to make sure he still gets a reaction when he bites mommy. Yikes. Aside from the biting, he is trying lots of new foods, climbing stairs, almost standing solo, pointing at and chasing the cats, and spending plenty of time in the fresh air with his honeys. His face is changing a lot, too! This little dude is definitely turning into a boy and the baby days are starting to fade away. I'm not sad that he's growing up, though I do have my moments where I want to squeeze the nearest baby and make annoying squeaky sounds. Ben is like, the best kid I know, and I miss him incredible amounts after about an hour of not seeing him (sometimes less). It's not uncommon to see myself and Aaron laying in bed watching the latest videos and pictures I took of our little guy that day. We crack up reliving the moments and are thankful for technology...we have one well-documented child that's for sure! One of the perks of Ben's personality is his built-in echolocation. Normally, I think of bats or whales when I hear that word, but Ben has mastered the art of talking constantly while moving around. It's not exactly how animals use it, but it's a bonus for a mom who isn't always watching where her child is getting into (guilty). I know 2 things about his crawl-babble: if he's making sounds, I can tell where he is and if he's not making any noise or responding to me, he's in the bathroom trying to get into the toilet. Every. Single. Time. He's also starting to talk on purpose, and not just because he loves the sound of his own manly voice. Here's a quick video of him singing along to the ABC's on a favorite toy:
All in all, this month/life is getting a bit crazy for us. Between weddings, building a business, walking-to-running babies, and trying to fit in some home improvements before the summer's over, we are busy! I am so glad this summer is going to be a huge improvement to last summer. Don't get me wrong, Ben's birth was a blessing to be sure, but not having him sweaty, complaining and nursing 24/7 all through July and August is going to be niiiiiice. Plus, he's got his own kiddie pool and plenty of girlfriends to play with all summer. It's going to be a blast! Next post: 1st Birthday!! AH! Side note: It took me forever to write this post because I've been spending most of my time playing with Ben outside. Some of these pictures are after his 11 month birthday but they're too cute not to share!!
Now I'm really starting to feel old. This past month not only marks my birthday, but also Ben's graduation in to double digit status. He's becoming such a big, grown up man! Ok, so he's not potty trained and he still likes to cry and whine when I take hazardous things away from him...but besides that, he's practically an adult. Besides, there are plenty of adults who have moments where it's forgtton that they're potty trained and cry and whine because they don't want to make good choices. But I digress...
Family photo from Easter (thanks Stacey Eaton!) I've got some handsome men on my hands!
So where should I start with the updates this time? This kid has learned a TON of new tricks in the last month. The biggest one I would say would be crawling!! It's crazy how he went from laying on his belly doing nothing productive, to pushing himself backwards or in a circle, and then finally to darting off on all fours in any direction! That's pretty much how it happened, too. I left him to play alone while I made breakfast and when I came back, he had crawled forward for the first time! I bribed him with banana to get him to do it again just to be sure, and he did...just in time for me to snap a quick video:
He's also learned how to pull himself up to standing really well. At first, it would take him forever to get himself all the way up but now, I am constantly finding him balanced against a table or the couch or even my leg to see what's up there. And it's not uncommon to find him standing in his crib waiting for me to come get him after waking up. His new thing is to do everything while standing. That includes eating, diaper changes, and general hanging out. I'm betting he'll be walking before his birthday at this rate. It's pretty adorable to see him growing up so quickly. I'm sure that I'll get sentimental and weepy when he finally does grow up and move out of the house, but right now, I am so excited to see all these developments and milestones happen before my eyes! It'll be nice to have a little helper around the house asking mommy what he can do, too. Physically, Ben is developing right on track and is having a great time exploring the house in new ways. He's also getting pretty smart upstairs and learning a lot of cool new sounds he can make with his mouth. I am seriously considering teaching him spanish somehow (even though I don't know it myself) because he is a natural at rolling his "R's" and makes that sound whenever he's crawling. I call it his motor mouth :) Our new games include peek-a-boo, catch the kitty, and Ben's personal favorite, "Destroy All The Things." I've managed to rescue him from digesting countless scraps of paper and tissues, coins, and even a giant piece of broken glass (yikes!). I discovered just how much cleaning is in my future...and let's say it's a lot. Ben's got this great block shot of an arm and has managed to take out a couple cups of coffee I didn't get to in time, as well as the cat food left on the floor. He's really good at cleaning up the dirt with his pants but he's even better at smashing banana into the carpet. My boy's got skills.
Going out for errands always provokes old ladies to hit on him, and he takes it with stride. It's not uncommon for them to hail their friends over to "ooh" and "ahh" over his cute face and messy hair. And his big blue eyes and long eyelashes get him mistaken for a girl, no matter what outfit I have him in. He's a natural with the ladies and gets really excited when there are little girls around. His favorite girls are still mommy and Aunt Val, but that's because we are blessed to see him the most. Here are some adorable pics of my ridiculous little dude. Until next month, enjoy!
This month marks a pretty big milestone. Ben has officially spent the same amount of time outside of his mommy as he has inside! I waited a week or so after his 9 month birthday because he was a week or so late (or at least that's how I'm justifying taking this long to write this month's post!) I'm a very blessed momma. I seriously have the most relaxed and amiable little guy imaginable. I think all that grace and patience finally paid off!! Ben is such a sweet heart. He's definitely a momma's boy at the moment but he loves daddy time. He's still just as serious as ever but once he gets over his initial shyness, he can be a real goofball. Now that he's getting a little bigger (okay, a lot bigger), he is now more able bodied and can do more than even a few weeks ago. Climbing Mount Mommy is a regular activity, as well as wiping runny noses and messy mouths on my clean clothes. The nice weather has also helped with his energy level tremendously. We have been taking many walks and exploring the parks with cousins and neighbors alike. One day recently, we were sitting on the porch swing out front and heard the neighbors play this tragedy of a pop song. Ben thought it was hilarious when it got stuck in my head and I sang the one line I knew to him during bath time. So I took a video.
Adding to his list of new tricks include: mastering finger foods, playing the keyboard, sleeping for 12 hours most nights (hallelujah!), taking baths in the big tub, getting up on hands and knees, pulling himself up to standing, spinning in circles, and clapping his hands! The last one is a particular favorite. My mom has been singing this hand clapping song since he was born and now if he hears us sing it, he will clap along! He'll also do it when he gets excited or his clothes come off (read: excited). And of course, I took video of him doing it in his favorite place, the bathtub. Thank goodness for smartphones or this kid's entire childhood would be poorly documented.
(Yes, he has bubble mutton chops. I know you're jealous.)
For such a young guy, he's been having a lot of first time experiences. When it got pretty hot out (70s in March? OK!), Aaron and I did a little landscaping to clean up what was left of our garden. The neighbor kids helped, and so did Ben. He loved playing and eating the grass, but oh how he hated wearing his hat. Sorry, white boy, you need it.
Ben graduated to the big boy bathtub! He loves crawling around and swimming in the bubbles. This picture is a little blurry but he was never still long enough to get a good one. Let's just say he enjoyed himself.
And finally, this upcoming weekend will be another milestone: Mommy's first night away. Yup. Me and the band are playing a show in PA and will be spending the night. So little Ben is going to have a sleepover with Daddy and will be a really good boy (fingers crossed). I started training him to use a bottle and he's taken to it quite well. He prefers to shake it as hard as he can and make a mess, of course, but really, what more can you ask from a little boy?
I'll admit it. I'm a terrible blogging-mom. I don't mean to say I think my posts are terrible (I hope not!), but I am definitely not good at being consistent with them. Ben has been 8 months for a week already and I am just starting to write his post on the last month. "Shameless, I tell you"(If you know my mom, I hope you can hear her saying that...she says it to me a lot!). Back to the Ben. He is probably the cutest thing alive. He passed our crazycat on the cuteness scale a while ago but now it's really going full force. He's sporting 2 new bottom teeth and an appetite for any kind of food he can shove in his mouth. In the last month he learned what a sippy cup was, can drink from it himself, finally mastered rolling over like a champion, and now thinks that mommy is actually pretty hilarious. So that's teeth, rolls, and laughing...and I'm the happiest mom ever! We have our little routines in the day so that Ben can get some alone time and I can actually get work done. He loves just sitting and eating his "peach puffs" while I clean or do some work on my home business. After he figured out the art of rolling over, he discovered that he's not afraid of being on his tummy. Since then, wrestling has been introduced to our bonding time and he's really good at beating me up.
Ben has become quite independent, and really enjoys playing with his toys and kitty (who has a hard time leaving either of us alone). Ben's most recent toy is a baby-sized grand piano, from his Gamma, and he loves to bang the heck out of it. I still have 5 bucks on this kid becoming a drummer because he actually prefers smacking the top of the piano to the keys themselves. Zig also really enjoys Ben's his new piano, and regularly checks up on it to make sure the keys are still in good working order.
I'm getting really anxious about Ben crawling soon. It's gonna happen before I know it and then I am not going to know what hit me!! I still don't think our house is safe for our ridiculously hyper and destructive climbing-cat...how am I going to make it baby-proof, too!? I've been holding out on investing in baby things that we don't need immediately, and things like gates and those power outlet plugs are on that list. Maybe I'll just get a whole bunch of bubble wrap and duct tape, just for good measure. I can already see the cats having a field day with that one...
I can barely believe it's been 8 months since my life completely did one of those Shaun White halfpipe 1280's....and now I feel like I'm finally past the "new mom stage." Gone are the days where I go running at the slightest peep out of Ben's mouth, or worry about him not having a good nap or someone taking care of him differently than I do. He's tough and little boys are made out of rubber, so I'm not worried anymore. It was actually one of my new year's resolutions and I crossed it off my list pretty quickly into 2012! I realized that he's going to be spending most of his life getting injured and doing things that will freak/gross me out, and that I might as well get over it now and move on with my life. Since I came to that realization, motherhood has felt like a breeze (in comparison).
I love my little man so much. He's starting to show the love back with cuddles and snuggles and "love taps" on my face. Seeing his face light up when he sees me, daddy, or his live-in girlfriend, Aunt Awesome, makes my day! I couldn't be more blessed. Thanks for being awesome, Baby.
When I see their happy faces smilin' back at me...
I know there's no greater feelin' than the love of family.
There, now that you've got that song stuck in your head, I'll update you on the happenings in Benjamin's little life. I can't believe he's already 7 months old!! A lot has happened in this past month. Ben has gained almost 3 pounds (wowza!) and can now sit up by himself for quite some time. He still doesn't have any interest in crawling but he loves to stand (with assistance) and jump in his doorway jumper for hours. This kid's legs are rock solid. He's filled out so much in such a short time that it has gotten to the point where we can see a difference in his appearance almost every day. Thankfully, we have a great bunch of thrift stores so I can grab an entire wardrobe for less than $20. Score!
First time in the built-in kid seat!
BAM. Cheeks.
Another great discovery is the beginning eruption of baby tooth #1! Compared to his early days, the minor teething fussiness seemed like nothing to me. I didn't even think he was teething until he grabbed my hand, shoved my finger in his mouth and poked me with this sharp thing coming out of his gums! His entire day, as noticed by his daddy, is comprised of shoving every thing within arm's reach into his mouth and making it disgusting. It's true. His favorite things to chew on are granola bar wrappers (or anything plastic for that matter), cell phones, paper, remote controls, and car keys. Not so much baby teething toys, go figure. But he also enjoys eating solid foods like bananas and avocado. I spend half of the time fishing it from weird places on his body but he has a great time making a mess!
I am so excited to see Ben's personality really coming out! He is such a sweet boy and also quite a ham. He gets really silly before going to sleep and especially after his night time bath. All we have to do is throw him around a little and tickle the armpits, and we've got the happiest baby on the block. He still likes his best bud, Ziggy the cat, and he loves finding new parts of my face to explore with his [puke covered] hands. He can say a lot of consonants like "ba," "na," "da," and blows raspberries like a champion. My little guy is turning into an actual little guy!
Babies' first snow!
Here are a couple of cute videos that really capture the essence that is Ben in a nutshell. I'm betting he's going to skip crawling altogether and will be running sooner than I'd like. Once he realizes that I'm terrible at anything athletic, Aaron is stepping in as the favorite parent. I'm okay with that. That's what dads are for, right?
