First Tooth

This showed up last Monday, just 2 days after he turned 6 months old.

Kitty Smother

A time-honored tradition passed down from Father to Son.

i-Fun

I have to say, it's much easier being far away from friends and family in the age of smart phones! I was playing a round of "Draw Something" on my iPad with Hil, and Ben was watching our drawings very intently. I sent her this photo:

And she immediately responded with one of her and Violet:

And I instantly felt as though they were in the same room, just two moms hanging out with their babies.

Can't wait to visit them in a few (5) weeks!

Outgrowing his Bumbo Chair

I assure you, we do not leave him unsupervised in this chair on the counter.  But I think his Bumbo days are numbered anyway, as he is thisclose to twisting or arching himself right out of that thing.

And also, how destructive is he being with his little toy there?

All by himself

Since I am never there to witness Ben when he takes his bottle, I have only been able to hear from others how he is doing with them.


He has gone from refusing them, to tolerating them, to kicking his feet in excitement when he sees one coming...and now, apparently, he takes one into his hands and drinks from it all on his own.


Callie sent me this picture this morning. I was shocked...and impressed!

Dinner and Charity Auction

On Saturday night, Greg and I dropped Ben off at my parents so that we could attend a dinner/charity auction that my friend Jamie (and her mom) put together each year.  In October 2010, Jamie's sister Jessica passed away from a rare condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS).  In her memory, they have done such a fantastic job of raising money for local schools and teacher education grants, as Jessica was so passionate about teaching and about applying for grants in order to better her students' learning experience.

We arrived at the Crystal Lake Clubhouse in Woodinville that evening and could not believe what a beautiful venue it was.  We enjoyed some wine, a delicious Italian dinner and were able to bid on some amazing prizes. 

While we were out having a wonderful time, Ben was having a meltdown over at Grandma and Grandpas!  I was so surprised when I got a call around 8 pm informing me that Ben had been crying, inconsolably, for 45 minutes straight.  He apparently did not like that he was approaching bedtime with neither his mom or dad there with him.  Oy. 

We wrote a blank check, made a quick exit, and picked up our little baby (who had fallen asleep a few minutes before we arrived - of course).  I find it amusing that as I am starting to finally get comfortable about leaving him for a night out, he suddenly has a problem with it.  Oh well!  We did have a fun couple of hours!

Later that night we learned that we were the top bidder on a 1 week stay at a condo in Palm Springs!  Yippie!  We are planning a trip down there for later this Fall.

6 Months Old

6 months ago our lives were forever changed.  It is UNREAL that 6 months have gone by.  I received the news that a friend of mine became a daddy today, and it moved me to tears.  I am not one to say that having children is a "must" for everyone, but it definitely is awesome when you know someone close to you is having that experience. 

Ben is now "trying" food - "eating" is not quite the word for it yet.  In the last week he has had rice cereal, banana and avocado.  He seems to have enjoyed the avocado the most.  Sweet potato is next!

Ben is getting a lot better at sitting up.  I would say he is about 80% there - each day he gets better at balancing himself in the upright position. 

In terms of rolling around, he still is at the stage where he can, but he just does not seem to want to do it all that much.  I have noticed that at night in his crib, he is almost always rolling himself onto his side to sleep.  (He goes down swaddled, but usually breaks his arms free within 10 minutes and rolls to the side).

He is very into his toys right now and they will occupy him for extended periods of time.

Ben eats every 3 hours or so...give or take 30-45 minutes.  He naps for about 25-45 minutes in both the morning and early evening, with a 2-3 hour nap in the early afternoon.

We are officially out of most of the 3-6 month clothing.  I usually can tell how much he is growing by how he fits into his Carter PJ's and onesie's.  Sizes really do vary, but in this brand the 6 month sizes are becoming snug and he is wearing 9 month most of the time. 

Ben continues to enjoy people and does not have a problem with anyone else ("strangers" included") holding him.  He has, however, seemed to develop a need (at least at night) to sleep at home and to be put down BY HIS PARENTS.  More on recent meltdown in a future post.

We love you, Benny!  6 months is a super fun age :)

Things Ben Likes

Since our little man has developed his own personality, full of likes and dislikes, I wanted to blog about some of his favorite things.  I am enjoying this age SO MUCH!

Likes:

Cars - Watching them go by on the street, riding in them, and playing with slobbering on his toy cars.

When I sing "The Itsy, Bitsy Spider" to him.  He immediely lights up the second I begin the first lyric.  In general, he likes to be sung to.

His Pal Scout.  He LOVES Scout.  I think it's the little kid voice behind the puppy face that he enjoys the most, but it's really cute.  Ben has learned how to press his paws to make him sing/talk, so that has been fun for him.  (Side note - when finding the website to link to my blog, I discovered My Pal Violet!!!  I had no idea Scout had a sister.  I immediately ordered one for our friend Violet, it was fate).

Texture.  I think all babies like this, but Ben is really into texture at the moment.  When I changes his diaper, his left hand immediately jets out to run his fingers up and down the textured wall next to the changing table.  He also likes to grab Greg's face when it's a little "scratchy".

Going outside.  Ben likes when we go on walks.

Watching TV. 

The vacuum.  Whenever we turn it on he will stop what he is doing and watch it go back and forth.

Babies!  He loves to look at babies - particularly himself.  He loves the mirror and he loves watching videos of himself. 
Baths - He is getting very splish-splashy these days.  I don't think he has ever cried at bathtime - we have a little water baby!  I am hoping to enroll Greg and Ben in some Saturday morning swim "lessons" this summer!

Peek-a-Boo type games.  He loves when you look at him, look away, and then surprise him by looking back.  He will giggle and it's pretty much the best thing ever.

It is officially Spring!

Last night after work, the sun made an appearance!  The weather has been a little unpredictable lately, with lots of rain and occasional snow.  Every time the sun is out we feel compelled to actually go out and be in it, no matter how cold it may be.

We decided to drive up to the Everett Marina, just a few miles north of us, to walk around and then grab a bite to eat.  The entire time we were walking outside, Ben was making the funniest sounds.  I kept asking Greg, "Is he happy?  Or is he about to cry?" because I couldn't see his face.  It sounded like he was either laughing, or starting to fuss.  Greg assured me that he had a huge smile on his face and seemed to be really enjoying himself :)

After our walk we grabbed some beers and food at the Scuttlebutt Brewery.  I cannot believe I have never been there.  The food (and beer) was delicious (Cod and Chips - so good)!

Banana (Teething Feeder)

My friend Debbie stopped by this morning to visit Ben, and with her she brought a couple gifts for him!  One was a little thing called a "Teething Feeder", which was totally on my list of must haves after watching Bronson in action with one a few weeks ago.  Since we have been giving Ben banana this week (mixed with breast milk), we decided to put a banana chunk in the teether and give it a try!  This thing is so great - it allows you to put a whole food item inside the mesh and then they can suck through and get the juice or mini baby-sized chunks of whatever is in there. 

As you can see, he really enjoyed it :)

Rachel's Bachelorette! (What Happens in Seattle...)

....will be blogged about in great detail!

On Saturday, March 10th, we celebrated Rachel's last night out as a single lady!  This has been a night that I had been anticipating for a lonnnnnng time!  It was both a night I was SO excited for, to celebrate Rachel and have a fun night out, and also a night I was really nervous about, as it was my first night away from Ben (overnight)!  I have to admit, a few months ago I would not have been ready to do it.  BUT - as the weekend grew closer and closer, I found myself not really sad at all and ready to enjoy a night with some girlfriends!

I packed up my stuff, fed Ben, and got him down for his afternoon nap before hitting the road!

We met in our suite at the Grand Hyatt in Seattle.  Our room, on the 29th floor, had a killer view:

We spent a few hours talking, having some drinks and got ready to go out.  Next up was Barrio on Capital Hill, where we had a pre-set menu of options of delicious food to choose from:

We then moved the party to Purr, and finally Neighbours where we danced, people watched, and celebrated Rachel's last night out!  It was SO MUCH FUN, and I laughed SO much that night. 

The bride

A few days before the weekend, I realized it was going to be Daylight Savings Time on Saturday night, (bad planning!) which meant that many of us didn't get to bed until after 4 am (and even later for some)!  I am used to a 9 pm bedtime, but apparently cocktails and lots of entertainment helped me push through ;) 

We ended the event with a delicious room service brunch - much needed after a big night out! 

We are all soooooo excited for you, BFF.  5.5 weeks until the big day!

Mom side note: I had been wondering how I would be able to be away from Ben for a long period of time while he is still nursing.  I actually had a lot of anxiety about it, as I was worried he would not take his bottle and that I would somehow mess up my supply by not being with him for 24 ish hours.  Luckily, Ben took his bottle like a champ and was as happy as a clam while I was away.  I had to pump twice at the hotel before we went out, and then didn't pump again until about 7 am, which is the normal amount of time I go on the nights where Ben sleeps all the way through.  I had had these visions of myself having to tote my pump all around Seattle with me and pumping in the bathrooms of the various clubs we went to - but that was obviously not the case, haha!  We both survived :)

Rice Cereal

As we are quickly approaching Ben's 6-month birthday, I have been mentally preparing for the start of "real food".  My mom bought me a Baby Bullet, as I am planning to make Ben's food for him instead of purchasing jarred food at the store. 

The plan was to wait until the day after his 6 month birthday, this coming Sunday, but his behavior this weekend made me feel the need to get started earlier.  Ben has seemed VERY hungry, much more so than usual, the past couple of days.  He was wanting to eat again about an hour after nursing, and seemingly is not entirely satisfied after each feeding.  A few times, while sitting on my lap, he has performed a very attractive move we now call the "vampire" - him opening his mouth and taking a face dive towards my chest, neck, face, etc. - so it became clear that it was time to take the next step.

Today I prepared a little bowl of organic whole grain rice cereal mixed with breast milk, (with a very high milk to cereal ratio), sat him in his Bumbo chair, and gave it a try.  He seemed interested in getting the spoon in his mouth (as he likes to put everything in his mouth right now), but when he realized that it was food/milk on the spoon, he seemed a little confused.  The picture above (top, right), is the face he makes every time I would attempt to put a pacifier in his mouth, and the face he used to make when offered a bottle. 

The good news is that he didn't spit the cereal out, so I know that some of it must have been digested.  We are going to practice a few more times with cereal this week and probably work his first vegetable in on Friday night.

I cannot say I am "excited" about this new milestone, as it is just another example of my baby growing out of the baby stage, but it clearly is something that needs to happen - and hopefully one he will enjoy! :)

Sitting (ish) + Spit Bubbles

Only a mom would find this YouTube-able, am I right?  Whatever - I could watch it ALL. DAY. :)

Lunch Breaks

Callie snapped this photo while I was visiting with Ben (and her) during my lunch break yesterday.  Love this little guy.  And we both love wearing stripes :)

Family Love

When I put Ben down for his morning nap, many times it is in his swing downstairs.  I noticed the other day that if I place our blog book (with family picture) where Ben can see it, he will start to smile, then squeal, and eventually happily fall asleep.  Love that!

Dinner with the Broadys

On Sunday evening, Shauna and Brandon had us over to their home for dinner.  It was a MUCH overdue get together, as we have not seen each other for awhile!  It's always a sad realization when you live down the street from one another and are not able to get together as often as you would like to, but it is the story of BOTH of our lives right now!  We agreed to try and do better :)

Shauna cooked us an amazing meal, one that included a magic asparagus glaze that prompted Greg to actually CONSUME asparagus.  Whaaaaa?
It was so much fun to see Bronson and Ben together.  I cannot believe that Bronson is only 1 month older than Ben, as he is sitting up, eating food, and seems to be SO MUCH BIGGER than Ben!  Maybe it's all that hair? ;)  Anyway, they were totally adorable together and I cannot wait to get them together again.  We know that these boys are going to grow up together and we can only hope that they become as close as Shauna and I are.

"Um, excuse me - that is my lap you are sitting on"!

So. Much. Cuteness.

Grandma Mondays

I cannot express how thankful I am for Mondays.  On Sunday evenings both Greg and I typically have a small case of the end-of-weekend blues, as Monday is the start of another busy week of work without much downtime for our family.  It's always just a little bit sad when we put Ben down to bed on Sunday nights. 

However, Monday always ends up being a great day!  I feel SO lucky that my mom was able to cut back to 4 days a week in order to stay with Ben 1 day each week.  I am also VERY thankful that she chose for her day to be Mondays.

Each Monday morning when she arrives to watch Ben, I am able to finish getting ready and then get out the door without having to pack up all of my things, AND Ben's things, AND Ben!  I am able to drive straight to work, which cuts about 30 minutes off of my morning commute (and my afternoon commute).  It just makes for a much more relaxed day.

In addition to watching Ben, my mom has decided to make a meal for us each Sunday to bring with her on Mondays!  So far she has made Clam Spaghetti, Minestrone, Chili, and tonight she has made Teriyaki Chicken!  She also has made us a dessert or another type of snack each week.

This morning, my mom brought bran muffins and chocolate chip cookies.  It's SO nice of her to go out of her way to help us like this and we REALLY appreciate it! 

Thanks mom/grandma! :)

Rachel's Bridal Shower

Last April, when Rachel and Peter got engaged, I think there were a few of us that mentally began to brainstorm ideas for her bridal shower.  Rachel has been so involved in planning and executing some of the greatest showers for her friends, that we were eager to return the favor.  Some got into the details FAR more than others (ahem, Maureen), for which I am most thankful!  I was totally in baby-planning mode, and then newborn-baby-mode, and it was so amazing that there were a team of us to plan and prepare for Rachel's Sex and the City themed shower :)

Becca and Cam's house has become the go-to place to hold events for this group, and they again were nice enough to open their home for this party!  Maureen arrived before me to start putting up all of the decor that she had been dedicating her nights to the week prior to the shower, and it turned out SO perfect.  When I arrived, I started to download music for the SATC play list - all songs that were featured either in the movie or on the series.  After set up, I ran to pick up the sushi we had ordered as the rest of the girls put the finishing touches on the room, and guests began to arrive at 5 pm.

Everyone looked so fantastic in their "cocktail attire"!  Rachel in particular looked beyond amazing.  We played a few games, ate some food, and then watched her open her themed gifts.  Everyone was told to bring a gift based on an assigned SATC character, which ended up being super hilarious.  This is a group that KNOWS their SATC ladies :)

Here are several pictures that I stole from other blogs and photo albums (thanks to all of the photographers)!

Congrats to you Rachel!  I cannot wait for the big day!

Invitations, made by Layne

Beautiful decor by Maureen

Delicious cupcakes made by Kalle

Party Favors - assorted beauty supplies and Vogue Magazines!

Pin the *various items* on Rachel aka Carrie Bradshaw

The bride to be with her bridesmaids!

(Kalle, Rachel, Maureen and me)

Chi-O's! XO

Layne, me, Jecca and Erica

And finally, the game - How Well do the Bride and Groom Know Each Other?

I had a fun time with this one.  A few weeks prior to the shower, Greg, Ben and I went over to Rachel and Peter's for a breakfast date.  Before we left, without Rachel knowing, I recorded Peter giving his answers to the game so that we could show it at the shower.  It was fun to surprise Rachel with this, and I think everyone enjoyed it too :)

23 weeks

Outlook Calendar LOL

I was chuckling at myself as I entered this on my calendar this afternoon.

Subject: CasperBabyPants

Location: Mill Creek Town Center - Top Pot Doughnuts

Start Time:  10:30....AM

Seriously, this is so amusing.  I'm going to a rocking Saturday MORNING concert with my kid, my mom, and hopefully lots of friends and their kiddos!

More info on this free concert here.

And while you are there, preview some of their jams, here.  My favorites (yep, I already have favorites) are "Bad Blue Jay", "Butterfly Driving a Truck", and "Helicopter".

22 weeks

Talking to the Sun

This little sun.  It's Ben's favorite component of his activy station/jumper, and also the most dangerous!  I actually had to remove it shortly after taking this video because Ben will get super close to it, push it away, and then it SPRINGS back and smacked him in the face.  I'm hoping that when he is a little older (possibly with sharper reflexes?) I can put it back in.  He would literally turn himself all the way around to play with it before, but clearly he is not ready. 

Anyway, here he is enjoying it while he had it.

The most important thing he has to do today

This morning when I woke up (after 11 glorious hours of sleep, which occurred after a night of approximately 3 hours of sleep due to what I can only assume was teething pain), my mind immediately started running through all of the things I needed to do today. 

* Make coffee

* Finish a document/send an email for work, (and various other work-related tasks)

* What will we have for dinner?

* When can I get to the mall to find something to wear for the bachelorette party?

* What does a 30-year-old mom even WEAR for a night of boozing/clubbing on Capital Hill?

* I wonder when Greg will get home so I can squeeze in some yoga?

* Etc. Etc.

I then woke Ben up, watched him smile for a few minutes, and sat him upright.  And it occurred to me that he too has an agenda.  With serious determination in his eyes, he:

* Grabbed his feet

* Blew spit bubbles

It was like he was waiting all night to accomplish these tasks.

I guess we both have some work to do today!