Day 2: 21 Months of Parenthood

On October 23rd, Ben reached his 21st month of life.  Andrew and I couldn't be happier to be the parents of such a cheerful, loving little guy.  It is hard to believe that 21 months of parenthood have gone by and our once chunky baby is a svelte toddler who is learning something new everyday.

This thankfulness post is a double for his 21 month update...

Stats:
Taller and heavier than last month...
Clothes:  all 24 month and some 2T (what is the difference really?)
Shoes:  Barely size 5
Hair:  His wispy strawberry blond (I think) hair is starting to grow in slowly.  It curls up in the back when it is humid outside
Teeth:  Still 12 and every month I think I will have another one to add but they are taking their time coming in.  I am pretty sure they are waiting until Caleb gets here just to make sure we are all on our toes.

Communication:
This month was a word explosion.  He mimics and is picking up so many new words.  The words that he does have are becoming clearer.  He is more specific when he asks for things which is wonderful.  There is a lot less guessing involved on my part on what he wants for breakfast, lunch or to drink because he will tell me.  He also lets me know when he is hungry by using words rather than just getting grumpy.  Over the month Andrew and I went from being "mama" and "dada" to "mommy" and "daddy"--a most adorable transition.  I don't think if there is anything sweeter than hearing him say "mommy" from his room.  We often hear him saying "uh-oh" and "no" when he does something he shouldn't.  He has started adding ending sounds to words which makes him way easier to understand.

Loves:
Ben continues to dazzle us with his "boyness."  Cars, trucks, planes, helicopters, trains, dirt, rocks, construction vehicles--you name it, he loves it.  He has an array of sounds for each vehicle and each is very distinct.  He loves to color and play with play dough.  New this month was the discovery of stickers--star stickers are a particular favorite and they are all over his stuffed animals and books.  Tessa and Chopper even went through a star stage as he put them over everything.  He continues his love of books and is in love with letters.  He can identify several letters and enjoys mumbling different ones in random order. He enjoys puzzles and balls but I think one of his favorite things of all is wrestling and snuggling with is parents.  He loves to run around our house chasing our poor dogs, trying to get Andrew to do push-ups with him on his back and getting tickled.   He loves to run errands and visit his family at work (especially since the office ladies spoil him with chocolate.)

Skills:
He is learning some colors and letters.  I think he would pick up more if I were a little more focused on it but for now he is content to read books and learn through everyday life.  He is still working on his jumping and I think once he figures out how to trust his little feet he will get it.  He can climb in and out of his high chair and the stroller.

Highlights from the Month:
*His grandma and grandpa came up from Georgia for a visit and he charmed them with his infectious grin.
*He watched our friend Kevin dig holes in our backyard with a tractor for a fence
*Long walks around Fredonia and runs to Tim Horton's to help his baby brother grow
*Doctor's appointments with me where he gets to hear his little brother's heartbeat
*Numerous playdates with his friends Isaac and Mason
*Shopping for his new room (more on that in Month 22!)

Day 1: Health

Last year I copied other friends and reflected on something I was thankful for each day in November.  I loved having a little outlet in which to think about things in my life that are such a huge blessing and this year isn't any different.  (I might have a few repeats in topics but the content will be different as it is a new year).

Thinking back to the past year, one thing that Andrew and I are incredibly thankful for is the gift of good health.  We've battled a few colds between the three of us, but nothing that has crippled our lives.  Ben is an exceptionally healthy little boy and is approaching his second birthday without ever being on any medication.

As we approach the birth of baby #2 in about 8 weeks, we are enjoying another easy and healthy pregnancy.  My blood pressure has stayed low, my blood sugar is even lower and I have kept up with both running and teaching bodypump through the duration of my pregnancy thus far.  Little Caleb is kicking away inside of me and is developing right on track with a strong heartbeat that Ben enjoys hearing when we go to the doctor.  Even my thyroid, that bounced around a bit when I was pregnant with Ben, has remained steady.

Even the canine members of our family have enjoyed a year of blissful healthy happiness.  They get the occasional stomach bug from eating things that upset their stomachs but beyond getting routine shots, we haven't had to take them to the vet.

On this first day of November our health is not something we take for granted but something we do work hard to maintain through a lot of exercise, a mostly healthy diet and as much sleep as we can get which means I should probably go to bed--my 5:45 run is quickly approaching.

One of those days...

The last week and half or so have been really busy.  Out of town family visited, we went to see friends in Houghton, two weeks in a row of small group at our house where I make dinner for 12-14 people, dinner with different friends and various house projects to get finished before baby 2 makes his appearance have left us all a little weary.  Today though was a Ben day and a day I don't really want to forget.

I began my day at 5:25 when Tessa heard my alarm and let me know it was time to run.  I slowly made my 30.5 week pregnant belly get out of bed, drank a big glass of juice, tied my sneakers and waited for a friend to meet me.  We ran a little over four miles together and I added on a bit after she left as I am trying to take advantage of everyday I feel good while running.  We returned, Ben woke up, we helped Andrew get ready for work and began our day together.  

After playing for a little while, I decided it was time to visit the office to let Ben show off his Halloween costume (and to give him a chance to practice wearing it).  An adorable chocolate chip cookie, he made the office ladies smile, saw his grandmom and daddy and we returned home.

With baby #2 on the way, Ben is going to go through several transitions.  The first one to come is moving him into another room with his big boy bed.  Two weeks ago Andrew and I painted the room and this weekend we are getting the bed set up and his room ready.  This morning I thought it would be fun if Ben and I went mattress shopping.  We set out into the sunny warm weather and drove to the four stores in Fredonia that sell mattresses.  Ben loved every second.  I let him try out the mattresses and he chattered away about his "bi bo be" (big boy bed).  He was a trooper as I hauled him in and out of the car.  We made a couple of other stops to look for shoes for Andrew (very exciting) and we picked out sheets for his new room.  It took about two hours to do all of our errands and he grinned and talked away the entire time.  I felt so proud and so full of love for my little guy.

After lunch with Andrew and Granddad, Ben settled in for a very short nap and I enjoyed a few minutes to prop my feet up and relax  Once awake, we headed out again only this time to go to pick up Ben's best bud and mom to go to Harvest Hollow, a local pumpkin farm.  Ben and I went last week with my parents and today I wanted him to try out the hayride.  He was excited when we arrived to see the animals, ride in the toy cars and play in a huge thing of corn with trucks.  He was so excited about the corn and trucks that he threw a bit of a fit when I put him on the hayride.  Once the tractor started pulling us however, he calmed down and enjoyed the ride.

We dropped off our friends, headed home, ordered a pizza and ate dinner.  Ben happily munched on his pizza and some "bb's" (blueberries) before we went for a family walk with both fur kids.  He chattered away on our walk as he pointed out the moon, asked for a pumpkin and talked about the leaves.  

After second dinner, a bubble bath and a lot of snuggles both in our bed and his room he is now settling down for sleep and while I am a little tired from the day, it is a day I don't want to forget.  From his excitement over bed shopping to his joy over petting farm animals to the way he gives his baby brother kisses on my belly I am so blessed that he is mine.  I love that he called me in tonight when I put him to bed to ask for more snuggles and to say goodnight to his dogs.  I love how his entire face lights us when he sees the people around him that love him so.  He is truly a gift from God and each moment we have together is a moment that I want to make sure that I cherish.  

So today was one of those days...not a day where I want to pull my hair out and feel frustrated that I didn't get the list in my head finished, but a day where I felt honored to spend every moment with my blond haired blue eyed angel that fills my heart with more love than I ever knew was possible.  

20 Months

I think I've been a little hesitant to write this post (and apparently hesitant to post because I realized this morning that I never actually did.)  20 months just seems so old!  Ben will be two before I know it and even before that his little brother Caleb will be here.  Ben is growing into a little boy so quickly!

Stats:
Weight:  24ish pounds
Height:  Taller than last month...he is a little hard to measure.
Teeth:  Still 12, I thought that a couple more were going to pop through but we haven't seen them yet
Hair:  His light hair has a reddish tint and is still really wispy.  We might have to give him a haircut within the next six months.
Clothing:  He is transitioning into 24 month clothes although they are still a little big.  18 month pants are too short.  He solidly wears a size 4 shoe.  We still use fuzzibunz.

Communication:  New words everyday!  He is quite the little mimic and chatters all the time.  Recent highlights are "uck" for yuck (we are working on the 'y') "more," and "baby."  We love listening to him talk away.  He has learned "no" but at the moment uses it very appropriately when asked a question.

Eating:  Mealtime is a little hit or miss.  He loves breakfast and has enjoyed his pregnant mom's recent obsession with pancakes, french toast, etc.  He enjoys eggs and fruit.  He loves pasta in any form and is starting to eat more meat.  Ice cream is his absolute favorite.  He will try almost everything.  He loves pizza and one night when I walked in with a pizza box he clapped his hands and said "yeah."  He figured out where his mommy milk used to come from and scopes out the women in his life (and sometimes men) to see if it is a possibility.

Skills:  He is learning his colors and yellow is a sure pick.  He can identify some letters, especially the letters in his name and the letter 'r' because it is on the sleeve of our R1 pull overs that Andrew and I wear a lot.  He is still trying to jump up and down and he can get one foot off the ground.  He loves to run around and dance.

Loves:  Books, Chopper, trucks, his stuffed penguin, walks, hikes, going in the car, music, dancing, listening to Andrew play guitar, visiting his dad at work, and the occasional you tube helicopter video.

Sleeping:  He still sleeps like a champ from around 8:30 to 8:00 with a two hour nap in the afternoon.  It is wonderful!

Running a Half Marathon at 25 Weeks Pregnant

When a friend of mine asked about six weeks ago if I wanted her entry to a half marathon she originally planned on doing my initial answer was "no."  I didn't know how I would feel at 25 weeks, how big my stomach would be and was a little nervous about how my body would react.  Another friend of ours was planning on running and I was doing a lot of her long runs with her but decided to take it week by week.  Ever since I came out of the first trimester where I had one outstanding week that I ran a total of 2 miles, I have run 25-30 miles per week with at least one run above 8 miles if not 10.  I basically run every day that I feel like it and overall I have been a much happier pregnant person.  When I was pregnant with Ben with all of the hills in Morgantown I felt like I had a good run if I made it three or four miles.

This pregnancy however, things are different.  I am not working, I can take a nap if I want every afternoon and I am teaching a bodypump class which is really helping my core stay strong.  When a week before the half marathon arrived and I had a really good 10 mile run I thought, "why not run the half?"  I ran my decision by Andrew and a couple of other runners and decided to do it.  They all cautioned me to listen to my body and to run smart.  I put in way more training for this half than I did the one I ran a few months after Ben was born.

The morning of the run (not so much a race for me) arrived and I was tired.  My head felt cloudy, my throat was a little sore and I felt like I was getting a cold.  Initially I thought there was no way I would run more than a couple of miles with my friend who was running her first but I hoped once I drank some tea, woke up and walked around I would feel better.  I did.  By the time we lined up I wasn't feeling as great as I wanted but good enough to give it a shot.  I appropriately wore my favorite race t-shirt from the 50 miler I attempted a few years back--it is huge and only fits me when I am pregnant.

The first four miles went by pretty quickly.  My friend Erin and I chatted along, were passed by people who didn't want to get beaten by a pregnant woman and enjoyed the beauty of the day.  It was a gorgeous cool morning at Presque Isle State Park on Lake Erie.  Around mile 4 there was a bathroom stop which I needed to take advantage of so I sent Erin ahead and took my first of five bathroom breaks.  I drank at least a cup of water at each water station in an effort to stay hydrated (so as to not cause any contractions) and relaxed into my own pace.  Around mile five or six I saw Andrew's cousins who were there to cheer on his aunt and uncle who were running that day.  I stopped and talked for a few minutes (evidence again it was not a race) before continuing on my pregnant way.

At mile 7 I ate my squeezy fruit that I brought along and continued to plug.  I didn't wear a watch or bring my Ipod because I really wanted to focus on how I was feeling.  I wish that more people would have left their Ipods behind because it really cuts down on conversation when everyone is in their own little world.  I felt like I was stalking people without headphones in an effort to make some conversation and help the miles to tick by faster.  I made it to mile 10 without any walk breaks but by then my scratchy throat was coming back, a bit of a headache was coming on and oh yeah, I am pregnant.  The water stops were a little before each mile marker so I decided to walk between the water and mile marker.  It was a good way to give myself little breaks, especially since I didn't have a watch to tell me how long I was walking.

By mile 12 I really wanted to be finished, but at that point I was nearly there.  My lower back was starting to get sore and I was just plain tired.  I took a few more walk breaks and was encouraged by those around me to "push through," "keep running," and "you're almost there."  All of these comments people made as they ran up behind me but once the saw the load up front they quickly changed their tune to "you're pregnant? walk all you want!"    As I neared the finish line my natural instinct was to pick it up, pass as many people a I could and sprint it in.  I squelched my normal end kick and continued to take it easy.  I posed at the end for the camera with my belly sticking out, grabbed as much food as I could carry and found my friend who finished ahead of me.

My pregnant half was a good experience but not one I am sure I will do again.  The baby and I came through just fine but I don't know if I would actually pay to do it.  It was fun to run a race without any goals or pressure (besides the pressure on my bladder).  I was simply able to enjoy the day.  I hoped I helped a few people PR as they took one look at my stomach and picked up their own pace.  Next year I hope to do the same race again with Baby B2 and Ben hanging out at the finish waiting for me.

Months 18-19--Catching Up

I'm pregnant and have a toddler.  The trump card for everything is also my excuse for not blogging much over the summer.  Now that the weather is cooling down, Ben is soundly sleeping and baby B #2 is enjoying life on the inside, I have few moments in which to catch up.

19 Month Stats (official--Ben just had his last shot until Kindergarten and last check up until he is 2!)

Height:  33.5 inches

Weight: 23.5 pounds

Teeth:  12 (going on 14, I think judging from the amount of drool)

Hair:  Still sporting wispy reddish blond hair that makes him look much younger than his 19 months.

Clothing Size:  18 months in everything but because of his height he is starting to branch out into some 24 months.  He has a favorite shirt with a dump truck on it and calls towels "Monsters" because of his monster towel he uses after his bath.  

Shoes:  His tiny feet are starting to grow and he is between a 4 and 5 depending on the brand.

Personality:  He is incredibly laid back and we can pretty much take him anywhere.  He thinks restaurants are places where he has an audience of every diner around him.  He is cheerful almost all day and even though he gets upset if he doesn't always get his way, he gets over it pretty quickly.  He is so sweet and continues to be so snuggly.  He loves just hanging out with his fan club, giving kisses and hugs.  

Eating:  Ben officially finished nursing on Tuesday August 7th--only about 7 months after my original wean date.  For the month prior to that he nursed off and on every other day or so when he needed a little extra comfort.  

He basically eats whatever we eat now but isn't a huge fan of meat because he has a hard time chewing it.  He LOVES pasta, fruit, cheese, milk, Cheerios, cheddar bunnies, yogurt, bread, crackers, and ice cream.      While on vacation we ate a lot of ice cream and he thought that trend should continue when we returned.   If you want him to learn your name all you have to do is feed him ice cream. 

Sleeping:  Ben sleeps soundly through the night from around 8:45-7:30.  It is truly a wonderful thing.  I don't like to think about the fact that my long nights of uninterrupted sleep are going to end again soon but at least I know baby #2 will sleep at some point.  He takes one nice long nap during the day for 2-3 hours starting around 12:30 or 1:00.  I have stopped waking him up from his naps unless it is getting late in the afternoon.  I don't really like him to sleep past 4:00 because Andrew and I like to have a little adult interaction that doesn't involve Ben in the evening.  

Movement:  Ben is trying really hard to jump.  It started during the Olympics when we were watching volleyball.  He can rise up to his tip-toes but hasn't quite made the connection to actually get his feet off the ground.  I suspect he will have it soon!  He throws and kicks balls, runs all around and enjoys taking walks down our street without the stroller.  He climbs up on everything but is being a little more cautious when it comes to trying to climb onto the table.  

Things Ben Loves:  He continues to display his "boyness" with his obsession with every truck, car, airplane, helicopter, etc.  I never realized all of the different names for construction vehicles until I had a toddler boy.  He loves walking around town and seeing all of the vehicles that drive by.  He searches the sky for airplanes and waves bye-bye when he can't see them anymore.  

Book continue to be a highlight of his life.  If someone is sitting down they are fair game as a reader.  He loves Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go, as well as the Best First Book Ever.  Sometimes those books go "missing" for a few days when we've had a little bit too much.  Before bed he likes to read Goodnight Moon, Twinkle Twinkle, and Busy Doggies.  His crib is stocked with books that he reads before he goes to sleep and reads when he wakes up in the morning.  It isn't uncommon for him to hand us a book when we get him in the morning.  We love it!  

He enjoys stacking blocks, playing with his instruments, throwing and kicking balls and just hanging out in the kitchen.  Recently he has shown interest in play-dough and is starting to color.  Chopper is still his number one dog although he is trying to win over Tessa's affection with food treats (she's gained about six pounds since he started eating solids).   

He still loves to go bye-bye and enjoys walks and runs in the stroller.  We run together often enough that when he saw Olympic runners he automatically said "mama" when he saw them on the screen and clapped his hands.  I'm glad that in his eyes I am worthy of a gold medal.

His best friend is I-ac (Isaac) a buddy from church who is a little younger.  They enjoy dashing around the playground, hanging out on the beach and playing in the nursery.  We look forward to see how they grow up together.  

Communication:    He is trying so hard to talk!  Everyday he says something new.  At the moment his list of words includes:  Hi-ya (Hilary, helicopter, and pasta depending on the context), Ommam (ice cream), ice, juice, cheese, blueblue (blueberry),Heather (who brought him ice-cream), mamallow (marshmallow). boo-boo, ball, bubble, mama, dada, dadad (granddad), Bob, dog, book, hi, bye-bye, all done, no, diaper, apple, poopoo, uh-oh, knock, I-ac, hippo, eyebrow, elbow,  and boo!.  He can make a host of animal sounds including dog, cat, cow, horse, sheep, pig (kind of), bird, and lion.  He will sing e-i-e-i-o with Old MacDonald and calls Bodypump "lalala" because that was the intro for one of the songs.  He mimics everything and will match syllables and intonation with different words even if he can't say all of the sounds yet.  It is a blast hanging out with him and listening to his language develop.  He uses a few signs the most useful being "please" and the least useful being the sign for helicopter.  

Exciting New Skill:  A few weeks into his 18 month a friend of ours gifted us with a toilet topper for the potty and a child's potty.  Ben, who thinks that making a bubble (a.k.a.:  passing gas) is hilarious, immediately wanted to try to make a bubble in the potty.  For about a week I didn't change a single poopy diaper.  It was wonderful.  He is still asking to go here and there but I am not pushing the idea of him being potty trained because he doesn't wake up dry from naps or after sleeping at night.  Anytime he asks I let him go and if I catch him in the act I will stick him on.  He loves to flush the toilet, wipe, and wash his hands.  If he is potty trained before #2 arrives it would be great but I am not getting my hopes up and we will re-approach it in the Spring.  

Highlights of the Summer:  We spent a lot of time outside at the beach on Lake Erie, the playground and just walking around Fredonia.  Ben enjoys my "destination runs" to places like Tim Hortons or Starbucks where he inevitably gets a treat.  When we run errands together he likes to bustle around the store and every other week or so we had a date at Dunkin Donuts where we discovered his favorite flavor of munchkin is chocolate.  

He had fun helping us prepare for his cousin's baby shower by watching Joanna and I burn a lot of batches of caramel corn and by tasting the kettle corn we eventually made.  He spent time with Aunt Joanna for a few of my bodypump classes.  He loves watching Andrew do summertime activities like mowing the lawn and using the sprinkler.  A house on our street was remodeled and he had a great time watching the construction.  

The month of July was HOT so we spent a lot of our afternoons at a friend's pool where Ben chilled in his bumblebee floaty and watched for airplanes. Speaking of airplanes, one Sunday morning the local Rotary club had a fly-in breakfast at the airport where Ben was in toddler heaven as he dined on pancakes and watched helicopters land and take off.  

We had friends visit from Morgantown in July which was wonderful as Ben spent time with their toddler.  He had a great first sleepover this month at his grandmom and granddad's house which was a nice little break for Andrew and I.  

A huge highlight was our annual trip to Camp of the Woods with Andrew's family.  We had a fantastic week that included a lot of playground time, the beach, miniature golf and just pure fun.  Ben had a rough 24 hours mid week which I think was from pure exhaustion.  He loved running all over camp and exploring his vacation world.  Outside of our dining hall was a carved bear holding a fish that he adored which made meal times a little tricky because that was the only thing he wanted to see.  We look forward to going again next year with his new cousin and brother!

The Age:  Every month with Ben is a new favorite.  I love watching him explore and learn about his world.  He is so much fun to hang out with every day and I feel blessed that it is my "job."  I am trying hard to savor these next few months of just Ben time before the new baby arrives but I really look forward to watching Ben become a big brother.  

On Becoming "Ben-Wise"

Before Ben was born I knew everything.  I read the books on baby sleep and felt like I was ready to conquer the task.  My child would be a sleeper. Andrew and I both planned for him to be sleeping through the night when he was four months old so that Andrew would be able to study for the bar exam uninterrupted.

But then, Ben was born.

I love to sleep.  Even before I had a baby, going to bed past 10 o'clock was rare.  I've always enjoyed waking up early to exercise, catching a cat-nap after work and heading to bed early to do it the next day.  I never realized how tired I would be once my perfect little schedule was interrupted for what felt like forever.

In the hospital right after Ben was born, I remember nursing and finding him wanting more to eat sooner than the 2 hour mark I was told by one book I should wait to arrive.  I couldn't stand to hear him cry and therefore, the mommy buffet opened and my relationship with "on-demand" feeding began.

According to some experts we did everything wrong.  I fed Ben whenever he looked hungry (and if you all remember how big he was, he looked hungry all the time.)  I let him cluster feed in the evenings after I returned from work and (take a deep breath) I nursed him to sleep.

When Ben wasn't sleeping "through the night" by six months, Andrew and I were both frustrated and those around us were happy to give us advice.  "Let him cry it out," "Give him a pacifier," "Does he have a comfort object,"  "What is his schedule like?" "Put him to bed earlier."  "Co-sleep?"

We tried everything.

Crying it out--never worked--especially not in the middle of the night.  There were nights he would wake up, fuss and go back to sleep but there were nights he would wake up and wail away like someone was pulling out his toe-nails one by one.  It became easier for us to go in, attend to his needs and put him back to sleep than to listen to him cry for hours.

Pacifier?-- Ben spit pacifiers across the room from the time he was tiny.  I think I purchased every single one Target had to offer without any luck.

Comfort Object? --At about 14 months he became attached to a giant penguin.  Not the soft blanket scented like his dear mother or the plush dog toy.

Early bedtime= a party at about 3 a.m. because he was awake and ready to go.

Schedule?  Yeah right. On days where he didn't have a schedule he slept better than those where I worked hard to get him down for naps at 10 and 2.  I did eventually figure out that if he took two naps I had to wake him after an hour.  If I let him sleep longer than 2 hours during the day, 3. a.m. party.

Co-sleeping?  Ben's version of an all night party with his mama and dada.

Right now my child is sound asleep.  His afternoon nap is almost over.  A nap that he put himself to sleep for after playing in his crib for a few minutes without nursing.   Tonight he will go to sleep around 9 o'clock after daddy and mommy snuggles, a glass of milk and a few hundred books read and he will stay that way until 8 o'clock.  If he wants to go to bed earlier than that he will show us by snuggling up on he floor without a fuss.  Tomorrow he will take a nap around 1 and sleep for 2 1/2 hours.  The rest of the day he will be happy and full of laughter and Andrew and I will be well rested.  Andrew took an active role in getting Ben to sleep about 5 weeks ago which has helped Ben transition to sleeping through the night without his mom nearby.

For Ben, and dare I say for most babies, reaching the goal of sleeping through the night happens when a child is ready.  For some lucky parents, like a dear friend of mine from Morgantown, it happens when the babies are 6-8 weeks old.  For others it takes a lot longer.  I do think you can help them get there but for some babies, like Ben, it is a milestone they must reach when they are ready.  What I do know is that even though I was sleep deprived for a while I don't regret a single second of snuggling my little guy.  There were some nights I felt crazy (for most of those 3 a.m. parties) but now that he is giving up nursing and another baby is on the way, I cherish the moments he still wants mommy cuddles.
  
If baby #2 is struggling to sleep through the night like Ben did I might enlist Andrew's help a little earlier but perhaps we'll be "lucky" parents and he or she will sleep earlier.  If not, I'll just look back and remember that it will pass, the child will sleep and we will all come out alive.