Benjamin - 9 Months Old

Benny,
Sorry for the lateness in your 9 month post - Mommy hasn't forgotten! It's been a busy month of firsts for you - some good, some bad. You had your first Christmas, your first New Years, your first time in a swing (you loved it), and your first taste of finger foods (you love that even more than the swing!). Unfortunately, you've also had your first double ear infection, your first case of RSV (probably, never confirmed with a test), and your first (and hopefully last) breathing treatments. Because of all the sickness, you have been to school a total of 6 days in the past 3 weeks! Hopefully you've had your share of sickness for awhile! Here are some of the other things you've been up to this month:

Swinging is fun!

Likes: You are still a people person! You love to smile and flirt with people, and you love having conversations back and forth. You also love to shriek and talk and giggle. You love to bounce in the jumperoo, and you LOVE to stand. If you are sitting, you always try to get a grip on someone's hands or fingers to pull yourself up to standing. You love baths, splashing, and playing with these stacking cup toys in the bath. I love that you and Andrew can take baths together now! It makes the evenings so much easier, and you love to be in there with him while he plays! You love to watch Andrew and Tucker - both make you giggle. I like to bring you in Andrew's room while he gets ready for bed, and you are pretty happy to play with his toys. I think that once you are mobile you will try to get in there to play with his things!

Mommy, I don't like being here on my belly!

Dislikes: You still don't like to be left alone - you will cry if we set you down and walk away. You don't really like to try to crawl - you cry when set you on your tummy. This is frustrating for Mommy! I'm not really concerned, I know you'll crawl eventually, but you really have very little interest in trying - you would much rather stand. I know I shouldn't push the crawling because life will get really busy when you're mobile, but as a mom I can't help but look forward to these milestones. Other than those things, I can't really think of too much that you dislike - even the carseat doesn't upset you any more!

Sleep: Because of everything going on this month, and some teeth that are coming (but just won't pop through!), your sleep has been understandably inconsistent this month. Although there have been some bright spots lately. When you don't have school, you will sleep until 8 or 9 o'clock. (Can you convince your brother to sleep in that late?!) One day when you were sick you didn't get up until 10:30! Woo hoo! You also seem to be sleeping slightly better at night, and have been sleeping through the night until I have to get up (about 5 am), which is nice for me! You also seem to take at least 2 good naps, as long as we get you down before you are overtired.

Eating: Sweet boy, you LOVE to eat! You haven't really met a food you didn't like. You still eat purees at school - you prefer fruits, but still like peas, carrots, butternut squash, and some mixes that include spinach, peas, and other veggies. We had some problems with you going to the bathroom regularly (I'm sure you'll love to read that when you're older, haha), and so we introduced you to prunes, which you adore! Lately we have started giving you finger foods for breakfast and dinner, and you are so excited to eat! You've had chicken, ground turkey, sliced turkey, peas, carrots, blueberries, peaches, pancakes, and Cheerios. The doctor gave us the go-ahead to feed you anything besides honey and milk (taking into account choking hazards, obviously), and I'm excited to see what you like to eat! You're still nursing and drinking milk from bottles, but unfortunately we are going to have to add in some formula in the coming weeks. You will still be getting mostly breastmilk, but a few bottles of formula as well. I'm a little bit sad about it, but I know you'll be fine, and I'm trying not to be stressed about it. Working full time, and taking two kids to and from daycare has left me little time for pumping. I'm just trying to be ok with the fact that I've done what I can.

You still love that thumb!

Milestones: As I said before, it's been a big month for you! I feel like you are on the cusp of so many things, Benny. You are about to get all four of your top teeth. You can see them through the gums, and they look like they are about to pop through. You are also just starting to get up on your hands and knees, which I know is a precursor to crawling. You're not happy about it, but we are trying to get you as much time on your tummy as we can! I think we'll all be in for a shock when you do crawl - your brother is in the habit of leaving around all his choking-hazard toys! We went to the doctor yesterday for your 9 month well check. You are a peanut! You weighed 16 lbs. 10.5 oz., which is the 6th percentile! Andrew was small at this time, but he was 18 lbs! We love our little peanut! You are average height, the 54th percentile, and your head is the 77th percentile. So just like Andrew, you are small, average height, and have a big brain! One thing about you that is growing quickly is your hair - your fuzzy, blond hair is filling out! You are such a beautiful, adorable boy!

Just beautiful!

Benny, I can't imagine our family without you. You are sweet, happy, and lovable. We are so lucky to have you and I can't wait to see what the next month brings for you. Benny Boo, we love you!!

Pawpaw's swinging must be a little crazy!

Whenever you're frustrated with crawling, you get that thumb in your mouth and lay down!

You almost have it!

You were sick, and therefore a little subdued, during your 9 month photo shoot. But you're still adorable!

I love your arm resting on the chair!

Your brother at 9 months, for comparison sake:

And then, my favorites, the shots of you and your brother. He was feeling especially sweet and affectionate, and you enjoyed cuddling with him... kind of! 

I love them so much!