All About Ben.

What's Ben up to these days? Well, if you're a friend of mine on FB (and chances are preeeeeeetty good that ya are), you know most of his big stuff. Here's some stuff that maybe you didn't know and I feel like sharing:

• At posting time, Ben is 7 months, 1 week and 5 days old
• Ben is now a champion Army crawler. He is getting faster and faster, the more time he has to practice. I suspect he'll be up on his knees before I know it.
• He's made his way over to the fireplace a few times and (although I keep a good eye on him when he's scooting around) I have a feeling a head bump is going to come shortly.
• He loves to eat. He's not picky about anything (well, he didn't like peas but I haven't tried them in over 2 months). For those of you that might care (probably no one) this is what he's currently being fed: at breakfast (some time before noon) I give him 2 tablespoons of cereal (organic oatmeal) mixed with 1 scoop of formula, 2 tablespoons of fruit and enough apple juice to make it all the right consistency. At dinner it's again 2 tablespoons of cereal mixed with 1 scoop of formula and enough apple juice mixed in + 2 tablespoons of fruit + 2 tablespoons of veggies. Some times he needs more, some times he doesn't finish it all. I'm feeding him Earth's Best veggies and fruits (and cereal, as soon as he finishes this box of Gerber oatmeal) because it bothered me that most of Gerber's 2nd & 3rd Foods were made with a crapload of chemicals. I know, I know. But I figure he'll get plenty of time when he's older to load his body with chemicals, I don't need to do it now. the Earth's Best ones are pretty much the food it lists on the jar and water. I stay away from the ones that have added chemicals.
• He loves to play with his food. Some of his favorites: playing "volcano" with his food, when you give him a bite he'll push it out with his tongue to make like lava down his chin. Then he laughs. He also will take a bite and say "ah-mamamamamamaman" over and over with the food rolling around his mouth. Another good one is blowing raspberries with a mouthful of food (but he doesn't do this one as often any more).
• He sneezes at least once every time he eats (and food goes EVERYWHERE, because, as fate would have it, I've just given him a bite when he sneezes).
• He LOVES to sneeze. He'll grin so huge after every sneeze and usually makes some sort of cooing sound.
• He gets excited when I open his closet, turn on the TV or open the curtains to look outside. He does what I call his "peanut butter jelly time" dance (google it)
• For a kid that would get so mad at baths when he was itty bitty, he sure loves them now. With our bathtub, we put it in the big tub and leave the drain to the little tub open and keep the water running - that way the water is always warm and clean. He loves to reach forward and play with the water coming out the spout (we reminds me: I need to get a spout cover before we have a head bump there) and play with his duck or his hippo. When I lay him on his back to wash his tummy & legs he kicks about half the water out of the tub.
• He loves to look at himself in the mirror. Thinks it's the funniest thing ever when I play peek a boo with him in the mirror.
• He spends a great majority of his day laughing or smiling. As he gets older, he's more prone to more crankiness but still overall is a very happy little boy.
• He claps. Randomly. Which cracks us up.
• I think he has a bit of a sadistic bent. When we tell him "no pinching, that hurts" he grins. When we say "ow!" he grins. :-p
• Loves his Sadie
• Also loves his Kitty (who bites...not sure why Ben still likes him, but I reference you back to the sadist post)
• He is ticklish on the back of his neck and all down his spine.
• He's also ticklish on his booty.
• He sings along to the radio or when I sing to him (I cannot sing him good night because he just grins at me the whole time)...
• ...except for humming "Love Me Tender". That's the ONLY song that will put him to sleep
• Ben loves to people watch. And flirt with random ladies.
• This one is naughty, but it cracks me up as soon as I take his diapers off its WHOOM, hands to the parts.
• We can tell he's hungry when he opens his mouth as far as it'll go and huffs and puffs like a steam engine.

Well that's all I can think of. I just noticed how messy my house got today and now I'm distracted by the mess. I'm sure they'll be a "Oh How Much I Love Ben: Part Two" in your future. Goodie for you!

p.s.

Update on the sleep training - it's actually going really well!! He doesn't fuss for more than 5 or so minutes (and even that isn't even crying, it's more of really just fussing sounds) after we leave the room and is asleep within 10. Tonight was the first time I laid him down that he didn't FUSS ONE SINGLE TIME!! I'm SO proud of him, I could just burst.