I feel like I write something to this effect on every post, but I really can't believe we almost have a one and a half year old! Benjamin grows and changes every single day. No, every single hour. No, every single minute! It is amazing how much their little brains grow during these early years. His vocabulary is growing rapidly, although we still struggle to figure out exactly what he is saying to us sometimes! Benjamin loves to play the "What does a _____ say?" game. He knows what a dog, cat, cow, sheep, bird, snake, lion, and Santa says. He also likes to point to his body parts when we ask him, "Where's your nose/eyes/ears/tummy/hand/foot?" Benjamin also has a new obsession with Mommy's iPhone. He asks for it by saying, "Video?" I think this is because when we got home from Disney World a few weeks ago, we would watch videos from our trip together to unwind before a nap or bedtime. Now he will ask for a "video" constantly! Sometimes he will actually watch the videos of himself on my phone, and other times he will play with apps. He loves to call Elmo, FaceTime Santa, play Fisher Price apps, or play Peek-a-Boo Barn. I try to limit the screen time to only a few minutes here or there throughout the day, but the little stinker asks for it all day long! He even learned how to unlock my phone and swipe to the page where he can find his apps! He's already outsmarting us... :)
He is such a loving little guy. Benjamin will give the sweetest kisses and hugs these days. One of my favorite times of the day is when we are getting ready for a nap and he will lay his head down on my shoulder and snuggle up to me. I hope he always wants to snuggle with his mommy!!!
We went to visit Santa last weekend and Benjamin was not a very big fan of the man in the big red suit! He was all smiles, was waving to him, and loudly saying, "Ho ho ho!" before our turn to go up and see him. Then Santa's helper announced (very properly I might add), "Santa is ready to meet Prince Benjamin!" Daddy held Benjamin and slowly walked up the stairs toward him. As they got closer, Benjamin started making little cries. Once they got close enough for Daddy to set him on Santa's lap, Benjamin started crying loudly and grabbed onto Chris! It was so funny and cute. We'll try again next year!!
Age : 17 months (almost 1 1/2 years old!)
Weight : 27ish pounds
Clothing and Diaper Size : 18-24 months in Janie and Jack, 24 months in Carters, 80 or 90 in Hanna Andersson, and size 5 diapers
Milestones : Benjamin says quite a few words these days. To name a few: hi, bye-bye, Muma, Dada, Ma (Grandma), PaPa, Gie (Maggie), eat, baby, play, video, uh oh and oh no (these two are usually in sequence together in a very dramatic way ;)), cat, dog, up, juice, baba, snack, hot, and more. I'm sure there are more words that I am forgetting right now! He has 10 teeth now, 4 of which are molars. He's becoming more and more independent each month. Benjamin will play by himself in his playroom for quite a while before coming to find Mommy or Daddy. He definitely still has his days where he wants to be right by our side - or in our arms - though!
Sleep : Benjamin is doing a great job with sleeping these days. He sleeps from about 8:30pm-7:30am, and then takes a nap around 1 or 2pm. We are down to one nap a day which I really like. It allows me to get all of our errands or activities done in the morning or early afternoon, and then I can have 2 hours or so to prepare dinner and clean up the house before Chris gets home from work. It's a nice schedule! I try to remember to enjoy it before things get a little crazy again come March!
Eating : We have a little bit of a bird on our hands when it comes to eating! Benjamin will pick at his meals, but isn't a huge eater. I sometimes worry that he isn't eating enough at each meal. He loves to eat macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, green beans, corn, rolls, spaghetti, McDonalds chicken nuggets and french fries (which he dips in ketchup!), fruit smoothies, baby fruit snacks, scrambled eggs, steel cut oatmeal, and loves pretty much any kind of fruit! When we are grocery shopping he loves to snack on a banana as we shop! He will also still eat pouches really well, so I try to make sure he has 2 or 3 of those each day to get some extra veggies in.
Favorites : Going up and down the stairs at our new house, Elmo, Mickey Mouse, Santa (he loves finding Santa at stores or around the house and saying Ho Ho Ho!), juice (especially apple juice boxes), Mommy's iPhone, baby fruit snacks, the song Let it Go (and the music video!), dancing, drinking out of a big boy cup or a water bottle, bottles of milk (or babas),
Doesn't like : Still not a big fan of diaper changes, but we can usually distract him during them, being around strange people or even family members that he hasn't seen in a while, teething, diaper rashes (he just had a really bad one - I felt awful for the poor little thing!), and sitting on Santa's lap. :)
In addition to having a toddler, we also have a little 23 week old growing away inside of my tummy! I sometimes have to pinch myself - we are so lucky to have not one but TWO little ones! I cannot wait to meet our next miracle.
In addition to having a toddler, we also have a little 23 week old growing away inside of my tummy! I sometimes have to pinch myself - we are so lucky to have not one but TWO little ones! I cannot wait to meet our next miracle.
- How far along? 23 1/2 weeks
- Baby size: Papaya
- Total weight gain: I think around 18 pounds or so. My tummy feels huge this time around!
- Maternity clothes? Yes! I am able to get away with some non-maternity tops, but I am in all maternity pants.
- Stretch marks? No, but I sure don't inspect my tummy and legs like I used to with the first pregnancy. No time for that with a 1 year old on the loose!
- Sleep: Sleeping great! Just waking up to go to the bathroom 2-3 times a night. I am trying to soak up these last few months of getting a full night's sleep.... :)
- Best moment this week: We celebrated Thanksgiving with our families this week. It was great to spend time with everyone and for Benjamin to play with his cousins! I am excited to add another little one to the festivities soon.
- Miss anything? My in-laws were having some wine with Thanksgiving dinner and it looked good, but it's not something I miss terribly. I was content with my sparkling water, too!
- Movement: Yes! Baby moves all the time! It is the most amazing feeling. I tell Chris all the time how lucky I feel that I have been blessed with not one but two pregnancies. I know many women dream of being able to experience all these moments, and some never can. I love and appreciate every kick!
- Food cravings: Apples! I have a Honeycrisp apple almost every night. I am also craving McDonalds double cheeseburgers which is not my favorite craving since it's so unhealthy!
- Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really!
- Gender: BOY! Benjamin is going to have a little brother. :) We are working on the nursery plans and getting out all of Benjamin's old clothes. It's so fun to be able to plan for our next little man! I hope Benjamin and his brother will be great buddies.
- Labor signs: I have had a few Braxton Hicks, but it's funny how you definitely know it isn't labor your second time around. :)
- Symptoms: A little bit of back pain and I am more tired than usual these days. But feeling pretty great other than that!
- Belly button in or out? It is just starting to pop out!
- Wedding rings on or off? On.
- Happy or moody most of the time? Happy!
- Looking forward to: Our 4D ultrasound in a few weeks!
- Diabetes update: My A1C improved a ton over the past couple of months! I am proud of my hard work, but would still like to do even better. I am in the process of getting a new pump, which I think will be really helpful in better controlling my blood sugars. I am excited about it!
