Baby Ben

Can someone please tell me when this happened?

My little baby is all grown up!  I was rocking him to sleep the other night, which only happens when he is sick, and it hit me.  He’s not my baby anymore!  The mouth full of teeth, the running around, and talking all should have clued me in earlier, but I guess I have been in denial.   Here’s the latest.

He went in for his 18 month checkup yesterday.  He’s 27 lbs and 33” tall.  He seems really big for his age to me,but he’s in about the 70th percentile for both, so he’s not huge.  He is a healthy boy though!  I swear, all he does is eat.  As soon as he is buckled into the car he starts asking for snacks.  He runs to his chair anytime you ask if he wants food.  Some days it really feels like all he does is eat.  And make mischief.    He is my most mischievous child by far.  He loves to get into anything he’s not supposed to.   Then he will run by me with the evidence to see if he gets a reaction.  He loves to tease too.  He’ll steal my phone and when I ask for it back he backs away with a grin, saying nooooo.

He’s becoming quite the talker – his favorite words are book, bye, yah, no, snack, milk, mom, look (gook), Samantha, Carter, excuse me, and cracker.  He’s picking up on a lot more each day. 

He loves to throw things,  and always has.  He absolutely loves to play catch, and it doesn’t have to be with a ball.  He’ll throw clothes, food, toys, shoes, pretty much anything he can pick up. 

He gets sooooo excited to see Mike or I when we have been apart -  when I pick him up from Kid Care at work, nursery at church, or when one of us gets home.  When he hears Mike open the door after work he starts kicking his feet and shaking his high chair (we’re usually eating dinner).  He runs to him and gives him a huge leg hug.  It’s the same thing anytime he greets us.  We get a huge “HI!”  and some serious excitement.  I know it won’t last so I am thoroughly enjoying it. 

He’s tough.  He fell down the stairs to the basement the other day, landing on the concrete floor at the bottom. He cried for maybe 3 minutes and then was fine.  He was more upset at being held down yesterday at the doctor’s office than he was with the shots.  Usually you can ask him if he’s ok when he’s crying and he will say “yah” and stop crying. 

He’s also getting into the temper tantrum stage, which I am not enjoying so thoroughly, but we’ll get through it.   He’s such a fun, happy kid! 

Now I just have to get my hands on another baby.