Christmas

The packing is (almost) done and we're eagerly anticipating Home. I can't wait for REAL conversation, laughing with my sisters, and reunions with beloved friends. Before we leave I wanted to show everyone a glimpse of the first Christmas for our little family. 

TADA! The finished fireplace, with extra greenery trimmed from the bottom of our tree. I think it turned out pretty well. Joel chose the moment right after I had finished painting to say "eh, I've never like the look of painted brick." Too late now! 

The greenery looked a little lonely so I added my Moravian star, and some of my Jonathan Adler figurines. The bird makes sense, but the horse.....not so much. Maybe like "dashing through the snow."??? At the time of this picture I had only three Christmas cards and I was very sad about it. I've since upped that number to eight....not the best, but at least I don't feel like Charlie Brown every time I go to the mailbox.

Dogwood branches from our front yard

The tree! 5 ft. tall and only $20 from Lowes. So many of the ornaments are very meaningful to us. Many of them belonged to Joel's grandparents or were on his childhood tree. I couldn't decide which ornaments I wanted to display the most prominently because I love them all.

He makes THIS Christmas better than any other!

More photos please.

My little sister called and asked for more photos, so here they are Catherine! The adventures of happy Baby Benjamin.

Schedules

Benjamin has lately been been switching his (our) schedule around a bit. For nearly his entire existence, he has taken a morning nap somewhere between 8:30-9:00. Every morning we get up, eat breakfast, and play before Ben settles in for a nice, long rest. During this time I leisurely drink my coffee and get on the internet before doing some housework and taking my shower. It's my time to refuel after the busy morning, and before running errands and doing more chores. This week Benjamin has decided he wants to act sleepy at the same time he always does, but not actually attempt sleep until around 10:15. This, of course, throws off my entire morning. Instead of "getting things done" first thing, I'm in a fight with my baby to see who gets to determine nap time. Then I watch as the clock ticks, realizing I had planned on a certain activity at noon, but I have to push it back. Then realizing that we can't just run out the door as soon as Ben wakes up (usually around 12:30), because I have to feed him lunch. By the time I get him strapped in the car seat and we're running errands, I'm anxious about getting everything done, Ben has been rushed through lunch, and we've both had a rough start to our day. Not to mention that Mr. B. usually starts to get ready for his afternoon nap around 2:30!

I feel bad about this. I tend to get very anxious about things that don't deserve it. I have expectations about what my day should be like, and when they fall through I'm not a pleasant person to be around. It's taken me many years to realize that contrary to what I like to believe, I'm a pretty high maintenance individual. This is a struggle for me. Today I realized that I'm not staying home with my baby to have more "me" time, I'm staying home because the time I spend with my son is invaluable. I mean, this is obvious to most people, but sometimes it's easy for me to get caught up in "OMG! I have to buy stamps today, RIGHT. NOW." No. I don't want to think that way anymore. The most important thing I do today should be taking care of Benjamin and myself in a way that is healthy and happy for both of us. That means moving slowly, being patient, and going through my day in a joyful way. I'll try.

8 Months

Well, month number eight came and went without many big changes. This month has been all about the small things. I had the nurse measure Ben when we got his flu shot a couple weeks ago, and he is 27.5 in., which means he's grown an inch since his six month checkup. I don't know his exact weight, but I think he is somewhere around 16.5 lbs. He is starting to grow out of his 6-9 month onesies and the necks are so stretched out they hang off his shoulder like he's an extra from Flashdance! I might just leave them like they are and start a new baby trend. 

Ben has always been a good eater, but he is REALLY eating a lot right now. I think he might be going through a growth spurt. I am still nursing on demand, and he eats solids 3 times a day. Right now our menus look like this:

Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ soy milk and fruit. Usually I mash up a banana or some fresh mango. This is definitely Ben's favorite meal. 

Lunch: Plain yogurt w/ fruit. I usually add whatever fruit is leftover from breakfast to his yogurt. Sometimes I add unsweetened applesauce. Just recently I've been including a leeeetle pure maple syrup. He always makes a face after the first bite of yogurt, but he eats it all. 

Dinner: Lots of veggies. We just moved up to stage 3 food, and he loves it. I figured he needed something more substantial after realizing he was downing two jars of stage 2 food in ten minutes. Not a big surprise since the main ingredient is water. Thanks baby food manufacturers! No wonder he's hungry. 

I read somewhere that individual temperament determines when babies reach their big milestones, so based on that assessment I would say that Ben will probably be a late crawler and late walker. He is so content to sit and play with a single toy, and I don't think he feels that restless. He is sitting up really well, but has had a few scares with losing his balance and falling over suddenly. Thanks to that I think it will be a while before he feels secure enough to start moving across the room. He is so determined to not have to move. Whenever he accidentally throws his toys out of reach he just sits and looks, and you can see him thinking, "hmmm.....how am I gonna solve this?" Then he looks around at any adult in the room, and then looks back and the toy, like "is someone gonna help me with this?" When no help is forthcoming, he will usually either A.) just turn his attention to something else rather than have to venture out of his comfort zone, or B.) gingerly reach his hand out, then quickly steady himself, then reach a little bit more, then......give up. Did I mention he's a very cautious baby? There is one exception to this observation and it happened yesterday. Mr. B. decided to pull himself up on Joel's leg from a sitting position to his knees, then tried to stand. Now, that in itself is not a big deal. However, later that night while I was giving him a bath he gave our kitchen faucet the once-over, and before I could blink he had used it to hoist himself out of the tub and grab a water bottle on our windowsill. It's very disconcerting when you see a baby who is normally content to just be a slug suddenly gain superhuman powers and practically jump out of the kitchen sink! 

Ben definitely understands quite a few words. I've been doing a little signing, and whenever I put my fingers together to sign "more" he flaps his arms. He probably thinks I'm an idiot, like, "No, mom! This is how we say it! Not YOUR way!" As long as we understand each other.....Right now we're working on "gentle." As in, "be gentle, don't pull Ladybird's tail." He always gives us a grin after that one. 

Here are some pictures from this month:

Ben does NOT have the Christmas spirit.

Yesterday, in the back yard.

Benjamin and Daddy.

This is his amused look. Like, "I'll humor you while you take my picture. Please don't bother me again."

Ben likes to swing his jumperoo over to the doorjamb and grab on. Then he shuffles his feet and does a little happy dance.

This is a bad day

I'm sure everybody's done that thing where you're trying to upload a picture onto your iphoto, and when the computer for some reason asks if you want to replace your iphoto library, in your sleep-deprived state you say "yes" because why not? And then you immediately panic and realize that your iphoto is COMPLETELY GONE and you accidentally trashed about 200 pictures of your baby, your sister's wedding, and your brother's wedding. And you don't know how to get them back, and you're too scared to click anymore buttons because you don't want to erase anything else. Right?

UPDATE: Hooray! After the purchase of 1 external hard drive and 1 FileSalvage download, most of the pictures are back. Just so you know, if you EVER have to use FileSalvage, not only does it recover your photos, but EVERY. SINGLE. picture you have downloaded in the computer's existence. You have been warned!

Return to me

The doorbell rings, causing Ladybird to bark LOUDLY, leading to Benjamin waking up from his morning nap. I run to the door and see the FedEx driver wave to me, jump in his truck and head down the street. Package! For me? I eagerly pick it up from the door step. 

Wrong address.

Grrrrr.

They're coming back to pick it up tomorrow, but meanwhile, I have so many questions. Like.....

Where's my package? Do I even have one? Will they come back today with a box for me, or is it lost in transit somewhere, only to be delivered 2 weeks from now?

Please FedEx. Come back.

Moving right along.....

I can't believe Rob and Annie's wedding was only a little over a week ago. Things move so fast this time of year.  Thanksgiving is over and now we're on our way to Christmas. Joel and I can't WAIT to see our families. The next trip home will be Benjamin's 4th plane trip in 8 months!

This is B. on the plane ride home from Tampa. What a little monster we created! I think this trip was the first time Ben realized he had whole roomfuls of people under his spell.  On our way through airport he kept staring at people, waiting for them to glance his way. Once they did...look out! He flashed those pearly whites and got the reaction he was looking for. 

Hmmm.....what else has been happening here? Ben is rolling over like crazy. Once he sees a toy or electric cord or a piece of paper he's determined to get to it anyway possible. Through a combination of pivoting and rolling he will usually get to where he wants to go. Several times this week I've sat him down on the floor, then turned around about a minute later to see him with a cord in his mouth, ripping up one of my magazines, or determinedly unraveling one of my rugs. His actual toys are not as interesting as the "toys" he finds around the house. I'll move him away from the object of fascination, only to see him narrow his eyes, lock his gaze, purse his lips, and start his little grunts as he moves his way across the room again.  This new phase really crept up on me. I thought I had so much more time before I had to worry about B. being mobile and baby proofing the house.  Just when I was getting used to having a little baby, he grew up! He's pushed himself up to his hands and knees a few times so far, but I don' think he realizes he could actually move that way. He's starting to get VERY frustrated when he can't reach a toy, so I think that will be good motivation for him to start crawling. Yikes! Let's not think about that yet. 

What else? Lot's of small developments. Our trip to Tampa really aroused Ben's "social butterfly" gene, so he has become much more vocal. He talks to his toys quite a bit, and he talks to people he knows. The other day we went to eat with his friend Owen (11 months) and they had a good time sitting together in the big boy highchairs and talking to one another. He also is starting to laugh at things he thinks are silly. I guess laughing isn't the right word---more like a little chuckle, or an acknowledgement that he's amused. The word "toy" gets a "heh" and a smile, as does the word "more"(said like a question). I have no idea why he thinks these things are funny. He also seems to actually know certain words, like bye-bye, Ladybird, daddy, and night-night. He usually responds to the last word with a scrunched up frown. If he could talk, he would say "nooooooooo!"  I won't elaborate on our sleep ordeal, only to say that the nighttime aspect of raising Benjamin is definitely for another looooong post that I'll write once I'm not so tired. Ha!

Other than baby, Joel and I have been working on the house. I painted our fireplace the other day (pictures to come) and we put up the tree on Sunday. Joel got up at 5 AM on Black Friday to purchase a super discounted shop vac at Lowes. Best. Purchase. Ever. We also cancelled cable a few weeks ago, which has changed our lives. All the sudden things are actually getting done. Oh! And our friend Matt is coming to visit this weekend. This month is getting pretty busy. We'll keep everyone updated!

"What is this life? How did I get here?"

One unfortunate side effect of having children is the constant worry.  I know some parents are even tempered and don't have issues with this (Joel) but it is something I struggle with every day. I was telling Joel last night that having a baby is so hard---not because of the night waking, feeding, etc.... but because of the anxiety I feel. It's miserable. Now that I'm coming out of the fog of having a baby, I'm trying to work on making myself calm and taming my ever present worry. I'm very calm when I'm around Benjamin--after all, he is pretty much under my control at all times. But I can't believe the craziness I allow my thoughts when I'm alone. The other day I decided to take a shower after B. had woken up from his nap. I normally shower when he is sleeping or I put him in his crib for a few minutes, but this day I had decided to let him play on the floor in his room. Keep in mind that his room is directly across the hall from the bathroom, and I had both doors open. Also keep in mind that I take 5 minute showers, max. I knew there was nothing on the floor he could choke on and he can't crawl or pull himself up on things, only roll from side to side. Feeling like everything was secure, I jumped in the shower. As I happily shampooed my hair, I realized I wasn't hearing any crying. Ben always cries when I take a shower because he hates being left alone. That got me started. I realized I had been showering longer that normal---probably because I didn't hear any fussing. Then the dark crazy part of my mind took over.

What's wrong? Why isn't he crying?

He found something on the floor and he's choking.

No, he can't be choking. There's nothing to choke on.

Yes he is.

He's suffocating in his blanket.

No, that's silly. He's perfectly capable of lifting his head up.

Yes he is. He can't breathe. 

OH MY GOD! IT"S TOO LATE! I CAN"T BELIEVE I"M SHOWERING WHILE MY BABY IS SUFFOCATING!!!!

Cue to me panicking, hands shaking, ripping the shower curtain aside and jumping out, running across the bathroom floor and hallway soaking wet (almost falling) nearly in tears and hysterical, only to be met with.......Benjamin calmly laying on his blanket watching the ceiling fan and talking to his stuffed lion.

Embarrassingly, this is not the first time I've had this type of reaction. On the outside, I appear perfectly normal and relaxed. No one knows I check on Benjamin about 5 or 6 times between the time he goes to bed and I go to bed. Then I like awake waiting for him to wake me up. If he sleeps past his normal time for night waking (12:30) then I tiptoe out of my room and into his bedroom, peer down at his little body and make sure he is still breathing. 

I need therapy. This is too stressful. If I continue down this path, it will most likely NOT be healthy for us. I'll be like Kate in Jon & Kate + 8, but worse....and that's a future I don't want. What do I do? At least I'm aware of the problem, and it HAS to get easier...right? I really don't want to be that mom--you know, the one calling her kids every 20 minutes when they're out with friends, expecting them to attend college close to home then insisting they come visit every weekend, wanting to know every detail of their lives....Ok, I guess I have a few years to work through these issues. 

WHEW! Writing this post made me feel anxious! I'm off to do some deep breathing exercises. 

7 Months Already!

Wednesday was Benjamin's 7 month birthday. I feel like we're in a tug of war, Mr. B. and I. We'll have 2 (or maybe) 3 good weeks when we understand each other perfectly. I'll say, "how about a nap Mr. B?" and he'll respond, "why yes, thank you ever so Mother. That would be delightful." Then we have weeks when we butt heads constantly. I don't understand what he wants, and that just makes him more frustrated. Because babies are constantly changing, every month brings a new problem or personality trait to light. Right now he is demonstrating wants and needs beyond the usual sleeping, eating, etc....If I have something in my hand he wants it, and if I take it away, he fusses. His new "trick" is arching his back and crying every time I try to put him ANYWHERE.....carseat, crib, floor, high chair, baby swing, stroller.....Usually once he's there it's ok, so I guess he's just letting me know he's not happy about it. I don't know if this is a baby thing or a Benjamin thing, but he's also getting a little impatient. When I put him in his high chair he's fine, but once I put a bib on him I BETTER have his food ready, because he's not waiting. Trays get banged, feet are kicked, crying ensues.....I mean, dude, calm down. Dinner is coming in about 30 seconds. The best is when he tries to eat his bib.....I guess he's just being REALLY dramatic and showing me how hungry he is. Funny how 2 minutes ago he was perfectly calm. I think he's putting me on. Last night we went to visit Ally and Owen, and Mr. B. was playing in Owen's exersaucer. Basically, Owen crawled over, pulled himself up and began also trying to play with the toy. The baby Benjamin I'm used to would have looked at Owen, and either let him play or moved on to something else. Not last night! Benjamin protested loudly and actually slapped Owen's hand, leading to a baby tug of war over a plush toy. I didn't know a 7 month old could act like a toddler. Right now we are also in an epic battle of wills over nap time. We used to have a quick nurse, he would either fall asleep or get very drowsy, I would put him in his crib, and that was it. My friends, those days have passed.We still have a quick nurse in the rocking chair, but he is NOT having the crib. His eyes will be red, he'll be tugging on his ears and rubbing his face.....yawning, but he still refuses to sleep. So now we're playing a new "game." I put him in the crib, he cries, I pick him up, he stops, I put him down, etc...Eventually he gets the message, and will just talk to himself or play with his animals until he dozes off. Hmmmm........hates naps, fights sleep....I don't know anyone else like that :) Here are a few pictures from this month. He is really starting to look like a little boy!  

This was taken at Grandma's house last month.

Here he is in his awesome John Deere hat that Joel's cousin Sarah gave him. Sometimes he puts it on and "helps" Joel in the yard.

This was at Grandma's house also, in his scary Halloween outfit!

I just took this one a couple days ago. He has really started to look so much older.

What was I doing again?

When I was a little girl I would frequently wake up and start my day full of unrivaled energy. I would take advantage of this state by closing my bedroom door, observing the design state of my lair, and map out a new arrangement. Using my own little body, I would then DRAG my bedroom furniture to its new designated spot...sometimes re-purposing furniture I had found in the garage. I would then clean manically, and TADA! Open my door so everyone in the family could marvel at the transformation. Well, today it finally happened. After 7 months of alternately taking care of B. and sitting around like a slug, I AM BACK! I jumped out of bed this morning with the intent of giving the ol' switcheroo to our small den. I want to move the piano where the chairs are, the chairs where the piano is, insert a coffee table, plants, magazines, gallery wall above the chairs, paint the fireplace, unload the bookcase, move the bookcase, load back the bookcase, and THOROUGHLY.CLEAN. EVERYTHING. And then triple TADA! 

Only this is what I have done so far.....

Ya'll.....I have a baby now. I think I forgot for a moment. And pianos are REALLY heavy. And.....my coffee wore off and now I'm kinda tired. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

**Why yes, those chairs were last recovered during the Nixon administration. Why do you ask? 

Happy Halloween!

America's Next Top Model

Joel and I attended a wedding in Orlando, FL a month ago, and while we were there our friend Kate took some great pictures of Benjamin. There are so many, but I chose my favorites to share with everyone. It's looks like he is turning into a mini Joel. Almost everyday someone looks at Benjamin, glances up at me, and then says, "he must look like his daddy."

File Under Hilaaaaaarious

I just ran across a list of cleaning activities I made for Joel, back when I was on bed rest. Before I was forced to the couch, I was basically the only person who cleaned the house. This is because A.) I worked shorter hours, and B.) I care about cleanliness the most. Unfortunately, this method has its downside, the main problem being that the other person in the relationship becomes completely clueless about how to even get started with cleaning. Hence....THE LIST. 

Now, I'll admit to feeling just a leeetle passive aggressive during the writing of the list. After all, I was pregnant and confined to the living room against my will, where I couldn't do much all day but watch the dust taunt me as it gathered under the couch and collected onto the ceiling fan. If you take a type A, highly anxious and energetic person, throw a MASSIVE amount of hormones into the mix, and then tell her to take it easy for 5 weeks......well......it's bad. Really bad. Anyway, even though I might have slightly exaggerated the list in order to make a point, it's still a good representation of of what I did in regards to cleaning the house., pre-baby. Here's a sample:

*YOU CAN DO LAUNDRY DURING ALL OF THIS  (I actually wrote that!)

Living Room:

straighten

clean front door

dust with pledge coffee table, tv stand, bench

swiffer

vacuum

Kitchen:

clean off countertops

wipe down with soap and water

clean sink (scrub!)

clean appliances with windex

wipe down table

swiffer

vacuum

Bathroom:

clean sink and countertop (scrub sink!)

use windex for mirror, trash can, faucet

empty trash

clean toilet (inside AND out)

shake out rugs and vacuum

mop floor

clean tub

replace towel

Etc....you get the idea. The reason I'm bringing this up is because this is what a list of mine would look like today, post-baby:

Laundry

As a matter of fact, I don't even make lists anymore. I can't get my act together enough to actually stick to them. I still clean the house, but having a baby with you is definitely not an efficient way of doing things. And you know what? There's still dust on that ceiling fan.

Benjamin Update

We just got back from the pediatrician, and everything is going swimmingly for Benjamin. The nurse and doctor both mentioned what a happy baby he is, and that he is so handsome. I know I know, I'm sure they say that to all the parents, but they said it SEVERAL times. The nurse also remarked, "what beautiful brown eyes!" Huh. I guess I've been trying to convince myself that they're hazel, but maybe I should forget about it. It looks like he inherited my boring brown eyes. His length was 26 1/2 in. (25 percentile) and he weighs 15 lbs. (10 percentile). Nobody, including me, is concerned at all about his low weight. I had to laugh when the doctor mentioned they like to see babies below average in weight, because then you don't have to worry so much about childhood obesity. Right. Joel and I have a running joke that the next time someone remarks "he's so little" I'll just tell them I keep him on a diet to avoid childhood obesity. Ha! Now it's true. I filled out a questionnaire at the pediatrician's office and was happy to see he is developmentally right on schedule, even though he was premature. He can sit up with his hands in front of him, and rolls front to back and back to front. He honestly doesn't have a lot of interest in sitting up, and immediately rolls off a sitting position once he's in it. I think it's frustrating for him because he doesn't have the same freedom of movement in a sitting position than he does rolling around. He looooooves holding onto my hands and standing up, and he will even hold onto the coffee table or my legs in a standing position. We'll see what happens with that. Right now I am getting some insight into his personality, and he is definitely just like his papa. He is very laid back and loves being around all the action, but doesn't demand attention. The first thing people mention when they see him is that he is very observant (something the doctor mentioned today), which is his dominating characteristic. Ben is not very vocal, and he doesn't laugh a lot, but he does smile constantly. Other little things we've noticed are that he enjoys rhythm and music, he is a very good eater (he'll eat ANYTHING), he doesn't like waking up or eating first thing in the morning, and he definitely prefers using his left hand over his right. He is also starting to demonstrate some shyness, and has a look where he smiles at someone and then glances downward. It's really cute. As I already reported, he has one of his bottom teeth and is working on another one. I expect it to push through any day now. Overall he makes me happy everyday because he's so full of joy. I hope this characteristic is evident throughout his life and not just a baby thing. It's scary to realize it's my job to preserve these traits and raise a happy little boy, but I'm up to the challenge.

Thumbs Down for Responsibility

This weekend started off promising, but never delivered. Saturday was rainy so we lazed around and watched the OU/Texas game (boo!) and then dashed down to Coastal Cupcakes to grab some treats for Ben's six month birthday celebration. And by celebration, I mean Joel and I making ourselves sick eating too many cupcakes. On a side note, six cupcakes is WAAAAAY too many for two people.  I think just one each would have been adequate.  

Sunday was quite an eventful day, especially for Joel. Throughout the day he: discovered our water pump was broken and would need to be replaced, had to leave his rec soccer game early after a brawl took place (Joel was not involved), purchased a new water pump, and installed the aforementioned water pump. We were also sad to learn that Joel's paternal grandmother passed away Sunday evening. I guess this is what they call adulthood.

Did I forget to mention that Mr. B is cutting teeth? And that he is very fussy? Poor baby. He is miserably tired and can't nap for long before the restlessness starts. Usually the Oragel or teething tablets help, but today nothing worked. The bad news is that tomorrow he has his six month vaccines. The good news is that maybe the shots will distract him from the teething pain. Right? I'll let everyone know if it works.

Below is a picture of Ben and his new favorite activity---touching toes! 

He could look at those things for hours, and I think he does. Sometimes I wonder about his thought process. The other day he opened and closed his mouth for about 10 minutes. Open....close.....open.....close. He gets a free pass because he's a baby. Otherwise it's just creepy. Sometimes I'll leave him on the floor to run and start laundry, etc... and when I come back in he's just staring off into space. He gets so deep in his thoughts that he jumps when I talk to him. What does he have to think about? It's a mystery. I hope he's thinking how awesome his mom is and how she deserves to sleep through the night. Hmmmm......

Happy Birthday Benjamin!

Our little guy is 6 months old today! Benjamin is a very happy baby who likes music, bath time, playing with his feet, and kicking his legs as fast as possible. We plan on celebrating this momentous occasion with cupcakes for us and pears and rice cereal for Mr. B. What will the next 6 months bring? I can't wait to find out!

Happy Birthday Poppy!

Do They Make Belts for Babies?

'cuz I know somebody who needs one!

The New Mrs. Davis

Joel has been working a lot of overtime lately, so he took yesterday AM off. We loaded up the baby, the stroller, and some breakfast sammies and went downtown. What a beautiful day! We enjoyed the sunshine and the cool breeze during our walk by the river. It felt like a Saturday.

Then yesterday afternoon my neighbor Ally and I went for a walk in the neighborhood with our boys. We stopped by Mrs. Davis' house so she could look at the bebes. She is probably in her 80s and has severe asthma that pretty much confines her to her house, but she likes to sit out on her porch and wave us down whenever we walk by. She's always asking Ally strange questions like "Dahlin, do you drive?" and "Dahlin, are you at home alone?" What! I don't even know what that last one implies. I think she keeps thinking Ally is 16 and had a baby out of wedlock. Ally always tells her she has a husband and is a stay at home mom, but Mrs. Davis still gets confused. We're pretty sure she tried to fix her up with her 50 year old son yesterday.  As for me, I get comments like "Dahlin, I just think your dog that always gets in my yard is so pretty." HA! At first I thought she was messing with me, but I'm pretty sure she was serious.  Mrs. Davis also let me know that the woman who lived in our house before us, Mrs. Guyton, never brought her any tomatoes from her garden. Yikes! I didn't know we were supposed to be giving everyone tomatoes. Strangely enough, when Joel got home from work yesterday evening there was a bag full of homegrown tomatoes hanging on our door. No idea where they came from, but I guess that is the neighborhood tradition. Ally didn't get any tomatoes on her doorstep and she says she feels like the new Mrs. Davis. 

Oops! Ladybird got out again this morning and I can hear her barking outside. Gotta run!

Sunny Days

Papa and Mr. B. 

First feeding. 

Sitting on Mama's lap. 

It's such a beautiful sunny day in Wilmington. October is definitely the best month here on the coast. As always, Joel and I are busy with home projects and taking care of Mr. B. Actually, Joel is busy with the house, and I'm just wandering around aimlessly wondering what my life was like before I only got 5 hours of sleep a night. If anyone has some sleeping tricks, I'm all ears!

Lately, Benjamin has become very alert. It's as if someone turned a page, and now he can finally see everything the way we see it. His new obsession is Ladybird. Anytime she walks into the room, Ben follows her with his eyes wide and his mouth open. He loves being licked (yuck!) and thinks it's hilarious when she barks at squirrels. We do our best to quell the licking and the barking, but so far we're not too successful. Luckily Ladybird doesn't seem to mind the big tufts of hair that mysteriously appear in Ben's hands. 

We had our first foray into solid foods on Tuesday. So far we've only introduced rice cereal, but we'll be starting bananas this week. The only problem is that he starts to get fussy halfway through a feeding. After a few minutes of nice, steady eating, he begins attacking the spoon with his mouth. Not only does he swallow all of the cereal, but he attempts to eat the edge of the spoon as well. He also starts to search frantically for the spoon once I take it away. I'm pretty sure I've created a monster! Now I know the origin of those 100 lb. babies on the cover of National Enquirer.

In short, life is pretty sunny right now. We're anticipating lots of action in the coming months so keep checking in!