10!

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!

Ben's squinty face!

His hand is the best part. A real cool guy.

40 weeks young.

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?

The Ocho

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.

Seventh (month) Heaven

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?

Ben's "silly dance"

Babies in boxes.

Jumping BEaN.

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!

Three, Four? Shut the [front] door.

Yep, mah baby's all grown up and is now 4 months young. When he's rested, he's quite the little ham. He loves smiling at mommy and daddy and just started to roll over! When he's not rested, that's a different story. He is definitely still high maintenance, which is why I'm writing this a few days late. Between holding him to sleep, holding him awake, and holding him...um, all the time, I haven't had too much free time to do anything beyond basic necessities.

I'm going to make some serious money off of this kid's face.

He has, however, improved! Now I can occasionally lay him on the ground (hopefully when the kitties aren't around) and he will talk to me while I do something. Or I can put him in the Bumbo seat and he slumps forward to suck on his hands. It's adorable. The reason that he's become so much more of a joy in my life is due to the discovery that he needed an adjustment. Literally. It seemed like for no reason at all, Ben hated being flat on his back. He always gave me grief whenever I made him lay there, for diaper changes or whatever reason. His cries were strange, a pained one, that seemed to never be soothed. Finally, my amazing mother in-law recommended taking him to the chiropractor. She knew of one who had a lot of experience with young babies so out of desperation, we gave it a shot. It turns out that 2 of the vertebrae at the top of his neck were rotated and pinched down on some nerves, causing inflammation and giving poor Benjamin the equivalent of a constant migraine. No wonder he was a crabby patty! After just one adjustment, he was a completely different baby. He slept soundly in my lap for about 3 hours that day and the next day, he didn't even complain about laying down at all. We went to visit my parents for Columbus Day and they were wondering what happened to that crabby baby I was always complaining about. I left him at home, I told them. What I learned (even though it's pretty obvious) is that birth is tremendously traumatic on a baby's body. A lot of problems that adults carry with them today are most likely something caused from birth. Thankfully, Ben is getting treated young before any major damage occurs and now all of his future siblings will receive the same preventative treatment!

Some things that Ben really enjoys include: being naked, boobies, Skyping my mom, baths (see, being naked), tickles, blowing raspberries on his belly, grabbing things (especially mommy's hair), walks in the Baby Bjorn, and being naked. The whole naked thing is pretty adorable, but I can see our heating bill slapping us across the face for that one. Ah well. No one said having kids was cheap. I'm glad that I wont have to invest in an electric blanket this year, which is a bonus.

After a nice long walk!

Skyping with Gamma!

Sitting up in the Bumbo!

It's been a fabulous 4 months with my handsome little man. He's still a baby, but he's not a baby...if that makes any sense. After much struggle with getting him to seek some independence and allowing me a break or two a day, Aaron and I decided that he was ready for some sleep training. So far, he's only known sleep as an "attached to mommy's boob" type of situation. Well, that can only go on for soooo long. Plus, we have a beautiful new crib going to waste in the nursery. It's about time someone besides the cat sleeps in it! I'll write a blog about the whole thing, because I feel like conquering the sleep obstacle is something that's either a fairytale or just a well kept secret. I'll bet $5 that if the age-bearing people on this earth really knew more about the reality of not sleeping for months on end, we would die out as a species. I know we will see a victory but I want other people to know all the sides of raising a baby, including the ugly and messy ones. Lucky for Ben, he's crazy cute, so at least he makes up for it.