9 months!

::::sigh::::

He is growing up way too fast. I am sure many of you have heard the expression, "you can't spoil an infant." Well boys and girls Ben is no longer and infant and he is SO spoiled.

I used to sort of scoff at the idea that birth order really played a role in shaping a person's identity. Now that I have two kids I can definitely see differences in the way I take care of the kids in the day to day. With Lily it was just she and I with very few distractions. Translation, I was in her grill 24/7. I had time to over think, research, and follow through with every decision I made. Poor kid! With Ben I am just too tired to fuss over every little thing. What's more, I find myself doing things for him that I never would have done for Lily. I am at his beckon call. Not because I love him so much that I can't stand to see him cry, ha!. No, honestly I just don't think to not go to him. When he cries or fusses I am usually distracted doing something else and without even thinking about it, the next thing I know I am carrying him around with me...again. It certainly doesn't help that this kid is literally obsessed with me and there is nothing in the world better than being picked up. He isn't clingy or shy per se, he just really likes to be held, a lot. In ten years I know I will not regret a single minute of all the toting, unless of course he still expects me to...that would be weird.

Eyes closed makes this picture even better

It came as no surprise at Ben's 9 month appointment that he is still on the (very) small side. What was surprising? When he projectile vomited down the front of my shirt! The room was really hot and Ben had been bouncing and climbing all over me for a long time so I really wasn't worried that he was "sick". Well his little stunt was enough to get him out of his vaccines and now we have to go back this week. The highlight of the appointment however was when the nurse did the finger stick for Ben's iron test. He went completely ballistic and screamed louder than I have ever heard him. It must have startled the nurse too because she let go of his finger. Blood started streaming down his hand, which he was waving around manically, effectively spraying it all over the room. He ruined his new outfit, my (already vomit stained) white shirt, and no doubt scarred several other small patients for the rest of their lives.

The stats. 

Height: 27.50 in (17%)

Weight: 18lbs 14oz (37%)

For those of you keeping track he is up a little from 6 months. He was only in the 15th and 33rd percentiles for height and weight at last check. 

Playing on the dog in fleece pjs - Mommy's favorite. 

Likes: Mommy, Lily, Blankie!, Lily's favorite Elmo figurine, being held, playing on the dog bed (oh, how I wish this wasn't a thing) taking baths, eating endless piles of Cheerios, cords/wires/electronics/outlets, splashing in the dog's water bowl. 

Dislikes: Being put down (although he gets over it pretty quickly), being fed any slower than the speed of light, being told no. 

Nicknames: Benja and Tater seem to have the most staying power. I have started calling both kids Bubba, which Lily thinks is hilarious. 

Milestones: Waving bye bye on request, standing momentarily while moving from the couch to the table. Playing solo in the playroom!
(A new hippo-sized top tooth has broken through in the last 24 hours but this post is late so technically this should go in his ten month post)

Mom?? Did you know I was in here alone?? 

Feeding: Same as last month breast feeding is still going strong. Matt has started a new job with new hours so I have stopped pumping in the morning. While this is freaking fantastic it does mean that I have to get up with Ben every day. No more cat naps in the morning while Matt does a bottle. I am still pumping at night before bed so that Ben can have a 5oz bottle before bed and so that I have some milk to mix with his meals. 

Solids are going awesome. Ben is a great eater and will pretty much devour whatever I put on his tray. He does a great job feeding himself but prefers to be spoon fed when I am willing and able. So far I haven't noticed any allergies or aversions. Just like with Lily I make some of his food and give him some store bought Gerber. I usually make all of his veggies in the steamer and buy the fruit baby foods since nothing is in season around here during the winter. I was making applesauce but did the math and it is actually cheaper to just buy the huge jar of (no sugar added) Motts. Both of my kids eat it by the bucket-full. Some other favorites: Scrambled egg, cheddar cheese, puff puffs, banana, and butternut squash. 

In other news the irritation with being in the high chair has passed and we never did figure out what was causing it in the first place. 

Sleeping: Things in the sleep department have improved. I would not say that he sleeps soundly through the night, but his waking/fussing never lasts too long and he is able to soothe himself back to sleep. I can't believe I haven't really mentioned this until now...the boy is a blankie fiend. Lily has a blankie (as do I of course) but she didn't really become attached to hers until she was a year old. Ben REALLY loves his blankie. I can't remember the last time we went in to check on him in the crib and he didn't have it tucked up under him. He drags it all over the house and I will catch him having a random snuggle at least a few times a day. It is a thin bankie and I am worried it will not stand the test of time. Fear not, I am already in search of duplicates. He is also a fan of the Dr Brown's pacis and I bought him a few of the next size up. He really only uses it at bed but that might be more of a mommy imposed limitation. 

I went back and reread the sleeping section of last months post...GOD, I am so thankful that we are not in that place anymore. In summary, things have been a lot better recently and I am keeping everything crossed that we are finally on the road to restful nights. I have said it before but every time I go back and read these posts it sinks in a little deeper, sleep deprivation is cruel. There have been times in the last 9 months when I literally thought I was losing my mind. There were nights when all I could do was cry. There were days when I thought I would never be happy again and I felt so hopeless. More than once I thought that I might need to seek out professional help but was really resistant to taking medication. For me a good night's sleep was always the fix. And wouldn't you know it, when I started to string a few good nights together, I started to feel like myself again. Honestly, I chuckled a little reading about how tired I was in the first few weeks after Ben was born. I didn't want to write about it out of fear that I would tarnish my memories. Ha. At this point I am just grateful to have survived it and should our next baby be a terrible sleeper I will ask for help a lot sooner. (Yes, I am praying that there be at least one more baby in our future. Crazy huh?!?!) 

Odds and Ends: I know I say this every month too but Ben is a seriously happy guy. Yes he prefers his Mama, but he will happily go to anyone with outstretched arms. He laughs and smiles all day long and I can count the number of times on one hand that he has ever really just cried for more than a few minutes. He is laid back and seems to be pretty content to let Lily have her way 99% of the time. (Lily of course takes full advantage of this and I often wonder just how long he will tolerate her bossy ways) The two of them spend a lot of time in the playroom together these days. It amazes me that at such young ages they have a sense of envy, always preferring the toy that the other one has. The behavioral scientist in me is intrigued  The mom in me is slightly annoyed.

While I certainly wouldn't say Ben is independent, he is stubborn and will go after the same naughty thing a million times - totally one track minded. As I mentioned under his likes one of Ben's most favorite activities is splashing in the dog's water bowl. He never misses an opportunity. Ever.

Ouch!

As I mentioned last month Ben's motor skills are incredible  After having a daughter it is unreal how much faster boys seem to develop. Maybe it isn't a gender thing, maybe it is a my kid thing but I would be shocked if Ben wasn't walking by his first birthday. One thing that the kids do have in common, they are tough cookies. Anyone who has spent five minutes with Lily has seen her fall down, yet she hardly ever cries about it. Every time he takes a tumble Lily jokes that Ben should wear a helmet. It probably isn't a bad idea. He did suffer his first real boo boo this month in the form of a big ol' fat lip. He was in the crib during afternoon nap time and I heard "the scream". Other moms will know what I mean, it is just such a different cry when a kid gets hurt. I bolted up the stairs to find Ben shrieking with blood coming from is mouth. I was afraid he had put his tooth through his lip but all in all it turned out to be just a nasty bump.  I cleaned him up and just like that, he was over it.

It is just me or does he smile with his entire body!?! OMG - LOVE

Up next: Love bugs, long winter days, and maybe a few new tricks.