7 Months

Ben turned SEVEN months today! 

(look who got his post done on time! I know, I know, mother of the year!) 

I briefly considered not posting the above picture because it is so seriously cute that I know somewhere a kitten just kicked a bunny in a fit of jealous rage over Ben's cuteness. What can I tell ya bunny, we all know that kittens have rage issues. 

I do not have stats this month since Ben does not have a checkup, but I can say with 100% certainty that the boy...he is growing. I am not sure exactly what happened between his last appointment and today but he seems HUGE to us. In an attempt to set some kind of record Ben wore 6 month clothes for LESS THAN THREE WEEKS. I'm sorry but that it just absurd. 

He really can do that himself, when Lily allows it.

Likes:  Lily, sitting up on his own, dumping toys all over, blocks, the cats, puff puff yum yums (gerber puffs),   Mommy, Mommy, and more Mommy. 

Dislikes: Anything that either involves or requires Mommy to be out of direct contact, being put down, having things taken away, sleeping through the night

Nicknames: Tater, Cutie McSpud, Mr. Potato Head, Spud McGee

Milestones: Two teeth, feeding himself cheerios

Feeding: Nursing is still going...great. Yup, let's go with great. We have both struggled a little bit with my over-active let down and supply (sorry buddy, I know you will never in your life need to hear about this, let alone read about it on the internet), but aside from a little choking and sputtering I haven't heard any complaints. Recently Ben has decided that he is far too busy and important to dedicate his attention to nursing. It is not really a problem so much as it is just plain annoying. It makes nursing anywhere without a cover-up damn near impossible. I am sure just like everything, this too is just a phase. 

The grin fools no one.

When it comes to feeding Ben in his highchair, there are about a million things I would rather do. For example, stub my toe, go to the grocery store on a crowded holiday, call my insurance company, or snuggle with the dog just after a rainstorm. Just to name a few. Ben seems to think that mealtime is hands down the best time to practice blowing raspberries and perfecting other crazy vocalizations. There is gagging and sputtering, spitting and slobbering. He makes a huge mess every.single.time. I am not a fan. I guess if this is the worst part of my day I should just shut up right now. 

Aside from the horrific mess, Ben is a pretty agreeable eater. On the menu thus far, squash, peas, carrots, applesauce, banana, grapes, oatmeal, and rice. Loves them all. 

Sleeping: I can't believe I haven't mentioned this until now, we moved both kids into the same room. There is really only one explanation for our impromptu decision, we hate sleep. In fact I hate sleep so much I am hoping to never do it again. Ben is helping me achieve this goal. So long story short he still isn't sleeping through the night. I go in and readjust (retrieve and reinsert paci, recover, fire up sleep sheep) him at least once during the night. Who knows how long it will be before Lily packs a bag and moves out in the middle of the night. At least we will all be up to see her off! 

Odds and Ends: I will write a dedicated post to Thanksgiving but for now I will say that Ben was a lovely traveler and house guest. He is getting stronger and stronger every day. Watch out Micheal Phelps he is after your Olympic Gold Medal Record. I really don't think it will be long before he starts to scoot around on his bum or even crawl. I am in no rush whatsoever for any such nonsense but he seems pretty determined. 

The teeth. What can I say? He got a little red-cheeked and his nose ran a little...next thing we knew BAM two teeth in two days. Lily didn't have teeth until she was 10 months old. Given that the kid barely sleeps I have no clue whether this most recent milestone disrupted his screaming pattern. I did give him some Tylenol once I realized the poor guy was going through something fairly traumatic. I mean, that has got to hurt. All in all I would say he took it like a champ. 

Lily puts this hat on Ben no less than 10 times a day - real men wear pink :)

Another development has been his new Mommy addiction. He has always loved to be held, but up until very recently he hasn't shown any particular preference for the holder. Dad, Mom, robot nanny, gorilla, he didn't care as long as said holder promised not to set him down under any circumstance. Now however, it is all about Mommy. You guys, he reaches for me. And then...you guessed it. I die. I know it is just a phase. Some day too soon he will run from me as though he is being attacked by a bear. So for now I am just soaking it all in. 

Up next: A whole lot of Ho Ho Ho!!! 

ETA: I have changed my settings so that anyone can now comment, please let me know if you are still having trouble leaving a comment!