'Yummy, yummy, yummy', 'bay-beeee', 'bye-bye', 'nigh - nigh', 'car', 'tubby, tubby, tubby'....these are a few of Ben's favorite words and phrases right now. We officially have a talker! I had been listening to my friends talk about their daughters (close to Ben's age), boasting about all of the talking she was doing and wondering...when will Ben start talking?? Yes, I know,little boys and little girls develop differently, at different paces and in different ways. Little girls develop verbal skills earlier, while little boys develop motor skills earlier. But it was hard not to be overly anxious waiting for Ben's jibber jabber to turn into words we can understand! About 2 1/2 weeks ago he suddenly started saying clear words and phrases and I have to say, this is one of the coolest milestones yet!
Ben has also started to show a big interest in reading. He frequently picks up one of his favorite books and brings it to Eddie or myself to read. He loves to crawl up on our laps and turn the pages while one of us reads to him (sometimes he turns a little too fast:). Interactive books and books with colorful illustrations are his favorite. But I really believe the interaction of cuddling up on Mommy or Daddy's lap is just as important (at least it is to us:).
MOLARS
Ben finally has more than 6 teeth! In fact, his number of teeth have almost doubled! Over Fourth of July weekend Ben's cousins Avery and Maddison, and his uncle Eric were visiting, and Avery who's 4, was doing a close examination of Ben's mouth when she said "hey Cassie - Ben has mo' teef coming in, I think I see some white on his gums" - she's so smart! So I then took a look and sure enough, his little gums were very swollen and the little molars seemed to be popping up everywhere. Most of them have now broken through and he's doing surprising well. He's only fussed about his teeth a few times, better than I expected.
Also, Ben has established his reputation as a tough boy. When Eddie took him in for his 15 month check-up in June, Ben had a vaccination shot and was also scheduled for blood work. His pediatrician recommended we have his finger pricked and squeezed to draw enough blood to make sure everything was normal (standard test at this age). When Eddie called me after the appointment I was shocked to hear him say "Benny didn't cry at all! He whined a little bit because we were holding him down for the blood work but he never shed a tear." OK, this is great but seriously unfair. Every time I've taken Ben for an appointment requiring shots it's like I'm holding my son down while he's being tortured. He screams, his face turns dark red, tears flooding and he looks at me with a look that says "Mommy why are you letting them do this to me?!" He was showing off for Daddy I guess, but either way it was a good thing. He's now in the 85th percentile in his height (32 inches), and 19th percentile in his weight (22 lbs). Tall and skinny like Daddy:) The doctor said he's developmentally at the age of an 18 month old, so that also made us very proud! We're very thankful to have such a healthy, happy baby. Hope everyone has enjoyed the update. Check back soon for more updates!
