Long Days

Is anyone else still having a bit of a hard time adjusting to the time change?  It gets dark so early so the late afternoon/evenings can seem so long and I'm usually ready for bed about 8:30!  Guess it'll just make me appreciate spring and summer more :-)

Benjamin's been sleeping a little better only waking up at 5 and 6 last night for just a few minutes and both times he just soothed himself back to sleep.  He woke up at 7 for the day but I'll take it.  He took a good morning nap and only a so-so afternoon nap so he was tired by 6pm tonight but Peter was able to keep him happy and awake until his 8pm bedtime while I was at worship team practice.  This is what I came home to....

too cute!

I had washed Benjamin's sheet and hadn't put it back on his crib yet so when Ben fell asleep after eating, Peter just held him until I could come home to put the sheet on.  I'm sure he enjoyed every second!!

Overall it was a great day.  I'm loving this time and stage that Benjamin is in.  He only plays with his toys for a few minutes until he's off to climb the stairs, pull up on the coffee table, pull up on the couch or anything else he thinks will work.  It's cute but tiring because I have to "spot him" more than I did when he would be content playing with his toys.  With the extra energy though comes more fun and cuteness I think.

Here's a few pictures of my little bug from earlier in the day....

 pulling up is definitely his favorite activity these days!

I can't make him stop though because it makes him sooo happy!

 his legs are looking so long these days

 Quarterback in training?  Hmmm, maybe a little lineman? :-)

 so aware and curious about what's going on everywhere

 sweet smile!

 He's always moving!

cheesy guy

Benjamin LOVES his Floppy.  Really loves him.  They have a special relationship and really, I'm glad he has something he can have with him that can give him extra comfort when he's in the car, sleeping, etc.

 First, Benjamin gives Floppy a friendly kiss

 then Floppy receives a friendly spanking

 Benjamin pushes Floppy down to remind him who's really in charge

 he gives stern but loving talks about the ways of this world

then covers him in ooey gooey Benjamin kisses!  They really are two of a kind :-)

I'm going to finish watching the end of CSI and then I'm off to bed, little guy wakes up early!

I'll leave you with another pic of my favorite boys

I love my life!

9 Months!

Benjamin turned 9 months old on November 3rd.  9 MONTHS!!  Wow, where has the time gone?

He had his well baby check-up this morning so here are his updates.

Height:  30 inches (90th percentile)  He's grown 3 inches in 3 months!!!

Weight: 23lbs 6 ounces (90th percentile)  He's gained 4 pounds in 3 months!!!

Likes:  Your latest love is pulling up.  Pulling up on everything.  You also now love climbing the stairs.  You still love being outside, wrestling/playing with Daddy, reading books, singing songs with mama, your bathtime, going to church, playing the piano with mama, kicking and hitting your soccer ball, and playing with all your toys.  You adore your Floppy as always, still like your paci and now crawl up mom and dad like a koala bear after your bottle (yep, we love it!)  You also love the phone and get soooo excited to hear people talk to you on speakerphone.....then you usually grab the phone and beep at them by pushing the buttons!

 those blue eyes sure love him some pie!  See his little tooth too?!

 he loooves playtime

 he could pull up on things all day and night if I let him!

he was loving talking to his Auntie Amanda

storytime is awesome!

Dislikes:  You're a little better at getting your face wiped after meals.  You still can get fussy while you're getting your shirt on but usually only when you're tired.  You don't like when you can't figure something out, you get so frustrated.  You are very stubborn and if you don't want to eat something you will refuse to open your mouth, though many times you just want to feed yourself instead of being fed. 

Eating:  You love food!  This month we've found you especially love Uncle Ben's casserole (go figure!)  Something about the chicken, rice and stuffing makes you inhale it like a crazy man.  You still love fruit, bread, cheese, oatmeal, cheerios, puffs, peas, meat, rice, and you had a few bites of ice cream.  You grab things really well now and have always had great hand/mouth coordination, ha :-)  You usually have a bottle 4 times a day for 24-26 ounces of formula.  You've mastered your sippy cup!

 Daddy and mealtime are 2 of his favorite!

 oh Dad, you're so goofy....must be where I get it from!

Sleeping:  We've had a few rough days this month but it's due in part to a little cold you had.  You adapt really well to being "out and about" during your naptime and nap great in the carseat.  Most nights you still sleep from 8 or 8:30pm until about 5am to eat, then sleep until 7:30 or 8.  The fall time change has messed you up a little bit on your schedule so we're trying to adjust.

Personality:  You are FUN!  You are BUSY!  You are LOVEABLE!  You are CRAZY!  You've grown so much in the last month.  You're so aware of things and are always on the go exploring everything.  You do pretty well with strangers though you can sometimes be a little shy and prefer mama or dada (especially if you can see us)  You love to have us laugh at you, you love to have us eat your belly or throw your Floppy in the air.  You're not a cuddle bug but you definitely have your times when you want mama to sing you to sleep or want to hug us.  You are stubborn (I have NO idea where you got this from)  We're going to have our hands full in the years to come I'm sure.  You're loud and busy and cute.  

 this happy baby brings us SO MUCH JOY!

Highlights:  The milestones just keep coming!!  You are now crawling faster and faster and staying up on your knees without fail.  You've also learned how to climb the stairs and have climbed our 14 stairs pretty quickly.  You pull up on everything and have now learned how to move your feet while pulling up to get across a couch.  You're babbling/talking more and more and your bottom two teeth are getting bigger, but no other teeth so far.  You went on a few adventures this month with Poppy & GongGong during their visit, you had your first trick or treating fun, and have had your crib lowered because you're so tall and learned how to pull up!

 Pulling up ready to takeoff!

 Hmmm, there's the phone.....let's go get it!

 one step at a time, I can do this!

 so close, just keep going!

 target is within sight!

SUCCESS!  This guy is busy, busy, busy.

I'm pretty sure we love you more every day Benjamin, even though we don't think it's possible!  I want time to stop so I can cherish how adorable you are, yet I love each new morning because I get to greet such a happy baby and see what you'll learn.  We are enjoying this stage so much and can't believe how much you're growing.  We're smitten......love you Benjamin :-)

What a difference a day can make!

 This morning before church my sweet baby boy was a little guy who could crawl well, LOVES to pull up on things and is enjoying his newly found mobility.  But, the most we've had to do is move a few things, put outlet covers in and lower his crib.  He was just my stinkin' adorable Benjamin learning to explore.....

 See?  Does he not look sooooo cute before church this morning?

Oh, I could just eat him!

However, tonight he was being a bit fussy before bedtime because the time change has messed him up a bit.  So he was making the rounds to say goodnight to everyone and he got distracted showing off his crawling skills on the kitchen floor.  No big deal.  He really has mastered the crawl and is quite fast now.

Then, Peter took him over to the stairs.  Yes, the stairs.  Benjamin has gone over to the stairs before and has really tried hard to make progress upwards but so far has had no success.

Well.........

 with absolutely no assistance from Peter (just hands to catch him if needed) he was off

 he lifts his knee high enough now to get over the step and then there's no stopping him

 this boy loves to climb

he ended up climbing 4 complete steps on his own!  He would have done more if Mama would have let him but it was 8:30 and past time for bed.

So yes, what a difference a day can make.  I'm already tired just thinking about my crazy climbing boy.

He wasn't overly interested in learning how to crawl but he LOVES to pull up on things and now apparently LOVES the stairs.  I think I'm going to need to get out my baby gates don't you?  I think I may have an early walker on my hands.

On that note, it's time for bed! :-)

Visit from Poppy and GongGong

Peter's parents have been on a trip around the US to visit various family and attractions since his Dad retired in July.  We are the last stop on their trip before they head home and we're glad they came for a visit!

We've had such beautiful weather, especially since it's November so we've taken full advantage of it and have been outdoors quite a bit.

One morning we headed out to Silver Falls State Park about 40 minutes from our house to enjoy a hike around the waterfalls on a beautiful 70 degree day.  It was perfect outside.

 This is 1 of 10 waterfalls in the park

 there was quite a bit of water flowing over, it was beautiful!

 you actually get to walk right behind the waterfall on some of them

 Benjamin loves being outside and didn't even mind the spray from the waterfall

 it was so pretty everywhere with the streams and the sun peaking through

 second set of falls we saw, next time we want to do the whole loop

 GongGong blends in with the beautiful fall leaves

 we cozied up with hot chocolate by the fireplace in the lodge

he would much rather crawl than pose for pictures!

We had such a beautiful walk then ate a picnic lunch in the sunshine.  Such a fun day!

We had a few days of running errands, starting some house projects (thanks Poppy), and enjoying beautiful walks.  I know the rain is coming but I'm sure loving the sunshine!

Peter took a personal day off of work Friday and we decided to head to Bend for a few days to explore the area and show his parents the area.  Again, we had such gorgeous weather, we were really lucky.  We stayed at the resort we've stayed at before in a cozy condo. 

From our last visit to Bend we knew the Cascade Lakes Highway was beautiful so we headed that direction.  Because of the snow a certain part was closed for vehicles but we were able to get out and walk and I'm glad we did, it was beautiful. 

 most of the road was clear but we did have to walk through a little snow

 oh how I love these two

 we didn't walk around it because of the snow but this is the view from Todd Lake

 mountain stream leading up to Mt. Bachelor

 Mom and Dad K in front of Brokentop Mt.

 he's a NUT

 what a view!

snug as a bug back in the car :-)

Saturday we headed out to explore the trail along the Deschutes River right near the condo where we stayed.  Another sunny day made for a beautiful time.

 cool set of rapids along the river

 lazy ol' Pete didn't even have to carry his own son this time!

 so many different views but all pretty

 not a bad place to walk!

 these two have walked in quite a few places in the past 3 months

so fun to enjoy such a beautiful day!

We spent the rest of the day in Bend exploring the town and walking along the river path at a different park.  We topped off the night with some pizza.  Of course, it started raining....but only after we had been driving home for 30 minutes :-)  We really enjoyed the little getaway, lucked out with the weather and have loved sharing it with Poppy & GongGong.