Well Hello There.

Oh wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since I updated this blog. Nothing really too exciting to report on since my last post.

We dismantled Ben's Exersaucer and transformed it into an activity table. He's at a transition phase with it right now - he's too big to sit in the Exersaucer any more but he's not big enough to stand and play unassisted. He did pull himself into a standing position while sitting on my lap by grabbing hold of the Saucer and pulling himself up. He'll be standing on his own and walking before we know it!

new activity station

Let's see, we went to the fair. Ben did really good, he was fairly calm about the whole experience, just being really quiet and taking everything in. We went through the animal enclosures and looked at Llama's & Alpacas (these made him burst into tears for some reason), sheep, pigs, cows, roosters, chickens, hens, baby chicks, ducks....we didn't go over to the horses because by the time we go through the other animals his face was red and his eyes were watering - I think he may have some animal allergies like I do. That being said, we skipped the petting zoo part. We did have him pose with some of those "insert your face here" cut out things and he got to go up in a tractor.

looking at pigs at the fair

tractor - goodness he's tiny :-)

sitting in a tractor

We went camping this weekend. It was a short trip - Nick had made plans to help his friend Eric move out of his apartment on Saturday (Eric got a job in Iraq! He's crazy!!) so we couldn't go up until they were finished. We didn't end up on the road til close to noon - by the time Nick got here, we got all the last minute stuff packed, dropped Sadie off at my mom's for the dog sitter to watch, filled up with gas and got last minute formula (man he blows through that stuff like it's nobody's business - I should have never given up nursing from a financial stand point...however from a mental health stand point, mama and baby are much happier on formula)...and by that time we were starving as neither of us had breakfast. Anyway, we met up with my parents and my brother's family around 2:00ish (they had come up the night before). Nothing much to say on that, pretty typical camping. Ben's feet didn't touch the ground the whole time. He was just passed from lap to lap. I don't think he minded one bit. ;)

cuddling with nana

more cuddle time

A clothing update - I stopped by my favorite consignment shop before camping and picked up the CUTEST sleeper (it's brown fleece and has animals like bears, owls, and moose on it - how perfect was that for camping??) in size 12 month, thinking it would be a little big still. Nope. Fit like a glove. He ZOOMED through 9 month stuff - in fact the other night I had to take him out of the sleeper I was going to put him in because he couldn't straighten his toes all the way. :( My mom bought him a little outfit to go camping in size 12 month and I brought him size 6-9 month jeans just in case the 12 month jeans that mom got were too big. Nope. 6-9 month were high waters... so... looks like I have an excuse to go shopping! The way the few size 12 month clothes I have for him fit, I think he'll be in 18 months by Halloween (if not sooner) - and I still have no idea what to dress him as for Halloween...

He's working on pulling himself up to stand. If I hold his hands in mine and just provide the balance, he'll pull himself up to a stand with no help from me. He's started to put his hands on the edge of his crib but hasn't pulled up yet. I had to take the mobile out of his crib because he could reach the monkey's. He's been spending more time on his knees, just rocking back and forth (a milestone he skipped in favor of his army crawl), so I think he may modify his army scoot to a on all fours crawl here soon.

Still no teeth but I think he's teething hardcore. Who knows for sure, right? Because I've been dead certain he's been teething since 3 months. Lately, though, he's been fairly cranky (for Ben) and just biting on anything he can get in his mouth. I hope something peeks through soon (sort of).

So that's my big ol Ben update. In non-Ben news, Nick just finished summer quarter. He's doing really well in all his classes and I believe he's on track to graduate with honors again. Just 3 quarters left and WE ARE DONE!! We have a busy second half of September planned. We're going up to the Lewiston area for my cousins wedding, me & Ben will spend our first overnight alone (Nick has to go to Portland for work), my aunts are coming out for my dad's birthday...after that, my newest niece is going to be born the first part of October, little Emme will turn 6 (HOLY COW!) in the middle of October and I'm getting some random pictures of Ben taken at the end of October. The photographer that did his 6 month pictures is having another special, so we booked her for some fall pictures. They're not any special month (he'll be 10 & 1/2 months when we have them taken) but I've been wanting to have a pumpkin patch session since he was born. I love fall... :-)

I've been crafting a bit more. I finally won a Cricut cartridge on ebay (and just won another one last night and have my eye on 2 more today) so I actually made 3 pages of his scrapbook. I need a bigger space to do it. I think I'm going to have to convert my guest room into part craft space. I really don't want to and have been talking myself out of it forever. I always wanted a dedicated guest room. Nick says I should make our front room a crafting area since we're not using it for anything anyway right now so maybe I'll do that. You know, when I find the time. Ben's been really clingy recently (I think it's the teething thing) so I haven't had a lot of time to do much.

And here's a non-Beesley related goodie: my bestie Susan took the plunge and signed a lease on an apartment! She's moving in even as I type! I'm SO SO SO excited for her and a little bummed that I can't be there to help her out. Now I have to make good on my promise to go visit her, so we'll be planning a trip to Ohio in the spring (Nick wants to drive...ugh).

And here's one last FABULOUS update: a few months ago my mom's cancer tumor markers shot way up, unexpectedly. That meant the treatment she was on was no longer effective. The doctor switched her to something else to try to get the markers to come back down. Yesterday Ben & I took her to the doctor to get a treatment and her doctor passed through the waiting room while we waited (go figure, waiting in the waiting room? MADNESS lol) and gave good news! She said her markers were going back down, which means this new treatment is working!! Fingers crossed that they continue to come down or at least stay even. At the moment, there isn't anything left. If this treatment stops, well that's it...hopefully if that ever happens, they'll have something else out she can try.

Okay I think that's it. Off to find breakfast before Ben wakes up!