15 Months

I think quarterly updates during year two for the second kid is still pretty good, right?

Since Bennett's first birthday he has just continued to become the sweetest kid.  He puts his arms around my neck and gives me the sweetest little baby kisses.  Snuggles so deep into the crook of my neck.

He loves books and drops them in my lap for me to read them and his least favorite words are "the end." He sits in the back of the car holding a board book, often upside-down, mumbling as if he's actually reading.

He signs thank you, doesn't say much more than mama, hollers back and forth with his sister, and claps with the biggest grin on his face.  He does occasionally say ball, banana, and pompom, and it's obvious that he understands almost everything we say to him.

He is super playful, loves to make sure you're watching and smiling, and gives the sweetest coy, "proud monkey" smile.  He also has a crooked smile where his bottom left tooth lines up perfectly between his top two teeth, with a little bit of an under bite, haha.  But then when he's really pleased with himself sometimes he has the cutest overbite-smile.  Many faces, I guess!

He scoots 75% of the time and crawls the rest.  About a week after his 15-month milestone he began pulling up regularly and even climbing the stairs - major progress!!  He might just walk before summer.

He still sleeps through the night like nothing I've ever seen.  He went an 8-month stretch until cutting 4 teeth in one week woke him a couple of times, I guess we won't hold that against him.

He eats well in general, but loves his carbs and green veggies.

He weighs 25lbs (Audrey currently weighs about 27/28) and is 32" tall - 80th percentile all around.  Where did this kid come from??

First Birthday - Cowboy Party

Bennett decided not to take his morning nap, and I was so sure that he would sleep through his whole party that we sang happy birthday and gave him his cake first.  Somehow he made it, though.  We had a small group and served pulled pork, pasta salad, and cole slaw out of pie tins.  Instead of the traditional cake or cupcakes, we had brownies and s'mores pops.  The kids got to "pan for gold" (pennies in sand) and they each rode home on a stick pony.  Decorations were simple... burlap and balloons.  Red, brown, and tin dishes, picture frames, and accessories were collected from around my parent's house over Thanksgiving.  Instead of gifts, guests brought hats and gloves to donate.  First birthday's are so special.  I'm not sure that anything makes you feel like time is flying any more than celebrating a first birthday and realizing how much has changed in just one short year.

A look back at one year ago...

One Year!!

I'm a one-year old!  I'm still not saying much, but "maa" usually means I do want something and "naa" (while swatting in the air) usually means I do not.  I make lots of different short grunts... much like a caveman, and Audrey has started to adopt my way of communicating.  I'm so influential.  I love to nuzzle and snuggle, especially with mama.  I've cut my first two top teeth, but they're still pretty hard to see.  I've gone another month without waking up at night... it's kind of my super hero power.   I'm finally clapping the "right" way (but I still hand-jive, too) and I've begun dancing to music... especially the intro to Curious George, which can be heard quite a bit in this house.

And of course my sister needed a chance to play with the balloons, too :]

11 Months

I love to place things.  That means putting the stacking cups one in the other, or putting a toy in mama's hand after she drops it, putting pieces of something into a bowl, or stacking blocks.

I love to imitate.  I mimic sounds like squealing, sighing, panting, raspberries, and I even mimicked the sound of the airplane starting up and the sound of our toy elephant.  I also imitate gestures like head shaking and tapping/patting things.

I love to lean my forehead to mamas and make silly sounds with her.  I also love to lean back and get tickles.

I've gotten a little better about other people holding me, but after a while I just need mama back.

My sleeping-through-the-night marathon is still going strong.  I haven't woken once between bed time and morning in at least 5 months now.

10 Months

I'm not crawling, but I know how to scoot on my bottom to get closer to something.  I'm interested in standing, but this is a lot of weight to pull up, so I'm still working on it.  I love to drum on anything and everything, I love rolling and throwing balls, and I love using my pointer finger to touch things.  Wagon rides with my family after dinner are the BEST.  I'm still an inconsistent napper (apparently it runs in the family) but I have been sleeping 11+ hours at night for at least 4 months straight.  I like to eat peanut butter sandwiches, frozen peas, cheese, apples, yogurt, and meatloaf.

9 Months

I've totally blossomed this month, if I do say so myself.  I'm waving, high fiving, and throwing my hands up to signal "touch down!"  Just in time for football season.  I'm playful and ticklish and still very cuddly.  I've started to squeal and make raspberries, and I say "mamamamama" when I'm sad or protesting .  I've got my first tooth, bottom left, and bottom right seems to be well on its way.  I'm a little feistier than I once was, sometimes fussing at mama and pushing her hands away.  I'm still an unpredictable napper, but an excellent night-time sleeper.  Mama and I haven't had a night-time rendezvous in several months now.  She's hoping I didn't just jinx us....  At bedtime, mama lays me down and sings to me while I roll around and yawn and rub my eyes.  At some point I rub my eyes or nuzzle into my lovey and when I open them again she's gone.  It doesn't matter though, because I'm tired and happy in my crib.  I just chirp a little to myself, and before I know it I'm snoozing.  I'm comfortably wearing 12 month clothes, but we won't know exactly how big I am until my doctor appointment next week.  All mama knows is that I'm heavy for her to carry!

8 Months

Mama couldn't carry me around in the infant car-seat any longer so I've graduated to the convertible.   I'm in the middle of the car right next to my sister.  She takes my toys from me sometimes, but other times she sings me lullabies while I snooze.   I'm pretty excited to have her around.  She often runs into my room and peeks into my crib when I wake up and says, "Bennett!  Audrey sister!"  Yes, she's a great sister.  My favorite place to be is still on mama, so she recently made a wrap that lets me to ride on her back.  The world looks great from back there.  I have a new trick that I do at the dinner table.  Mama calls it my "hand jive."  I can tell daddy is proud of me when I do it, and that makes me smile and do it more.  I've also started waving.  Everyone loves baby tricks!

I can tell mama knows that in a few short months I'll go from cuddly baby to independent pre-toddler and that it'll happen in a flash.  We're both cherishing this time together and anticipating the future.

Last thing to add... I'm really over laying on my back so these are the happiest pictures mama could get before letting me sit back up.