Sharing the Same Space

Benjamin is now spending more time on the floor as he starts moving around and starting the first signs of crawling. This means that Baby is now all in Pellet and Cali's business. For the most part Pellet and Cali handle it well... they each have their own pet peeves. For example, Pellet doesn't like for Benjamin to touch his feet. Cali, can't let Benjamin sit on the floor with out her sneaking at least one lick.

These are pictures from the other day as we were spending time on the floor and learning to share the space.

Cali finally laid down after making several rounds and sniffing and licking baby a few times.

For the most part, Pellet doesn't care.

The time is close... full crawling position is already being sighted.

Exactly to the Year

Today, exactly a year ago, we took these pictures to announce that Baby Aldredge was going to be a boy!

Today, we celebrated Thanksgiving as a family of 3 for the very first time. This little guy has brought so much (not just joy, but so much of everything) into our lives. We will be forever thankful to our Lord for blessing us with being his parents.

Who Does That?

Both yesterday and today, Benjamin has decided to go to the bathroom as we start his dinner. Yesterday we had to stop so he could "finish", then we changed the diaper and came back to eating. Today was a bit different. 

I should have caught on when it didn't take him as long to "finish", so I didn't think that he had gone to the bathroom. After a little while of him acting very weird, I figured I'd lift the table from his seat to smell him. I didn't have to smell him, I saw it. So I quickly took him to the changing table and called Norm to help me on my way - this was going to require a bath. 

This was my view when I laid him down. Who does that? How do you overflow your diaper like this? 

His face should have been a warning that poop was going to take over and reign for a bit. 

I unbuttoned the onsie to find out that underneath those two circles was a nice thick layer of poop. There was no way on earth that I was going to get that shirt over his head without involving poop going in his eyes and mouth. So, just like at the operating room, I called "scissors!" Norm took off running to the kitchen (because in the midst of all this, Benjamin was moving and grabbing his legs and trying to roll around). Norm quickly came back with the scissors and we cut the shirt. Yes, we cut the shirt. Straight down the middle - good thing it was already on the small side. Then I carefully took it off one arm at a time. 

Now we had a baby with a nasty butt. Norm had already drawn the bath but there was no way on earth I could put him in a tub of water that was going to quickly become a tub of poop (there was so much poop all over his areas). So we went to the bathroom and I grabbed him by his armpits as Norm poured water on him to wash off the obnoxious amounts of poop. Benjamin was having a blast! He was doing his little happy dance floating up in the air and laughing. 

Finally we got the situation under control to where I could continue on with a normal bath.

Only to get back to the changing table and find poop had managed to fling onto the wall. Good thing we got that washable paint for the nursery! 

After all this adventure was over and Benjamin was finally in his PJ's, we went back to his chair to finish dinner. I am pretty sure he was traumatized because he wouldn't eat. He actually managed to get the (quite violent) hiccups. Perhaps this adventure made him tired because we went back to his room, put his wearable blanket on and he was out by the time we finished our prayers. 

The Baby Food

Why is baby food so tasty? I have no idea... it has no salt, it has no seasoning and it is either steamed or blanched. It is straight up chicken and sweet potato. Pureed. Frozen in ice cubes. Thawed. Mixed together. I don't know what it is about it, but I do know that when I fix chicken and sweet potatoes, adult style, is #1. so much more labor intensive and #2. not as tasty as when I make it for Baby.

Even peas! I don't like peas, but when I mix Benjamin's peas with yellow potatoes and chicken, they are delicious.

I remember feeding Juan Ma many years ago when he was about Benjamin's age - I actually looked forward to feeding time so I could eat whatever he didn't. Now I find myself in the same boat when I feed Benjamin... scraping his little bowl clean.

Month 7

Here we go again! One more month down. So much has happened this last month! But first, NEWS FLASH: Benjamin's first tiny tooth debuted yesterday morning! It is one of the bottom teeth and currently just a tiny little (sharp) bump!

Ok, back to the beginning. This month started rough with the croup which apparently is super a super contagious (nasty sounding) cough and normal in infants in daycare... it was followed by a throwing up fit which weakened him significantly and we ended up in the urgent care. After that he went through a week that he didn't want to eat anything but fruit and yogurt. So we tricked him and started mixing the fruit with the veggies (and by now with the chicken) to get him to eat it. I sure hope he does not turn out to be a picky eater like Norm... oh my head goes crazy just thinking about it.

Now that all that is out of the way, we can tell all about how he now sits without support and is super mobile. He doesn't crawl yet - although we have caught him a couple of times holding himself up on his hands and knees - but he sure manages to reach for everything and can be across the room in the blink of an eye.

He holds his bottle pretty much each time. He has mastered the sign for "milk" and the minute you sign it (or the minute he sees a bottle) he does his happy dance.

He has also discovered his hair. He spends good bits of time grabbing it and pulling it.

He is now a pro at falling asleep by himself. Most of the nights, after the nightly routine of milk, food, bath, and prayers, he is asleep within 10 minutes of getting put down in his crib and he sleeps solid until at least 5:00am. Naps are a different story - some naps require rocking, others require patting on the booty and others require nothing.

This month to come will bring exciting things like a visit from Mimi and Bobby, as well as his first Thanksgiving (already bought the outfit, pajamas and bib(s)). And more family visits through Thanksgiving weekend.