Oh My Goodness Friends!
Where does 7 months go?
It's been nagging at my mom for awhile now that she needs to get on here and tell you all how I am doing, but it took running into a friend at Home Depot tonight for her to TAKE THE TIME to sit down and write this update. (She wants me to tell you that she is SINCERELY sorry that she hasn't been more diligent at this.)
So...here is what is going on it "Benjaminland" - Physically, Developmentally & Spiritually.
PHYSICALLY:
I am now TWO years old! December 4th came and I had so much fun digging in my cake! I have decided that I LOVE CAKE!
I weigh about 21 pounds. I have gone up to as much as 22 pounds, but I have gotten sick a few times during the last few months and I just seem lose weight and then it's hard for me to regain it again. (My mom often offers to "cut" a few inches off her "reserves" for me. She's so kind, isn't she?)
I am getting very TALL. I grew so long that my parents had to get me a new car seat. The infant car seat I was in wasn't safe anymore because I am longer now, so I have a new seat and I really like it. I can sit more "upright" - but when I get tired, then the seat is able to support me without completely laying down. My mom wants to "invent" a stroller that the seat can clip into though because my new car seat "stays" in the car but since I can't sit-up on my own yet, it's hard for my mom to go shopping with me because she has to "hold" me in the store while she shops because I can't "sit" in the cart. Another challenge is when we go out to dinner, they have to hold me on their lap since my car seat isn't one that "travels" around like my infant seat and all of the high chairs don't have any "support" in the back. I would just FLOP over and KONK my head.
Overall it was a great move for me, even though it has presented a few "new" challenges for my family - but they are happy because I am happy when riding in the car now.
We are working on my fine motor skills. When I pick something up, I still use my whole hand, so I make the GREATEST messes while I am eating. My family loves it!
Speaking of eating..here is the schedule. I am still "tube fed" at night, but in the day, I drink Pedisure through my bottle. I also eat baby food and anything else my parents can moosh up for me. It has to be the right consistency or else I gag and have a hard time getting it "down the hatch."
I had a tooth that turned "black" so they had to perform oral surgery on me and extract the tooth. While they were in there, they had to do 2 root canals and cap all my front teeth. My dentist says it is because of the formula that I drink. Since I have a hard time swallowing, it takes me all day long to drink about 8 ounces of formula and this sitting on my teeth was rotting them. They wanted my mom to go back to 90% tube feeding, but my mom just couldn't do this. I have worked so hard to be able to eat through a bottle and to take that away seems like it would be going backwards. But...eating this way is also causing a new problem because my teeth are rotting. Sometimes my mom feels like it is a vicious cycle and she just has to do the best she can and trust the outcome will be just fine.
I LOVE to be on my stomach and for those of you who know me, know that this is a HUGE change. I have a large mirror on the floor that is against the wall and I can watch myself in the mirror for a very long time. The newest thing I have learned is how to make the "kissing" sound. I love to sit and "kiss" the person in the mirror (myself.) Someone will make that sound at me and then I will make it back and I love it because then I get kissed. (Kissing is one of my very most favorite things to do - besides touching (more like PULLING) my mom's hair. If I get upset, this is what will calm me down. I love hair. I love to put hair on my face. I love to suck hair. I love to massage hair too. I try to touch my sister's hair, but she doesn't like it very much. Neither does my doggie, Sam. What's wrong with this picture? I'm not sure "why" they don't like me pulling their hair????....)
I am using my arms more and pushing myself "up" while I am on my stomach. This is a HUGE improvement too! I also will get one knee kind of bent, so it looks like I want to "crawl" but I have found the I can "scoot" and that is easier. My most favorite exercise is ROLLING. I roll everywhere and nothing is off limits. My mom turns around for a minute and I am into everything. It's great!
I still LOVE to arch backwards...that is my all time FAVORITE position. BUT...I am liking more and more being up against my parents shoulder. I still prefer to be forward because I always want to "see" what is going on.
My neck is getting stronger. I still cannot sit unless someone is helping me, but I am definitely stronger than I was in my last update.
My legs are also getting stronger. For a few seconds, I can stand up against something if someone helps to balance me.
Sheesh...This "balancing" thing is a tough one....WHO knew?
With occasional tylenol or ibuprofen, I am still OFF all medications! Yeah!!
HOW OLD IS YOUR BABY? This has become a fun "game" to my family. When someone asks this question, my parents answer "well...how old do you think he is?" Most people automatically say: 8 months. My parents laugh and say "you're close. He's two!" It's always a great conversation starter!
I sleep pretty good every night too. As long as I have my "ocean waves" going I am off in dream world. My parents are so grateful for this!
Since I am such a loud breather, my mom had a hard time blocking me out so she could sleep (as I am in their room) so the ocean waves make all the difference for us all.
DEVELOPMENTALLY:
Everything still goes in my mouth. (My dad has a strange habit of "smelling" everything and I have a strange habit of "eating" everything.)
I love to bite and I love to touch hair. I love to touch faces. I am soothed by "sensory" things.
I have just learned how to "wave." It takes me a little while to get my hand "up" and then move my wrist "back" and "forth," but I can do it. (You should hear my parents when I do. They love it!)
I still make a "growling" sound to communicate, but I have added a new sound to my vocabulary: ahh.
If you say it to me, I will say it back to you.
I like to bang things around and we are working on placing blocks "in" and taking them "out." I get a little distracted because I HAVE to eat them.
I have several kind people from The Learning Center that come over to see me. My mom loves it because I am much more interactive with them then I have ever been. One of the ladies did tell my mom that they could only come to my house until I was 3 years old and then after that I would need to come "into" their location for continued services. The woman said that they could send a "bus" for me. My mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the thought of sending ME on a bus since I still look like an 8 month old BABY! She couldn't imagine herself standing at the curb and "waving" goodbye to her me as I go off to kindermusic. Thank goodness she doesn't have to worry about this for another year.
I am very happy 99.9% of the time. I still don't like to be left alone and I am thankful that my mom and dad work from home so I can be with them all day long. They've gotten pretty good at staggering their schedules so I rarely am not with them or my "babysitters" (Zachary & M'Kayla.) Yes. My brother and sister have really stepped up and learned everything they can about me and sometimes they will watch me if my mom or dad needs to run somewhere. It works out great because I love to be around them and them and they love to KISS ME!
SPIRITUALLY
My parents still refer to me as their little angel baby.
They say that they look into my eyes and see a piece of heaven right here in their own home - I arrived to make them into the people that they were supposed to be. My mom often reflects on how her life has never been the same since I arrived. She used to "believe" that there are no accidents and now after living with me for two years, she "knows" - beyond a shadow of a doubt that this fact is true. These past two years have been an amazing opportunity of growth for my whole family and we are truly blessed.
I love you so much my sweet friends and I thank you for your continued love and support.
Thank you for continuing on this amazing journey with me.
With All My Love,
Benjamin
a.k.a.: BB; Biebers; The B-Man; Biebster; Benj
(My family has all kinds of names for me)
