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.