Random: Sickness and Christmas Gifting

AAARRGGGHH! Too long without a blog post. I'll try to be better about this, I promise.

Let's see...what's been happening here? Lots of sickness going around. I'm the only one who hasn't bit the dust yet, but I feel like my time is coming and it will probably be over Christmas! Benjamin has had a cold for about two weeks, and I suspect it's two separate illnesses that piggybacked, plus teething. Joel was pretty sick about a week ago, and I think he's still feeling a little down. Start popping the Airborne and Emergen-C! 

I'm done with Christmas shopping except for one or two things. The tree is up and the cards are ordered. I made this recipe for my friends and neighbors, and ya'll, it is GOOD! It tastes like if Cinnabon made butter. MMMMMMM! This Christmas is the first year we've actually bought Benjamin some gifts, and it has forced me to think about what kind of precedent I want to set in regards to kids and gift giving. When I was younger we didn't really have BIG Christmases, but they weren't bad either. Just somewhere in between, I guess. My four other siblings and I usually each got one big present (like a bike, or a doll)  and then a few smaller things. Some Christmases the big item was for everyone to share, like when we got a wagon. We didn't start hanging up stockings until I was older, but I don't remember them being stuffed with multiple items, and our grandparents usually purchased just one gift for each grandchild. Was I sometimes disappointed with my gifts? Sure, I think all kids feel that way sometimes. But was I ever upset about the amount of gifts I received, or the perceived monetary value? Nope. I can honestly say that it never crossed my mind. I remember one particularly hard Christmas, right after we had moved to Kansas. I was twelve, and of course there were so many things I wanted at that age. I'm sure I got other things, but what I remember most was a magazine. Yep. There was a special People magazine issue all about the royal family (yes, I was a total geek) and my mom wrapped it up for me to open on Christmas morning. I loved it. I poured over every single picture of Princess Di, and kept that magazine for a long time. I never remember feeling angry or cheapened by that gift. I knew that other kids got a lot of presents, and I just accepted that I wasn't going to get those things. I really don't remember it being an issue. I guess what I'm trying to say is, it's ok to not give your kids everything they want, or even most of what they want. 

After thinking about all of this pretty carefully, Joel and I have decided that we will always limit gifts. I like the idea of three gifts to represent gifts from the three kings, plus a few smaller items in a stocking. I recently came across this blog post and think it's also a terrific idea. In case you don't click on the link, the author decided to limit her children's gifts to four items; want, need, wear, read. This encourages kids to only ask for what they truly want and feel is important, instead of writing out limitless lists. Now, don't get me wrong. I love receiving gifts, and I really love buying them for others. I definitely think kids should get presents!  If I'm being honest, the idea of limiting gifts is for me too, so that I don't get carried away by all the "stuff." I think of it as a tradeoff of sorts. Would I rather buy my children everything I possibly can, or be able to tell them they can attend any college of their choice? That might be an exaggeration, but it's not too far from the truth. 

Last weekend we attended "Enchanted Airlie." The following two pictures are from that event. In the first picture, Benjamin is in completely entranced with the red lights reflecting from the fountain. In the second photo, he is staring in wonderment at the miniature train village. There was no crying or whining. Just total silence and awe. I hope Christmas will always be like this.

We have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving

And this turkey tops the list!

We're leaving early tomorrow morning for the farm in VA. Last Thanksgiving was spent in Wilmington with our little family of three, but this year we'll be cooking and eating a HUGE meal with Joel's uncle Johnny and cousins Dave, Sarah and Logan. We're so thankful that Joel's extended family lives within driving distance, and that they're people we love to visit! I hope you all have a wonderful time with your friends and family. Happy Thanksgiving!

It's November, and Ben is 19 months old!

Joel sure appreciated Ben's help in the yard last weekend.

Especially since we live in this suburban forest/jungle/nature preserve. If anyone would like to come help with our yard, feel free! We'll give you our undying gratitude and Joel will take you out on the boat if you want. That would be a win-win situation for Joel, really.

What?!! That's not enough for you?! Geez...people are so greedy these days. *Side note: For all of you who don't know the saga of our yard, here's the short version. Eccentric old lady moves into house, and immediately spends 20 years tearing out every bit of existing vegetation (including grass) and replacing with ground cover, about 50 azaleas, 4o dogwoods, wildflowers, and HUNDREDS of randomly placed bulbs. And then acquires turkeys, geese, and chickens. Eccentric old lady gets sick and moves away. House goes on the market. Yard turns into overgrown mess full of dirt and weeds. Nobody is crazy enough to buy this house because the yard needs too much work. A young, optimistic, couple full of dreams and lacking money come to look at the house. Fall in love with it, and explain that the husband "loves to garden," and "we just love the bohemian feel." Couple buy the house and immediately start working in the yard. There is no end to this story. We're still working.

What? Like you've never felt the urge to take your pants off and play the harmonica?

Benjamin took a call for Ladybird. I didn't get a picture of it, but he ever so gently lifted up her ear flap so she could hear better.
Ben and Carson , livin' it up at the beach!

Here are some bullet points about Benjamin:

• He loves shoes and will try on every pair in the house. Sometimes I'll look over and just see him casually walking around in my sneakers. Flip flops still elude him though.
• He gets very impatient for mommy to get up in the morning and make him breakfast. He brings me my slippers and then gives me a not-so-gentle shove.
• He is really into imitating us. He tries to put deodorant on, and likes to take my blush brush and sweep it on his cheeks. I've seen him trying to figure out the eyelash curler, and today he picked up my can of mousse, touched the top with his fingers, and rubbed them in his hair. (And yes...I am aware that he is a BOY, but he's also 19 months old and spends most of the day with his mom.) The quickest way to get him to do something (like put on a jacket) is to show him that mommy or daddy have on their jackets. Whenever someone sighs and says "hmmm" he shrugs his shoulders and does the same.
• He loves his stuffed animals, and they have to do whatever he is doing. He likes for me to read EVERYONE a story, and wants Winnie the Pooh to sit next to him while he eats. The other day he tried to change Winnie's diaper, and I've seen him hold his sippy cup to Winnie's mouth.
• His new favorite "joke" is to put toy animals or people in his mouth....like duplos, bath toys, etc...Then you're supposed to say, "oh no! Don't eat me Benjamin! AAAHHHH!!!" He thinks this is hysterical. A variation on this game is for me to make his little plastic chicken or duck walk down the handle of a pot on the stove, have them peek over the edge, and then say, "nooooo!!! Don't put me in the pot!!! AAAAHHHH!!!" I don't think anything could be funnier. Is this disturbing?
• Ben still loves to be outside. His favorite activity is just walking around and looking at nature. He's alway bringing me rocks and leaves.
• He enjoys counting, and will randomly pick multiple objects to count. I DO NOT push him to do this. Five is the maximum. He loves to count our pumpkins on the porch (5) and his toy trucks (4.) Today we counted three chairs in the doctor's office.
• He is such a gentle and kind little boy. We believe that children need to be taught empathy, and we've been working on that with Ben. He's getting to the age where he needs to understand that his actions affect others. It's not easy teaching a toddler that they're not the center of the universe! I don't want him to always feel guilty about things, but just be more aware. Like, if daddy is trying to nap, we should be quiet. Or if we are at the grocery store, he needs to be patient until we leave. I've been explaining to him the meaning of the words whining and patient. It doesn't always work, but I can try! He's learned to sign "please" and that has really helped. Many times I've noticed him start to whine for something, stop and think, and then sign please. Anything that encourages him to think before acting is great!
• New favorite books are: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes, and anything Elmo. Favorite toys are his farm animals, duplos, push mower, and harmonica. Favorite foods are greek yogurt, any and all breakfast foods, and anything Italian. Favorite word? Noooooo!

San Francisco!

Before I show ya'll these pictures, I just want to state that my husband and I are BIG dorks. I don't know what our problem is, but we just don't take pictures. Ever. We take our camera places and pledge that THIS time will be different, but then we always forget to actually REMOVE the camera from our bag. That means that during our trip to San Francisco, we took a total of 56 pictures, of which 21 are too blurry or dark. The remaining pictures consist of incredibly uninspiring shots of the Golden Gate bridge and some redwoods at Muir Woods National Park, and dumb pictures of us that we took ourselves. So without further ado, here are pictures of us in various places.

We are ridiculous.

San Francisco was great. It was around 70 degrees and sunny every day, and the people were SOOOOOO nice. It is probably the friendliest city I've ever visited. People said "excuse me" in the subway station! No one seemed to have a sense of urgency about anything, and the energy was definitely different than the east coast.  I guess it must be the whole laid back, west coast thing. We had plans to eat our way across the city, and that's what we did! 

This is what we ate:

a tamale from a street vendor at the Heart of the City Farmer's Market

dim sum at City View

raw oysters at the Hog Island Oyster Company

prosciutto di parma, mozzarella, and bread at the Ferry Plaza Marketplace

pastries from Miette (SOOOOOO good. I'm sad just thinking about it.)

Coffee and belgian waffles from the Blue Bottle Coffee Company. This was absolutely the BEST mocha I have ever had in my life. If you love coffee and ever visit San Francisco, this is the place to go. It's kind of a "scene" with lots of gay men dressed in black sipping espresso, and young trust fund hipsters on their mac books, but the employees are nice and the coffee is worth it.

Indian food from a little place in the Mission district

Cal-Mex from Mijita. This place was awesome. We had fish tacos, a quesadilla, and a salad of jicama, grapefruit, and roasted pumpkin seeds. I know...the salad sounds weird but it was VERY good. And the quesadilla was amazing. Instead of a tortilla with fillings, it was a fresh masa fritter filled with roasted green and red peppers, and lots of cheese. Probably similar to a gordita. That quesadilla was one of my favorite food items from our trip, along with my mocha from Blue Bottle and pastries from Miette.

cheese from the Cowgirl Creamery

Lunch at the Pelican Inn

A BIG Italian dinner Stella Alpina Osteria in Burlingame. This was right before we had to board the redeye back to NC, and I honestly didn't think I was going to make it. I ate so much I was almost doubled over in pain. NOT a good idea before traveling. 

We did a lot of shopping, too. We went to the pirate store, and Paxton Gate, and lots and lots of other places! We saw the Golden Gate bridge and Muir Beach Overlook, and I almost had a heart attack while Joel drove our rental car down the steepest hills of all time. 

We missed Benjamin and talked about him quite a bit, but it was good for us to get away and rediscover who we are without a baby around. In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend it."*

*Note: I am not trying to suggest that we have means. That is just a quote that always pops in my mind whenever I get to do something super amazing. 

Life is fun!

October

I think Fall is FINALLY officially here in Wilmington. No more 80 degree days, PLEASE!! Halloween was hot and humid, and I was about ready to pack up and move a little farther north. I know wearing a sundress in October is paradise for some people, but I guess I'm not cut out for paradise:)

We visited the pumpkin patch a couple of weeks ago, and Benjamin was a little overwhelmed. Heck....I was a little overwhelmed. There were pumpkins and squealing kids everywhere you looked. Benjamin was determined to pick up a pumpkin, but he couldn't quite make it happen. Now that they're on our front porch, he's still testing his strength every so often. It'll happen one of these days!

Sorry for the out of focus picture. We took most of our Halloween pics with Mimi and Poppy's camera, but we haven't gotten email copies yet (*hint *hint.) In case you can't tell, Ben was Einstein for Halloween. Even with all the product I put in his hair, it only stayed sticking up for about 10 minutes because of the humidity. Surprisingly, he kept the eyebrows and mustache on for about an hour before finally ripping them off. We stopped by a party earlier in the evening, so by the time we actually started trick or treating he just looked like an exceptionally well dressed young man! His friend Owen started out as a lion cub, but also stripped off his costume and ended the night as a boy in pants and a Linus t-shirt. BABIES! They never cooperate! 

I like to think Benjamin wants to say, "Guttentag! Vat ees happening!" He's very "method" about his Halloween costume.

I will post more pictures and updates later. Joel's parents came to visit and we have tons of pictures from the beach, PLUS Joel and I just got back from San Francisco! Stay tuned....

18 months

It's COLD here! Very rainy and a high of 60 today, which might not seem chilly to some of you, but it counts as winter weather in Wilmington. Time to add a sweatshirt to the pajamas and boots combo.

I feel like I have been going nonstop. Benjamin officially dropped his morning nap a few weeks ago, and that took a little adjusting. That event coincided with some major separation anxiety (Benjamin), and major overtime at work (Joel), so I haven't had as much downtime lately. I'm not complaining, just stating the facts. For some reason, I also felt like this would be a good time to tackle some home projects. In the past month, Joel and I have installed a new closet system in our master closet, upholstered our own headboard, ripped out our half bathroom and installed a new toilet and light fixture, and done some VERY involved furniture rearranging. We were lucky to received some hand me downs from Joel's parents, so some of our old pieces are going on Craigslist, and others are being repurposed. Don't tell Joel, but I have big plans involving furniture and paint. GASP!! What is it with people FREAKING out about painting wood? I mean, the tree has already died, ok? It's not like I'm running outside and polyurethaning a crepe myrtle or something. Anyhoo...Joel was out of town this weekend and I used the opportunity to stay up until midnight repainting our living room. No tape or drop cloths...just me and a super professional cutting in brush from Lowes. I hate to brag, but it's probably the best painting job I've ever done. I was in the zone! Unfortunately, I have to recommend that no one come to visit for another month or so. We're using our guest bedroom as a catchall for all of our displaced furniture. Right now it contains four side tables, two dressers, bookshelves, a desk, two chairs, Ben's old highchair, a bed, a tv, and about nine pictures/mirrors/paintings stacked against the wall. Make me an offer people!

Joel's parents are here and they've rented a house at Wrightsville Beach for all of us, so I'm off to pack our bags! Staying at the beach is awesome, rain or shine! I'll leave you with these photos of Benjamin, who turned 18 months on Monday. Big boy!

At the park, looking pensive for some reason. He might be thinking about taking someone's snack.

The toothbrush is his favorite thing in the world. And not just his toothbrush, either. I recommend you not leave yours out unless you like toddler slobber and multiple drops on the floor.

During a bath, his favorite activity is filling a cup with ice cold water and pouring it all over himself. This is his "I'm freezing!" face.

After dumping potting soil on his head. He could stay outside all day, just playing in the dirt and searching for lizards.

17 Months

I'm a few days late with this one.  While Ben and I were taking Ladybird for her walk this morning, I had one of those moments where reality just takes your breath away. I have a toddler! A walking, breathing, communicating, 17 month old. Everything about his first few days is still so incredibly vivid for me that it's hard to believe it's been well over a year since his arrival. I don't think I'll ever stop being amazed by this miracle tearing around my house:)

He's still climbing everything non-stop, only now he's moved on to bigger and better challenges. The kitchen chairs and couch are soooo 16 months. Don't freak out grandmas, but Ben has figured out that if you stand on the handle of the warming drawer of the oven, you can just peer over the top and reach all the burners. Also, did you know that if you push a chair or stool over to the dresser, you can climb up and reach all the contraband that mama and daddy put up there to keep out of your reach? He hasn't figured out how to climb OUT of his crib yet, thank God, (I'm not ready for non-containment) but scaling the outside is easy peasy. Also, I guess crawling down the steps is for babies, because Ben thinks he can just walk down them like the big boys. After a few falls, he reached a compromise with himself--the first step is no hands, but on the next two or three he'll hold onto the railing. It's working out so far. He's going through a fussy phase. Everything is heartbreaking for a 17 month old. Sitting down, putting on your shoes, diaper changes, naps, not being allowed to play with mama's makeup, put daddy's toothbrush in your mouth, throw things in the toilet, throw all your Duplos down the stairs just to see what happens, etc... If he weren't so darned cute I'd be pretty mad! 

Here are a few pictures from the last week. I got him these rain boots at Wal-Mart, and they were a great purchase. They're perfect for mucking about in the back yard. He loves to help daddy take Ladybird out and get the paper in the mornings.

A walk in the park

On Tuesday we picked up Joel on his lunch break, and went to Greenfield Lake Park. We saw lots of ducks and one BIG goose.

Benjamin thought they all wanted to be friends, and tried to chase them.

Then he and Daddy went for a little walk around the lake....

....where we saw one of THESE.

Ya'll can still come and visit. We won't let the gators get you, I promise!

Glorious 80 degrees!

Right now it's 80 degrees in Wilmington, and it feels fantastic. Benjamin and I took Ladybird for a nice, long walk this morning, and I have the porch windows open. I think this weather is supposed to stick around for a couple of days. Hallelujah!

I can't believe September is here already. Summer is always so busy for us because of house guests (which we LOVE, by the way) but it's nice to slow down a little bit. Ben and I went to the beach on Friday, and it was empty except for toddlers and retirees. PERFECT! This is the time of year you want to be in Wilmington. All the tourists have gone home, and the older kids are in school. I saw a group of older people just sitting on the beach with their chairs in the circle, talking and watching the waves. How awesome. No kids to run after, no work responsibilities demanding your attention...nothing to do but dig your toes in the sand and enjoy the breeze. I can't wait for retirement!

Here's a transcript of a recent conversation between Joel and Benjamin:

Joel: Ben, what does a cow say?

Ben: MMMMMM!!

Joel: What does a dog say?

Ben: (sticks his tongue out a pants like a dog)

Joel: What does a Benjamin say?

Ben: DUCK

Ben's new word is "hello." He says it like a question, "ah-wo?" Every time he sees a phone he points and says "ah-wo? ah-wo?" I think it's the cutest. What's not particularly cute, however, is the fact that he's decided to attach himself to my leg on a permanent basis. This is a new thing. I alway hate it when people say, "oh, boys do this, girl do that" but I've heard that boys tend to be more clingy. Is this true? I've also had many other moms tell me that girls are more content to play by themselves, and can focus on activities for longer periods of time. I certainly was NOT like that, so I can't really attest to that observation. I will say that sometimes I just have to lie on the couch, close my eyes, and pretend like I don't hear all of the banging and crashing. Mr. B.'s new activity is piling all of his toys in a box or laundry basket, then driving that basket furiously down the hall. BANG! Sometimes he throws the whole thing down the stairs. CRASH! After he's exhausted that game, he likes to find something to climb. I'm afraid a trip to the emergency room might soon be in order. I've left the room for a minute, only to return and find him standing on the arm of the chair, standing on the back of the couch, sitting on top of the kitchen table and trying to put flowers in his mouth. We still have his push toy in the living room, and the other day he climbed on top of it and tried to stand up. On a push toy. With wheels. This boy is going to give me a heart attack! 

16 months (well, almost 17 months)

Last night Ben decided his toys needed some rearranging. Mimi gave him this little play tent, which has become the perfect spot for "displaying" his collection. He spent several minutes walking back and forth from his bookshelves to the tent, placing each item inside separately. 

By the way, have you noticed I finally started putting shirts on the boy? Unfortunately, I keep forgetting about the pants. Darn! I'm always missing something.

Sorry I've been lax about the blog. I haven't had much energy lately, and the blog is definitely taking a backseat. I think it's that end of summer feeling everyone gets. Once it cools off a little I might feel more inspired. Anyway...that means I forgot to write a 16 month update! So, here it goes...

Not to brag or anything, but Joel and I are always amazed at how much Benjamin understands. I think every parent goes through this at some point, but we just can't believe he comprehends the majority of what we are saying. The other night he was pointing to the characters on his pajamas and saying "hm?" so I said, "that's a dinosaur. A dino." His eyes instantly lit up, and he frantically motioned to one of his books. I picked it up, and he turned the pages until he reached the one he wanted, and then pointed to a picture of a rhino. WHAT! I mean, it's not a dinosaur, but I'm impressed that he heard a similar word and knew which book and page to look at. He loves to be read to, and when it's story time he painstakingly looks over every single book. I've actually seen him run his hand over the spines, pause at a book he thinks he wants to read, then change his mind and keep his hand going until he gets to the REAL choice. Just like a mini-adult! 

I've been working with him on talking a little more. Joel and I think he just needs more encouragement about trying new words. His vocabulary has broadened a little bit, and now he says ball, mama, dada, duck, dog, ladybird (bebe!), book (ba), banana (baba), and flower. He also makes "vroom" sounds when he sees a car or truck, and says "MMMMM" when he sees a cow. He has also recently started to use the words "no" (oh joy)) and "mine", which he says like a question--"muh?" I've worked with him on sign language for several months, but he's never really been interested. He does the sign for "all done", and will sometimes sign "more," but that's about it. When he's hungry he just gets his bib and stands next to his high chair, and when he's thirsty he goes to the refrigerator. Works for me! His new "sign" is to very quickly point to an item and then to himself, as in, "give me that." Even thought he's not talking or signing very much, I don't feel too frustrated because I know he understands quite a bit. I can tell him we're going to see daddy, going to the store, changing his diaper, taking a bath, making dinner, taking a nap, etc..and he always knows. 

At this point he's developing so quickly it's difficult to write about everything! I'm personally having a hard time with the switch from babyhood to toddlerhood. I've noticed that Ben has started to run away whenever I say his name, probably because he realizes that I'm going to tell him he can't do something. I need to focus more on what he is allowed to do, rather than instantly saying no. It's a hard habit to break!  I'm such a jumpy and energetic person, and when I'm tired or stressed it's easy for me to start acting anxious or nervous. I don't want Benjamin to feel that way, so I'm focusing more on being calm. I need to realize that messes and accidents are not a big deal. Truthfully, I feel like I'm not a very good mom a lot of the time. But when I look at Benjamin and see how healthy and smart he is, I realize we've had a good start. I'm so lucky to be a mama!

First Haircut

We've been very busy lately. Arrived home from VA yesterday afternoon, and the in-laws are coming to visit sometime this week. Mr. B. is a little under the weather, but I think we're looking at a 48 hour bug so it should be over soon. I'll post pictures from our trip at some point, but for now I have a house to clean and errands to run! 

Ben had his first haircut last week, and I LOVE it! 

The mullet

He didn't cry, but he definitely wasn't happy.

He got to sit in a car chair, which really made the experience palatable. I don't know if he would have been able to sit still in a barber's chair.

Sorry for the action shot. Benjamin is the only child I know who actually runs AWAY from the camera when you point it at him. Doesn't he look like a big boy? 

Teething!

This weekend was not as relaxing as I had hoped. We have a teething Mr. B., and I feel like "teething" does not adequately describe the torture we're all experiencing. One pesky upper molar is turning our house upside down! I must admit that I had several instances of having to stop, take a deep breath, and say to myself, "he's only a baby, he's only a baby." When your 15 month old is insistent on hitting you in the face OVER AND OVER and alternating that activity with CONSTANT WHINING, well....let's just say it's not pleasant.

BUT, here's the funny thing about Ben. When his teeth aren't hurting, he is seriously the best baby. Just the happiest, friendliest, most laid back and loving little boy. Seriously...I'm not just saying that because I'm his mama! After a series of bad incidents this weekend, our little guy switched over to happy mode yesterday evening. Daddy took pictures to prove it!

Exploring 

I know, I know...the hair has to be trimmed at some point.

Splashing

Happy to be here!

End of summer stuff

Ugh. Too many thoughts running through my mind that I just realized are really not worth my time. I tend to feel make myself feel very busy and stressed for absolutely NO reason at all. Type A, I guess. I have some pictures of Ben I wanted to post, but they're on my phone and I can't figure out how to get them off. And I don't have the patience right now to read the instruction manual, so here are some other thoughts.

1.) This week/weekend, I MUST paint a chalkboard wall in my kitchen. I have the supplies, I know where I'm going to paint it, and I think the whole project shouldn't take more than two hours. So why haven't I done it yet?

2.) I think I want to buy this lovely item from Pottery Barn to cover up our couch that I hate. I love it, but it's white. However, it's also an easily removable and washable slipcover. Should I throw caution to the wind? I'm about 97% yes on this question.

3.) Please, somebody, come and take away all of my old junk. I'm begging you. And please convince my husband that he doesn't need 100 t-shirts, and 250 pairs of socks. 

4.) Is anyone else tired of summer? I sure am. 

5.) After much time and energy, I have decided on a completely new furniture layout and decorating scheme for my house. Unfortunately, my vision centers on the purchase of a sectional for our den. Anyone have some money they want to give me? Maybe we could work out a trade involving t-shirts and socks?

6.) I think I'm going to break down and buy Benjamin some new clothes. Yesterday I took him to play with a friend, and realized my son looks like a street urchin. It seems that having his shirts double as bibs wasn't a good idea. I'm going to be honest here, and say that I would much rather buy something new for my house. 

7.) I've been forcing myself to go to bed earlier, which has worked wonders for my tiredness. Who knew? I still feel a little out of it at times, but I'm trying to focus on one thing at a time. It's not easy for me, but it has to be done. I sure wish I had something big to list all my upcoming projects on. Something that would be staring me in the face everyday, so I couldn't procrastinate and would be forced to finish things. Like say, a chalkboard wall? What a great idea!

15 Months

Ben had his 15 month checkup yesterday, and everything went swimmingly. His height is 30.5 inches and he weighs 22 lbs. That means he is in the 25-30 percentile for height and the 10-25 percentile for weight. Dr. Horger said he would most likely stay within those percentiles from now on, so he'll probably always be average height with a slim build. I asked if he was able to predict adult height at this age, and he "guesstimated" Ben would be between 5'8" and 5'10". That's exactly what I had been thinking! 

Overall, the doctor thought Benjamin looked very healthy and happy. He has gotten four new teeth in the past week (including 2 molars!) and he's working on more. When it rains it pours! He was also VERY impressed with his sleep schedule, since he sleeps 11-12 hours a night, and still naps twice most days. I only had two questions, and they both concerned development. Ben is still not too verbal, and he only has about 5 words he uses regularly. Dr. Horger asked if he babbles with a variety of sounds, if he understands commands without gestures, and if he constantly points and grunts. The answers are yes, YES, and OHMYGOSHYES!! So, I guess the small vocabulary isn't a problem. I also asked about learning disabilities, specifically ADD. I felt kind of dumb being concerned about it, but I'm a little hyper-vigilant about that problem because of my own issues. I just want to know if there's anything I should be noticing at this age. He said there is definitely a genetic component to ADD, but the earliest ANY child could be diagnosed would be 3 1/2, and even that is a stretch. He told me not to worry about it, and we would deal with it later if we have to. So, ok! I'm not going to think about it. 

He's still a happy baby. LOVES to brush his hair and pretends that everything is a hairbrush. He also pretends to wash his face all time. And he loves to swiffer! Whenever I'm straightening the house I just give him a swiffer, and that usually occupies him for a while. The favorite activity right now is matching objects. He's always placing lids with containers, and bringing people items he knows are theirs, like shoes, shirts, etc... The other day the whole family had to go to the Verizon store, and Ben occupied himself by taking an item off the shelf, walking around for a while, and then placing it back in the proper spot. It was like one big game of Memory. He also likes to look at himself in the mirror. We have a big mirror leaning against the wall, and he'll walk by and glance at himself, stop, back up slowly, and then wave. He also likes to walk past and take a glance, back up, move forward, back up...on and on and on. I think it's pretty funny.

What else? Still eats a lot. Still loves bananas, strawberries, and blueberries, and could probably live off them. He'll eat eggplant and zucchini if I disguise it, and he loves spinach and sweet potatoes. His new favorite foods are sour cream and salsa. As in...give him a spoon and let him dig in. Apparently quesadillas or other "main dishes" are just accoutrements that I use to distract him from the REAL meal. It's the same with cream cheese or strawberry jam. Bread is just the vehicle for his choice of condiment, and he spends a lot of time carefully dismantling and licking various foods off his sandwiches. I'll turn around and see that he's amassed a pile of gooey, smooshy, and remarkably clean looking bread on the side of his tray, while somehow managing to not take a single bite.

His hair is getting long, but I can't bring myself to cut it! The front is cute, but he's working on a little mullet in the back.

New favorite activity...climbing on stuff. And since we live in the South, shirts are always optional. No shirt combined with a mullet means that maybe I need to step it up in the "making sure my kid looks presentable" department.

This is a new sport called "Scoot-About Swiffering." It's just like Polo, only with a Swiffer. And a Scoot-About. And it's inside. And, ummm...you don't actually hit anything, except, like, maybe the wall or the refrigerator on accident. Maybe I should think of another analogy? And maybe he shouldn't play this game anymore?

Is is July already?

What a crazy couple of weeks we've had! Last weekend our good friends Ryan and Ellen drove down from Winston-Salem and spent a couple of nights. We took the boat out on the Intracoastal Waterway at sunset (and saw dolphins!), ate WAAAAY too much fried food, went to the beach, celebrated Ryan's birthday, had some fulfilling conversations, ate barbeque, and in general had a great time. Also, Joel and I have decided that everyone who visits has to have their picture taken with our mascot! 

Ellen and Ben

Ryan and Ben

Ellen in action!

View from the boat on the Intracoastal Waterway. All of those boats are much, much, much more expensive than ours. But we have more fun, right?!! Actually, those boats have flat screens, bars, and beds, so they're probably having more fun, but whatever...

This past Friday we went to a party hosted by a work colleague of Joel's. Work parties are not really my idea of a good time, but this turned out to be pretty low key. There were probably about 12-15 older kids there, which means they were all CRAZY!! I think Ben was a little overwhelmed. He just wanted to sit and look at everyone. I made some new friends, and it was nice to meet more of Joel's co-workers. 

On Saturday our friends Dan and Sylvia came over for barbeque and conversation. It's always wonderful for me to see Sylvia. We've really connected recently, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with her. I feel like now that the craziness of moving, pregnancy, and having a new baby has passed, I can work more on developing friendships. 

Lots of stuff is happening this week, which I'll write more about later. Joel still needs to grout the backsplash tile, but it looks GREAT. Ben got two new teeth yesterday, so you can imagine how fun that was for everyone:) I don't know what's going on with me, but I am SO. TIRED. Nope. Not pregnant. Just exhausted. I even went to my midwife for my annual, and kept asking, "are you sure I'm fine? I'm so tired all the time." She told me that I'm exhausted because I have a 14 month old, it's really hot and miserable outside, and my hormones are still trying to adjust. I don't know. We'll see. In the meantime I feel like I'm barely functioning. I'm just having a hard time maintaining an interest in anything, even in things I normally love to do, like reading. Maybe this is depression? I don't feel particularly depressed, just really out of it all the time. My energy level has drastically dissipated in the past month, yet the laundry still gets done, the dog gets walked, the bed gets made, and dinner is ready every night. It can't be that bad! I'm still obsessed with finding my "illness" on WebMD though. Why is not wanting to clean your house not listed as a symptom? 

Uh oh. I have a baby who's decided to not take a morning nap today, so my computer time is cut short. I better get moving!