Another big month has come and gone! Mom and Dad cannot believe Ben is already 9 months old!
Ben continues to enjoy eating. He is eating Stage 3 dinners now that have small pieces he can practice chewing on. He also enjoys some table food like mashed bananas or green beans. We tried some crackers that dissolve in your mouth called Puffs earlier in the month and Ben did not care for them being on his tongue at all. He has a pretty strong gag reflex. We reintroduced them in the last couple of weeks and he loves gumming them and can pick them up with his fingers and sort of feed himself. He has also mastered a sippy cup and really enjoys a glass of water when Mom and Dad are drinking one. He does not want to be left out!
Ben is rolling like crazy and really working hard to crawl. He can sort of army crawl and can scoot himself backwards pretty well. He gets into a normal crawling position and can turn himself around on his belly in any direction. He just hasn't mastered moving forward with ease yet. So a lot of times he will get on his hands and knees, turn where he wants to go and then roll to that destination. He is a huge fan of standing. He can stand at a play table or lean on the couch without any help. He isn't cruising yet, but he tries to inch around and just hasn't quite mastered moving his feet in steps.
He is working on mastering many other "skills" like pinching, clicking his tongue, clapping, playing peekaboo and waving. Ben has two bottom teeth now and they are starting to come in enough to see when he smiles. He is also getting more hair and is starting to really look like a little boy rather than a baby. Ben is continuing to babble up a storm. He has officially said "mama" now and likes to say it when he sees me, when he is tired, hungry or frustrated--basically whenever he wants Mom or Dad to meet a need. We have also started some signing with Ben. We are just doing a few words that will be helpful in communication like eat, more, milk and a few others. We just started this and will see over the next few months if it is helpful for him to be less frustrated until he can verbalize those words. In the meantime it is entertaining for him to see Mom and Dad do these funny things with their hands.
Ben moves to the next classroom this week. He has been visiting for a couple of weeks now for partial days and seems to really like it. The new teachers enjoy him (of course!) and I think he will really like being with the older kids. It will be hard to leave the wonderful teachers in the baby room though. They have really gotten us through a lot of our "firsts". He will just be next door though, so I am sure we will still go by to say hello. I have also heard that when they move up like this that their development really benefits by seeing the older babies crawl, eat table food, etc.
Ben has gotten to travel more this month. We visited his great-grandparents in Kansas over Father's Day weekend. Ben enjoyed playing with all of the family and got to show off the card he made Dad at school and watch all the dads open their gifts. The following weekend Mom, Dad and Ben went to Table Rock Lake in Missouri to celebrate Mom and Dad's fifth anniversary. We all enjoyed a relaxing weekend in a cabin on the lake. We showed Ben lots of pretty scenery on some walks and drives, tried to show him some fish at the dock and enjoyed some lazy days just hanging out.
Under links we have Ben's 8th and 9th month pictures posted on Snapfish. There are lots of swimming, our trips, friends, playing, etc.
Love to you all!
June 27, 2007
May 27, 2007
Ben: Eight Months
Things are changing quickly at our house! Ben is rolling to places he wants to go and creeping as well. He doesn't have the coordination of crawling yet, but I am sure it will be here before we know it. When he rolled to get to the entertainment cabinet and proceeded to open the door and reach for DVDs, I knew we were in a new phase! Ben also goes to his crawling position from sitting up. He will then switch to rolling from there and end up in all sorts of places.
Ben started eating meats this month. I know a lot of you are relieved that his mom isn't keeping him from such wonders as "chicken and apples" and "ham in ham gravy". Yummy! He is really enjoying these new taste sensations and is always eager when lunch and dinner time roll around. We will be working towards foods with more textures and finger foods next. He still enjoys blowing raspberries during eating time and covering mom in whatever tasty treat is in that meal. It is hard not to laugh at his excitement.
We finished our swim classes this month. Ben has been under water many times now and really enjoys playing in the pool. In his last class he got to go down the slide into Dad's arms. What fun! We are ready to hit the neighborhood pool this summer and practice the things we learned.
School is going well. We will be moving to the next classroom sometime next month. This classroom will have babies that crawl and are learning to walk. I am sure Ben will be learning lots of new things. Currently he enjoys playing with a couple of his friends in class and taking buggy rides outside. This month Ben got to make his first Mothers' Day gift. He helped decorate a special onesie that he wore on that day. Mom was pretty proud and enjoyed her first Mothers' Day with nice gifts, cards and most important an afternoon playing with Ben.
In addition to all of the physical developments, Ben has been "talking" up a storm. He is really good at his la's, ba's and ma's right now. He will throw in the occasional ga and da. He says "mama" all the time and is starting to associate it with his mama. We aren't quite sure he "gets" it, but he definitely can repeat it after you say it and says it quite a bit when we are playing or he is getting tired or hungry. He also "sings" his la's when others are signing at church and sometimes he just sings to himself. He is also "dancing" to music sometimes. It is too cute!
And finally this month we have enjoyed a visit from MaryBeth Petr, a trip to Lawrence to see Grandma and Grandpa McCullough and some fun times with Mom's family in Tulsa. We are looking forward to more travels this summer. We hope to have Ben's first lake visit, a trip to "the Farm" and maybe even a beach trip.
We hope these updates give you some insight into Ben's latest adventures especially for those of you who can't see him in person as often. Please update us about your families when you have time. Love to all!
Ben started eating meats this month. I know a lot of you are relieved that his mom isn't keeping him from such wonders as "chicken and apples" and "ham in ham gravy". Yummy! He is really enjoying these new taste sensations and is always eager when lunch and dinner time roll around. We will be working towards foods with more textures and finger foods next. He still enjoys blowing raspberries during eating time and covering mom in whatever tasty treat is in that meal. It is hard not to laugh at his excitement.
We finished our swim classes this month. Ben has been under water many times now and really enjoys playing in the pool. In his last class he got to go down the slide into Dad's arms. What fun! We are ready to hit the neighborhood pool this summer and practice the things we learned.
School is going well. We will be moving to the next classroom sometime next month. This classroom will have babies that crawl and are learning to walk. I am sure Ben will be learning lots of new things. Currently he enjoys playing with a couple of his friends in class and taking buggy rides outside. This month Ben got to make his first Mothers' Day gift. He helped decorate a special onesie that he wore on that day. Mom was pretty proud and enjoyed her first Mothers' Day with nice gifts, cards and most important an afternoon playing with Ben.
In addition to all of the physical developments, Ben has been "talking" up a storm. He is really good at his la's, ba's and ma's right now. He will throw in the occasional ga and da. He says "mama" all the time and is starting to associate it with his mama. We aren't quite sure he "gets" it, but he definitely can repeat it after you say it and says it quite a bit when we are playing or he is getting tired or hungry. He also "sings" his la's when others are signing at church and sometimes he just sings to himself. He is also "dancing" to music sometimes. It is too cute!
And finally this month we have enjoyed a visit from MaryBeth Petr, a trip to Lawrence to see Grandma and Grandpa McCullough and some fun times with Mom's family in Tulsa. We are looking forward to more travels this summer. We hope to have Ben's first lake visit, a trip to "the Farm" and maybe even a beach trip.
We hope these updates give you some insight into Ben's latest adventures especially for those of you who can't see him in person as often. Please update us about your families when you have time. Love to all!
April 27, 2007
Ben: Seven Months
Wow! This month flew by! Where to start?
Ben has mastered many fruits and vegetables and is enjoying them all so far. He gets lunch and dinner food now and seems to enjoy trying new things. He is constantly trying to help with the spoon and will grab for his bowl when Mommy isn't feeding him quickly enough. Ben occasionally sprays his food all over when he tries to make new noises with his mouth during meal time. We will continue with the rest of the fruits and vegetables there are to try and add meat in the next month or so.
Ben has been to four swimming lessons so far. He kicks and moves his arms to the different songs/activities we do. He will put his face in and try to blow bubbles, but usually only one bubble will come out. Last week was the first week to actually go under. He had a shocked look, but didn't cry or fuss. He gets to swim with our friends Ben and Ella and loves his time in the water. Swim lessons have also made baths more exciting. There are some nights that Mom and Dad both get soaked when the splashing fun gets going. We are eager to go to the pool this summer and try out some of our new skills.
Ben's first Easter was unseasonably cold! We bundled him up for the egg hunt at church and watched the other kids fill their baskets. Ben got some fun new toys from the Easter bunny as well. Ben did not, however, get any teeth by Easter as we thought he might. He still has restless nights off and on and chews on anything he can get to his mouth. We are just waiting for those teeth to pop on through.
Last weekend Ben got to go to the zoo for the first time. We played at Mohawk Park first with Mom's coworkers. Ben enjoyed the attention of the older kids. Ben was sacked out for the first few animals at the zoo, but woke up in time to see lions, giraffes, elephants and a few other critters. He enjoyed our walk through the zoo. We are eager for future visits where he really understands and is excited to see the animals.
Lately Ben has gotten to where he won't hardly stay on his tummy at all. He immediately rolls over to his back. When he will stay on his tummy, we work on crawling motions. Ben is getting pretty good at scooting on his back or tummy a few inches at a time to get to a toy or something he wants. He is an old pro at sitting now and can reach really far and still keep his balance to get to what he wants.
Ben really enjoys hearing his voice and is often babbling to the other kids and teachers at school when I pick him up. He does a lot of repetitive consonants like "babababa" including ma's and da's but doesn't say either of those words with meaning yet.
Thank you for continuing to share in our joy!
Ben has mastered many fruits and vegetables and is enjoying them all so far. He gets lunch and dinner food now and seems to enjoy trying new things. He is constantly trying to help with the spoon and will grab for his bowl when Mommy isn't feeding him quickly enough. Ben occasionally sprays his food all over when he tries to make new noises with his mouth during meal time. We will continue with the rest of the fruits and vegetables there are to try and add meat in the next month or so.
Ben has been to four swimming lessons so far. He kicks and moves his arms to the different songs/activities we do. He will put his face in and try to blow bubbles, but usually only one bubble will come out. Last week was the first week to actually go under. He had a shocked look, but didn't cry or fuss. He gets to swim with our friends Ben and Ella and loves his time in the water. Swim lessons have also made baths more exciting. There are some nights that Mom and Dad both get soaked when the splashing fun gets going. We are eager to go to the pool this summer and try out some of our new skills.
Ben's first Easter was unseasonably cold! We bundled him up for the egg hunt at church and watched the other kids fill their baskets. Ben got some fun new toys from the Easter bunny as well. Ben did not, however, get any teeth by Easter as we thought he might. He still has restless nights off and on and chews on anything he can get to his mouth. We are just waiting for those teeth to pop on through.
Last weekend Ben got to go to the zoo for the first time. We played at Mohawk Park first with Mom's coworkers. Ben enjoyed the attention of the older kids. Ben was sacked out for the first few animals at the zoo, but woke up in time to see lions, giraffes, elephants and a few other critters. He enjoyed our walk through the zoo. We are eager for future visits where he really understands and is excited to see the animals.
Lately Ben has gotten to where he won't hardly stay on his tummy at all. He immediately rolls over to his back. When he will stay on his tummy, we work on crawling motions. Ben is getting pretty good at scooting on his back or tummy a few inches at a time to get to a toy or something he wants. He is an old pro at sitting now and can reach really far and still keep his balance to get to what he wants.
Ben really enjoys hearing his voice and is often babbling to the other kids and teachers at school when I pick him up. He does a lot of repetitive consonants like "babababa" including ma's and da's but doesn't say either of those words with meaning yet.
Thank you for continuing to share in our joy!
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