Since we last left you...

Benji:

• has gotten a haircut at a salon
  
• had his 8th tooth brake through (today) molars are expected soon
  
• has begun signing consistently, mostly more and food
• is really into eating paper right now
• has started talking instead of crying when he wakes and throws everything out of his bed and the shelves next to his bed
• enjoys emptying his toy bucket and putting things into it (he helps clean up)
  
• has started to figure out how many of his toys work and how to make the electric ones go on his own
  
• has started crying when one of us walks away...nearly always.
• has connected with our close friend Cat, cries when she walks away, calls her SCA name (Eilidh; pronounced AY-lee) and chases after her
• likes eating with utensils, or at least trying. doesn't quite have the logistics of stabbing and scooping food down yet. He is still a pretty good eater, willing to try anything and eat most things.
  
• may be progressing to one nap a day
• started pressing the buttons on the front of our TV, we figured out how to lock them (a sure sanity saver)
• thinks everything he picks up is a sword. He loves to pick up sticks, hairbrushes, and anything long and stick like. He will hand you a toy and want to hit the toys together with you.
• has adopted a "lovey". He looks for the blanket his Grandma Wendy knit for him whenever he is put into bed. He has also pulled it out a few times and walked around the house with it.
  

In short, Benji keeping us busy. The bathroom has to be kept closed because he throws everything in the tub, tries to flush the toilet, empties the trash can and pulls things off the top of the toilet and counter. Our bedroom door must be kept shut as he goes in and opens and empties the drawers and goes into our bathroom. The kitchen is gated off or he goes in and brings out "snacks", opens cabinets or plays with the locks on the cabinets, throws things in the garbage or gets things out of the garbage and opens the drawers.

We had an unexpected doctor's visit the end of last month when Benji fell into the edge of the dresser and wouldn't walk without holding onto something for a bit after it happened. Of course, by the time the doctor saw him he was running around the room and acting normally. Doc still checked him out and said his falling is just part of being age.

In short, Benji is a healthy, happy, active, almost 15 month old boy!

11 months old

Yep, our little guy is just 1 month from being a year old. We've had an eventful month. Benji cut 2 new teeth (top two) within a day of each other. He has become more and more inquisitive about his surroundings, exploring everywhere and trying to pull everything off of shelves and any flat surface. He is also VERY close to walking. He uses furniture, walls, people, toys, etc to barely keep his balance. He often walks with us holding just one hand. We got Benji a push and ride toy and a short 2 weeks ago he wasn't able to walk behind it (it moved too fast). We got home from 10 days away and off he went. He is independently taking steps on a regular basis but gets very excited and falls down.

We had a great trip visiting Grandma Wendy and Zayde Mike while they were in Tuscon. Jeff stayed for a few days and then went off to an SCA war (Estrella) for 5 days. While there, Benji was his usual happy self for most of the time. Enjoying being around people. Benji missed his Papa while he was gone, becoming increasingly fussy and unconsoalable the last 2 days and was very happy to see Papa return (after being angry for a few seconds). He did really well during our 8 hour car rides, needing to stop only 3 times each way. We celebrated Benji's 11 month birthday with a cupcake, since Grandma and Zayde won't be able to be at Benji's 1 year birthday. Benji enjoyed the cake quite a bit. Pictures will follow soon, but have to wait since our camera got left in Tuscon.

As far as other things, sleep is going well. I feared we were slipping back into old habits in Tucson with tears at nap time and many waking at night and refusing to go back to sleep. Once we got home, Benji slept very well through the night (waking our usual 2 times) and had just gone down for a nap with no tears. Benji is a very good, big eater and has started to feed himself with a spoon. At breakfast this morning, Benji fed himself after I filled the spoon with cereal. Grandma and Zayde were very impressed with Benji's ability and joy in eating table foods.

So, Benji is growing, thriving, changing, smiling, giggling, amazing.

First Step

Just a quick note of excitement. Benji took his first independent step today at Gymboree. He's been cruising furniture and walking while holding onto our hands, but this was a definite first. It was one step in my direction before he fell into my arms. He also did really great pushing and walking behind the air log at Gymboree. I think walking is in our future very soon.

First trip to Disneyland

Benji had his first trip to Disneyland yesterday. It was a spontaneous trip with friends Mel and Theresa. Theresa works for Disney, so she was able to get us into the park for free on her pass. We had a lovely time and Benji spent a lot of the trip just observing everything going on around him. I really was expecting to just walk around the park, but we got to do several things. First, we headed to Sleeping Beauty's Castle where they have opened the ability to walk though and see the story told though pictures. Our first ride was the Merry-go-Round and once we got going Benji had a very serious face on (biting his lower lit). Next, we headed over for some food and then stopped by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Benji seemed to really enjoy the ride and looked around at everything. As we got off, we saw a character meet and greet with Pooh and the line was quite short, so we headed over there and Benji got to meet Pooh and Tigger. He wasn't so sure what to do about them.
Our last stop before heading out was Pirates of the Caribbean. Benji was a little clingy on the way to the ride and got a bit scared/unhappy during. He also fell asleep near the end of the ride and then again on the way home. It was very nice, all in all. One last thing on Disneyland for those who have little ones. At the end of main street in Disneyland and near the Tortilla factory in California Adventure they have a baby center. In the baby center are high chairs, baby food and supplies available for sale, a quiet area with rocking chairs for nursing, and very nice changing tables and small people toilets. A definite plus on finding it while there.

Other news/things since our last post: Benji is exploring his surroundings a lot now and goes just about everywhere in the apartment. He is not yet walking but getting more comfortable with his balancing and moving. We had a wonderful visit with my parents (Bubbe and Zayde). Benji enjoyed spending time with them and cuddling with them. We also had fun celebrating Hanukah (a few pictures available on Picasaweb). Benji enjoyed looking at the candles and by the 4th night really had the hang of tearing paper. He didn't care about what was in the paper, but it was fun to tear it off none the less. There is video of that, but I need to upload those when I have a chance. The last thing was Benji and Jeff had a great chance to bond and spend more time together over the holidays as Jeff had off of work for 2 weeks.

I am amazed to think that Benji will be 10 months old this week. I love all the developments, his sense of humor that is developing, his love of music, his observing people and things around him. I still wonder where my baby went. He has grown and changed so much in the short 10 months. Quite amazing.

Nine months and a day

Benji is 9 months old now. He has cut 2 teeth and is eating a bunch now. He really is quite an amazing guy. Nearly every food he has been offered he has liked immediately (except carrots which took some time to like). Our schedule has helped a lot and we are now getting sleep. Nap time is still a little bit of a struggle, but we are at least getting two 40 minute naps. I'm hoping we will be able to move bedtime back a bit (it's at 5:30 pm right now) as sleep has improved.

EC is going well and Benji is letting me know in his way when he has to go and he usually waits to have a bm until he is offered the potty. I try to always offer after sleep, when I notice he needs to have a bm, and occasionally other times. He nearly always goes a little but often is dry and goes on the potty. I must say, the best part is not having to change poopy diapers.

Benji is often very adventurous and has been trying to stand independently for some time now. He even can manage to get to standing pushing up on a low basket on the floor.

That's about all for now. Hope everyone is well and enjoying the winter season.

Bumps and Lumps

Ben is getting around like crazy and pulling himself up on everything. He hasn't figured out how to get down yet. So, we have lots of bumps and bruises happening on his head the last week or so. He does seem to have crawling down and runs into things much less while doing that.

I've managed to get the last month's worth of pictures and videos uploaded to Picasa and YouTube.

Our trip to Indianapolis this last weekend was very nice. It was great to see extended family we hadn't seen in 3 or more years. Ben got to meet his Great Grandparents, Great Uncle and some more cousins. He also got to spend nice time with Zayde Mike. Grammy Wendy wasn't able to make it and we all missed her but love the outfits and toys she sent with Zayde.

8 months old

Well, Benji is 8 months old now (as of yesterday). It has been a month of changes for him. He started moving around by rolling and then started fully crawling on Saturday the 8th. Wow, can he get around now (and get into EVERYTHING). He started pulling himself to a stand on the 13th on anything he can get his hands on. He is starting to communicate with us using signs. He has told me he wants to eat and use the potty several times now. He is also eating solids very well and prefers to feed himself, even when the food is fed by spoon. EC is going very well. We had one day where Ben's diaper was dry for nearly the whole day (a bit of wetting when waking from his nap). He definitely looks forward to pottytunities and was upset this weekend when we traveled without the potty and he needed to go.

So, our little guy is now mobile. We are loving Gymboree (which is all about exploring and climbing and learning to move). Jeff and I are doing well. Ben keeps me on my toes and we are finishing up the crawling level of babyproofing. Jeff's work is going well too.

And He's Off

I can no longer look where I left my baby boy and find him. Not even in the same general area. He has realized that movement, almost anywhere he wants to go is possible. He can crawl, with enough motivation (such as getting some kind of electronic like the remote or phone). His favorite mode of movement, other than being carried, is still rolling around.

He continues to be very adorable. As it's getting chillier (I refuse to use the word cold in LA) I realize he needs to start wearing sock, or shoes, or slippers and pants (which is rare when we are just around the house). Today he's wearing the bunny slippers his Grammy got for him. They are absolutely adorable.

As far as other things. Ben is truly enjoying foods and is regularly eating 2 meals a day. We also have been doing very well with EC and regularly catch 3 to 5 pees and at least 1 poop each day. We went nearly a week without a poopy diaper and on Sunday were able to keep a dry diaper from 7 am to sometime during the afternoon nap (probably around 2). However, now that Ben is becoming more mobile, he is a bit impatient and doesn't want to stay on the potty. Hopefully we will be able to continue to catch some eliminations on a regular basis.

Gymboree costume party

On Tuesday we attended one of the costume parties held by Gymboree. We had a lot of fun. Ben dressed up as a turtle (thanks to Aunt Cristin who sent us costumes Taylor and Cody have worn).
More pictures are available on the picasa link to the right. Here are a few favorites.

6 months old

Ben is 6 months old today. I'm amazed that 6 months ago today I was unaware as the time passed waiting for Ben to be born (and trying not to scream through the contractions). The time has passed so quickly.

Ben will be starting his next solid today. We took a break after his second time eating broccoli as his system wasn't quite ready. He had broccoli again over the weekend to much more success. Today we will be trying carrots.

Ben is now barrel rolling (front to back to front...) and moving across the floor. He is playing with his toys regularly on his own and passing them back and forth between his hands. He continues to rock on hands and knees and tries to launch himself forward and scoots backwards. He loves to grab anything, especially if it's something someone else has. He regularly grabs my glasses and hair and Jeff's beard. He wants to play with pens, remotes, and phones, which trump any toy that is his.

He giggles at funny noises and faces now. He still loves to be sung to and it is the one way to keep him happy when he is getting tired or grouchy (unless he is hungry). I have more pictures and videos to upload, and will hopefully get them done before the end of the week.

We also went and had our first professional photos done. Ben did wonderfully and the pictures are adorable. I'll be loading a link on here in a few weeks if people want to order some pictures in addition to what I ordered.

I am continuing to love being a mom and am amazed daily by the joy Ben brings to our family.

6 month check-up

Wow, it's been a hectic couple of weeks. Our Internet has not been working well which has made being online tough as well. Ben is doing great. He continues to have good and bad days when it comes to teething. He's becoming more independent with so much. He now is willing to be left alone to play on the floor regularly and often wakes up in his crib and just hangs out talking to himself and playing with his hands and feet.
Ben is moving a bunch now. He is never in the same place I put him in the crib when I go and check on him. He even woke me up one night with all the moving around and running into the crib walls. He can roll from back to stomach and stomach to back but thankfully hasn't figured out that if he does it over and over again he will travel. He is scooting backwards and rocking on his hands and knees and launching himself forwards. He loves to grab anything and everything, but I think his favorite things to grab are my glasses, my hair and Jeff's beard. He interacts with people and toys regularly and has started to enjoy throwing things to the floor and fussing so someone will pick it up. He also fusses if he can't throw it to the floor. He is absolutely amazing. I am truly loving the interaction and playfulness.

So, today was our 6 month well baby check. Ben is doing great. The doctor is impressed with how strong he is. She asked if he could sit up and was amazed that not only could he sit, but he balanced himself as he began to tip. Ben now weighs 16 lbs. 10.5 oz. and is 26" long (although I think he is longer than that). On the charts, he is 50% for both height and weight and 75% for head circumference (17"). He was really good at the office considering it took us 25 minutes to be taken back to a room and then another 45 minutes before we saw the doctor (and that was only because I complained). He seems to be doing okay tonight. No more fussy than he was this morning due to teething despite the 3 shots he had today. We'll see how he's doing tomorrow and if he is running a fever.

First food pics

Okay, now what?
Hmm...
Yummy

All done!

A bit messy, but fun. He had more today and was cleaner and got more of the broccoli in his mouth :D

5 months old

Wow, just wow.

Ben is doing great. He is enjoying his toes and toys. I think he can roll from tummy to back, but only really does it in bed. Sleeping through the night is on and off, depending on how eating goes during the day.

We've run into a string of constant eating and then refusal to eat. I was concerned Ben wasn't getting enough to eat, so he has gotten a bottle on 2 nights over the past week and then I pumped later in the evening. He has also been acting VERY ready for solid foods, watching us eat, grabbing at our plates, not quite seeming content with just breast milk. So, I broke down and let him have his first solids yesterday. We tried broccoli. He had lots of fun playing with the broccoli and got a bit in his mouth. When he got real bites we got a bit of a sour not sure face, but he went back for more, so...I think he likes it. Pics to come soon.

As far as other things, he is now 26 3/4" long. No clue on weight as we don't have a scale (no, not even one for us). Our next appointment is Sept. 2, so we will see what his weight is then.

Ahh, Sleep

We have reached a new milestone and I am really enjoying this one. Ben has begun to sleep through the night. Upon arriving home from MN, I was determined to help Ben sleep better and be able to fall asleep on his own, especially when he wakes in the middle of the night. I started a better bedtime routine with him which he seems to really enjoy and have tried to keep a consistent bed time (around 8 pm). Well in just a few short days, Ben only woke once and was able to get back to sleep with just a little bit of calm talking and patting his tush. On Friday night, despite my waking multiple times to check on him because I thought he should be awake, Ben slept from 10 pm to 5:30 am. Hooray, I was excited but cautious, maybe he was just VERY tired. Last night Ben slept from 8:30 pm until 5:30 am again. We'll see if it continues, but I will definitely enjoy it while I can.

The other nice thing about this is that it has allowed me to pair one of my least favorite activities with one of my favorite. In the morning when Ben wakes up, I let him eat while I pump the nearly engorged other breast. Pumping has always been a task that I did so that Jeff could feed Ben and so that I was able to go and do things without fear of Ben going hungry. It has been nice to have it be relaxing and productive (I can pump nearly twice as much when he is eating than when I am pumping alone).

Yay, sleep.....

Busy, Busy, Busy

Well, our trip to MN was absolutely lovely. Ben did great on both flights, sleeping through them. We had a wonderful time at the wedding and visiting with family and friends while we were in MN. Ben began to play with his toys independently while there and begin giving kisses and cuddling more. We also had an episode of Ben being ill the night before we came home. Nothing too serious, but he did experience Pedialyte for the first time.

Once we got home we went camping on the beach with some friends. It was absolutely lovely and relaxing. Ben did great with his first camping trip and enjoyed looking at the ocean.

Now we're home and the house needs cleaning, laundry needs washing, groceries need to be bought, and I have commitments that need to be met for the Synagogue. Lots to do and a little one who is used to having lots of people around to entertain him and play with him.

On a side note for Bubbe Nee, Ben is doing great sleeping in the crib at night again and even put himself back to sleep after waking up last night. He is fighting naps. He also wants to be held a lot, but we'll get back to normal soon.

Lots of photos from the trip have been loaded by Elysha and Zayde Marc and I will upload ours as soon as I have a chance.

4 months old (yesterday)

Wow!! Our boy is 4 months old. He is so amazing. He is now regularly grasping toys and bringing them to his mouth (to chew on and relieve teething pain), rolls over at will, lifts head when on stomach well and creeps himself while on the stomach. It is really fun to see him actually interact and enjoy his toys. He complains when on his stomach, mainly because he wants to move and it is a lot of work for him. He successfully moved from my belly, over my shoulder and onto the couch today twice while we were cuddling.
Other recent accomplishments are waking only once during the night and sleeping in the crib at night instead of the co-sleeper. Due to my exhaustion and Ben's snacking all night when sleeping near me I moved Ben into his crib during the night about a week ago. He has done well. It was more difficult for me, who has gotten used to hearing him breathe next to me and checked on him umpteen times the first night we slept in separate rooms. Ben has also recently taken to biting. I used to offer him one of my fingers to chew on, but in the last couple of days I have been bitten while feeding, on the lip, and on the arm. Ben also threw himself at me in an attempt to get a mouthful of ??? (maybe cloth). I have decided letting him chew on a finger may be confusing with my telling him not to bite, so we are now offering toys to chew on when he feels the need to bite.
We also had a visit from Grandma Wendy for several days. It was wonderful to see her. Ben enjoyed spending time with her as did Jeff and I. We have some great pictures (taken by Grammy and me) that should be loaded at some point in the near future.
Now we start planning for our first airplane trip. We are headed back to Minnesota to see my folks and go to my cousin's wedding. It's amazing how much more I need to make sure I bring with us with a baby. Luckily, Bubbe Nee is going to borrow a stroller and a few other key items so that we won't need to fly with them. If anyone has any suggestions for flying with an infant, I welcome your advice. I already plan to either feed Ben during take off and landing or give him a washcloth to suck on (as he refuses pacifiers).

More milestones

Ben has healed from his vaccinations. He was quite crabby and uncomfortable for close to 2 days and ran a fever for a day and a half. He is still teething and enjoys chewing on our fingers, his fingers, toys, cloth, just about anything he can get into his mouth.

We had a lovely holiday weekend. We went downtown to see fireworks and have dinner. Ben did just fine while out and the booms didn't seem to bother him. We got to see some friends both Saturday and Sunday which was lovely.

Ben is "talking" more and more. The whining tone has decreased and now usually only means he is unhappy/uncomfortable. Tonight we had the excitement of Ben rolling from back to front. He did it once, but was very close many other times. He was close to rolling front to back yesterday, but hasn't made it yet. He's awake again, so I'm off.

Our first play date

Ben and I went to visit a friend, Sandra, and her 5 month old for a play date yesterday. We had a great time (as Sandra and I always do). The boys are a bit young to do much interacting, but her son was having fun rolling over onto Ben. It was really nice to just sit and chat and talk about baby things from someone who is going through similar things.

I was able to weigh Ben, since they have a scale. He is now 13 lbs. 11 oz. Oh, and he is also able to wear a couple of 6 to 9 month outfits without looking like he is swimming in them.

Other updates....Ben is fighting naps. I have come to count on this time to get some stuff done, have some time free, and not have him in my arms. I think it may be the pre-teething that is making him uncomfortable. The only time he naps anymore is in my arms. He wakes within 5 minutes of being put down. He is also sitting, unsupported for 4 to 7 seconds. Not much, but quite good for his age. He is also regularly rolling to his side from his back, sucking on 3 fingers (on both hands, no choice of which 3 and sometimes from both hands at once), and playing with rattles and grasping them a bit.

We have some fun pictures from the play date, but no time to upload them now. They will be coming soon.

Tummy time

Ben has been resistant of tummy time often. We still encourage it, but don't force it. At Gymboree, there is tummy time each class with a mirror and seeing all the other babies. We have used a bolster to help him be able to hold up his head. and he has been comfortable doing this for increasingly longer times.

Today, while playing with Ben on the floor, I rolled him to his tummy and he lifted his head up better than I have ever seen him do without a bolster. YAY!!!

3 months old and EC

Benjamin turned 3 months old on Monday. He is doing quite well. His pre-teething continues. We are getting lots of drooling, putting his hands in his mouth, and wanting to put our fingers in his mouth. He bites quite hard when given the chance. Ben has begun to be able to entertain himself for longer periods of time. He is playing with his hands and enjoys playing in his gym. A few days ago, Jeff and I were in the kitchen while he was playing in his gym on the floor and he made a complaining cry. When we came in to see what was the matter he smiled up at us and kicked the ball on his gym. It was very cute that he wanted us to pay attention to what he was doing. He has also been scooting himself across the floor a bit on his back when playing in his gym. We continue to enjoy Gymboree and are learning lots of fun things that we are able to do at home as well that help him with his development. He is beginning to hold his toys for short periods of time and bring them to his mouth to explore them. His smiles and giggles are such a reward everytime we play with him and he has started "talking" to us.

I have been interested in practicing EC since before Ben was born. For those who are unfamiliar with it, EC stands for Elimination Communication. Just as parents learn to read their baby's signs for sleep and hunger, they can also learn to read their baby's signs for needing to eliminate. In fact, most parents already know what some of these signs are, such as the straining facial expression or the telltale grunting and bearing down that precede a soiled diaper. Practicing Elimination Communication (EC) is just a matter of responding a little differently to these signals from your baby by taking your baby to the potty. To find out more about EC, you can check out the website Diaperfree Baby.

I did a lot of reading about EC and decided that we would take a laid back, part-time attitude towards it. My main goal is to help Ben be aware of his body functioning. It has taken me a few months to feel that we are really making progress. Ben rarely makes any sort of signal that he is going to eliminate, but I can often tell when he is going. Recently, a pattern has become apparent that has made a more conscious effort of EC an option. Ben also has become comfortable being held in a way that allows for us to practice EC more effectively. We have been able to make increasingly more catches each day and Ben smiles each time he is offered a "pottytunity" (any opportunity to potty the baby).

Each day offers new excitement and rewards.