Random Wrap-up

with Uncle O

In the midst of moving, celebrating Tante's birthday, and other busyness of late, I've skipped a couple potential posts and have also looked back through some cute camera and phone pics I wanted to share.  So, for your viewing pleasure, a random photo wrap-up..........

(and my apologies for some of the phone pics :/ )

As innate as peeing may be boys' love of balls.  This one is from Nani Bobbi who cuts our hair.

trying on some of our newly acquired beach gear

Heart day lunch with Tante.  Did I already share this?

Ben LOVES laundry and vacuuming

This Mama can't get enough of this hat :)

 

Tante's inaugural sewing project.  This awesome gray and chartreuse giraffe pillow case made for THE Nugget.

House-hunting and some rare backseat time with my monk-a-doo.  To get inside that head!!!

Remember this Day

This little fresh and clean angel:) had me in such stitches of laughter this morning, I just needed to document to remember.  One freshly bathed and towel-wrapped Nugget did I lay in my bed to stay cozy warm while I gathered his clothes and lotion.  He laid there looking in an utter state of bliss even adding a couple sighs of absolute contentment.  Only upon pulling the covers back to start the lotion did I realize that grin and those sighs were because he was laying there peeing!!! All over himself, his towel, and the guest bed.  Oh boy little boy! Some things really are innate and I fear boys and peeing are one of them.  For now I laugh but in a few years....Benjamin Ryan....this sort of thing will not be funny!

he SO loves this pup

I had fun taking pics in Tante's mirrored closet doors

Also in the mirror

Movin on Up

Literally.  North. Our family is beyond blessed to have lots of people and places to take us in while we wait for our Wichita house to sell.  Last week we moved north from Littleton to Arvada to stay with MeeMee for a while and give Nana and Grandpa a break.  4 months is a very long time to invade anyone's home and we hope we are in our own before we are with MeeMee for 4 months. We are very thankful to Nana and Grandpa for taking us in and making us feel right at home.

 Oenghus the dog is very happy to have cousin Luke here all the time and I'm confident MeeMee will be glad to see Ben more often....for a little while anyway.

Word from Wichita is that the market is heating up for spring and with an open house and new price for the weekend we are sending lots of positive house selling vibes that way!!

18 Months and Big Boo Boo #2

We had Ben's 18 month well-baby visit this morning and absolutely love his new pediatrics practice.  They were very welcoming and friendly and thankfully have a second office much closer to where we'll likely live.  They also have a wonderful focus on eastern and homeopathic medicine balanced with traditional western practices that I know we'll appreciate.

They have a somewhat new system of milestone tracking that groups into larger categories such as communication, fine and gross motor skills and social/self-awareness.  I liked that this gives credit to a broad skill without focusing on smaller tasks.  They will send the checklist ahead of future appointments so we can attempt the skills as several today were things we had never tried.

Overall Ben got great marks for milestones and general health.  

 

His height and weight did take big jumps as well as come exactly together.  The PA mentioned that babies often have height spurts when they start walking and their bones finally have weight to support.  She does think he will average back out a bit to his previous curve and probably come out between 50-60%.  We obviously love Ben however big or small he is but it's nice to have a little bit of an educated guesstimate because there are so many unknowns for us.

We got guidance for toilet training when the time comes, reiteration that his eating and milk intake are right on, and some advice for how to care for big Boo Boo #2.  I referred to Big Boo Boo #1 as First Blood for those who might have forgotten:).  Ben LOVED being naked and running around the exam room.

 

Good pose Buddy!

Belly! Belly! Belly!

Boo Boo #2 on day 3

Boo Boo # 2 came smack in the middle of a very busy Sunday for us.  We had just left breakfast with 24 our of closest as friend JR and his new fiance were in Denver from NYC for the weekend.

Reagan being a Mama

A few people were hidden at the picture taking end of the table.

We stopped briefly to chat with Nana Pat before heading south to Colorado Springs for dinner at the Wilson's and a Myrtle Beach vacation planning meeting.  Ryan, Pat and I chatted in the kitchen while Ben played in the family room as he often does.  Just as we were preparing to leave (and already late,) we heard the scream.  We found Ben face down on the carpet in front of the brick hearth and knew from his location the outcome wouldn't be good.  I prepared myself for blood as I picked him up and quickly scanned to see if both eyeballs were intact.  Slowly the blood started creeping from his cheek and it quickly began to swell.  He had obviously tripped and fallen into the hearth, scraping his cheek on the way down.  We are blessed it was only a scrape and that his head didn't hit the corner and that his eyes were not injured.  Lots of love and neosporin is all we can do.  After a short nap that afternoon,  Ben was back at it in the thick of things with the big kids.  He is more resilient than his Mama and per Dr.'s orders will be getting lots of extra sunscreen on that spot this summer.  The PA also said we really won't know about long term scarring until at least this time next year.  Maybe by then I'll be ok with a little tough guy stamp but for now my heart breaks every time I look at him.  I know, I know the second of many................................

Freshly scraped on Sunday

Forcing the Issue

My long delay in the Forcing the Issue post was not to create anticipation or cause a stir.  We have just been busy busy (more in upcoming posts :).

In preparation for today's 18 month well baby Dr. visit, I began looking at 18 month milestones, just to see how Ben was tracking.  After consulting several sources, the one area that seemed most lacking was scribbling.  Yep, coloring with a crayon:).  Ben had received a wonderful giant coloring book and easy to hold crayon set from Peter for his birthday but showed little interest the first couple times we tried it in Wichita.  Because that's where that wonderful gift still resides, we hadn't tried his hand at the task again.  

Well, the Valentine's cupid brought Ben some crayons and a Thomas coloring book and unfortunately, there was still little interest.  It took me much longer to tape newspaper to Nana's granite than the whole attempted coloring experience (and we tried twice.)  Ben did like to dot, dot, dot the crayons but there was little back and forth motion.  He also liked to eat the crayons and that is what inevitably led to the end of the coloring.  We will keep trying once a week or so, but so far I would say the artist part of Ben has yet to bud.

As for me, yes, I learned something too......not to force the issue.  In fact, our new pediatrician has a great milestone tracking tool that groups skills into larger categories so Ben can be a non-scribbler but still be strong in the overall category.  A good reminder for Mama to stay aware but also not to Force the Issue.

Some Ben action brought to you by future post "Forcing the Issue"

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Happy Heart Day

We Interrupt this Blogroll....

For a couple toe twirlin' videos.  Those of you who've been around a while know Ben's toes have been twirling when he's happy or excited since he learned he could control them.  Although this may be an involuntary response in his case :).  Ceiling fans and puppies do delight and this Mama is delighted that those toes are still going.

For the ceiling fan video click HERE

For the puppy video click HERE

Cousins

On Wednesday this week, Ben and I got to spend the day hanging out with his cousin Ian.  Nana Pat watches him a couple days and week and Ben and I made the trek to Colorado Springs this week to help out for a couple hours so Nana could go to a Dr's appt.  At almost 9 months, Ian is sitting up and rolling everywhere and just on the verge of crawling.  It was such a fun day as he is at such a fun age.  He was totally enamored by his big cousin Ben who could just effortlessly stand up and run away.  By the end of the day I had to give Ian his bottle right next to Ben so he could clearly see him and all he was up to.  If Ben ran away, Ian threw his bottle and sat upright trying to track him.

Nap time with two babies (one with a stranger and one in strange surroundings,) did not go well.  Ian went to sleep great at first but Ben's screaming quickly woke him.  I could then get Ian to sleep but not put him down and after a few rounds of room to room I just got them both up.  It brought to mind some of the challenges there would be with two close in age.  

Despite the lack of sleep, both boys were very happy and had lots of fun together.  It will be fun to watch them grow and play together in the coming years as their age gap of 9 months will shrink quickly and they'll be joining forces against us all in no time:).

Teaching Time

Ian trying to check out Jelly......I don't think so buddy:).

2012 Snow Show

I am hopeful our nearly two feet of snow that fell late last week is the biggest snow show of the year.  Warm temperatures did help and less than 48 hours after the first flakes fell, most roads were clear and dry.  Ben mostly loved the fluffy white stuff though he does not love getting on all the gear required to stay warm and dry.  I have learned to have all his gear laid out and make the process of dressing and getting out the door as quick as possible.  We played briefly Friday and lots longer with Dada on Saturday morning.  Tante even took him out at MeeMee's for a bit on Sunday.  Denver's typically snowiest months are still ahead so there should be lots more fun to be had this year.......

Snow Angel

 

the "After" tantrum

 

Getting the gear on struggle

Snow throne made by Mama

King of the Mountain

There is a link HERE to a video I made after our journey out Friday.