Little Birdie

I signed B up for a trial class at The Little Gym of Belmont today and we had a blast! He's in the "Little Birdies" class which ranges 10 - 18 months. I was worried about a 1:15pm class but since he's not napping right on schedule these days, I thought why not. It was wonderful to watch Bennett in another class setting. He is so out-going, participates in every activity and smiles and interacts with all the kids. The teacher complimented Bennett on his motor planning, perceptual motor skills, strength and balance.

On the Move

Here's a video I took of our little man on the loose today. :)

Fun Pics from the Weekend

B hanging with his girlfriend, Annalia on Friday.

B loves to play with my makeup when I get ready.

Dee came over on Saturday and watched B for us while we ran errands for 3 hours! It's amazing how much you can accomplish when you don't have a little one in tow. We headed out to the ocean for dinner at Sam's in Half Moon Bay that night and had a blast.

View from our table.

My friend Sara came over on Sunday to play with us since Justin was gone all day. We had so much fun!

We've Been Hit

We've been hit, and I mean hit HARD, by separation anxiety this past week. I feel like it came out of nowhere! This has been a really challenging week for me learning how to cope/deal with this and keep both Bennett and myself HAPPY. I NEVER like to see my little guy upset but I also realize that I can't be holding him or right next to him every second of every day, it's just not realistic. It started with me walking out of the room or trying to put him down so I could use the bathroom etc. and he would try to pull himself up on my legs and just scream. I have never seen him act like this before. I was always so proud of my independent guy who I could take anywhere and leave with anyone. He's also not napping well (only wants to sleep on me) so that hasn't been working out too well either. I worked out 3 times this week (the most ever in 10 months - sad, I know) and each time I left him in the daycare (he was the only child) he screamed the entire hour. I felt so guilty, but I need to workout not just for my physical well being, but for my emotional too. Can't mommies just get a one hour break during the day? :) Anyway, I'm not complaining......I just want to blog about these challenging times so I can look back and reflect. I love Bennett more than anything and just want him to be happy and feel safe and secure when I'm away. Any of you great mommies out there have any advice for me?

Weekend in Tahoe

We enjoyed another fun, relaxing weekend in Tahoe with the Simons. I love going up there in the summertime! Thank you Michelle and Jules!

Commons Beach on Lake Tahoe

Bennett wanted to be out with the guys while they were working in the backyard Saturday morning.

Who wants to do labor? HA! So Grandma, Dee and I took B to the park for some fun in the sun.

Our happy guy

B was so serious and didn't even crack a smile while going down the slide with Auntie Dee! We'll have to work on that. :)

He loved peeping through the holes on the side of the tunnel.

Drinks on the beach before dinner

Auntie and Little B

Bennett crawled off the blankets pretty far and stopped to play with the sand and rocks.

9 1/2 Months

Weight: 20lbs 12 oz (50%)
Height: 30 1/4 inches (95%)
Head: 18 inches (75%)

Bennett has truly amazed me over the past few weeks, both physically and mentally. All of a sudden he has turned into such a big boy and is motoring around so much more. He now crawls on all fours, pulls himself up into the standing position, and can walk around a coffee table. Over the past two days he has tried letting go and standing on his own, only to fall on his little toosh after a few seconds. He gets pretty frustrated when that happens but pulls himself right back up into the standing position again. B is constantly smiling, loves to clap his hands and is now giving high fives. I cannot believe how much more he is doing since our trip home just one week ago (maybe it was all the exposure to the older kids?). Bennett is pretty vocal most of the time and demands attention when he has something to say. He likes to talk with his hands and says hi, dada, and papa. No mama yet though - where's the love? :) He celebrated his 9 month birthday with his two top front teeth coming in and a double ear infection. No fun! Bennett is still proving to be a pretty good sleeper. He sleeps through the night, taking his big nap in the morning (usually 2-2.5 hours) and about a 30 minute - 1 hour nap in the afternoon. I'm wondering if/when his naps will flip? Eating still continues to be a challenge for us. Sometimes he'll eat really well and others not, something our pediatrician assures me not to worry about. He will feed himself crackers, pieces of fruit and take a sip of water but I think he likes to chew on the cup more than drink out of it! He eats about 200-250 calories of solids per day and about 25 ounces of formula a day. I stopped breastfeeding when he was 8 months and am proud of myself for lasting that long. Unfortunately, breastfeeding was always a challenge for me but I do miss that time that Bennett and I shared together. Bennett is such a blessing in our lives and I don't mean to gush, but I feel such an incredible bond with him. He's my little angel and I am so excited to watch him continue to grow and discover new things.

Fourth of July

We headed up to Tahoe for our annual Fourth of July trip with the Simons and what a fantastic weekend we had! Julie, Ryan and Annalia joined us which was a fun treat. We didn't see any fireworks on the lake this year due to the kids' bedtime schedules, but look forward to them next year.

At the Murray's BBQ

Bennett and Annalia. She wasn't feeling picture time. :(

Right after I snapped this shot, B put his arm around Annalia to comfort her. He is such a sweetheart!

Bath time in Grandma's kitchen sink at the cabin. It's much easier than the tub!

Grandma and B had so much fun together during bath time.

We stopped by to see Justin's Grandma on our way home. I thought this was a cute picture of these three.

B tried to pull himself up using Grandma's wheel. He soon learned it wasn't that easy.

Social Butterflies

Sometimes I amaze myself at how much I pack in while I'm home, but there is nothing more I love than catching up with family and dear friends. There was not one day that we didn't have multiple gatherings to attend. Bennett enjoyed all the action and I think I may have created a mini version of myself on the social curcuit. :) This is going to be a looong posting, so I apologize, but I wanted to capture all the moments of our wonderful trip home. Definitely one to remember.

Mom's 60th Birthday Dinner on June 26th. Happy Birthday Mom!! We love you SO much!

So nice to have an adult night on the town to celebrate my incredible mama minus the kiddo. We hired our first paid babysitter (a good family friend).

Mom and Golden Boy



Baby Elie arrived on June 26th, what a special day. I was so happy I was in town to meet her! She is so sweet.


Out for a morning stroll.

Helping Papa water.

At Grandma's on Sunday, Carter ran up and jumped into Justin's arms to give him a big hug. They have such a special bond.

The cute cousins

Justin and his two favorite guys

Uncle Kyle adores his Godson Grandma was on feeding duty, diaper duty, bathtime duty, bedtime duty....you name it....she did it. THANK YOU mom for a much needed and appreciated break. :)

Auntie Katie and B during lunch at Peg's

We celebrated Kennedy's 1st Birthday a week early since we'll miss her party. So sad to miss it, but what a treat to watch her open her gifts in person.Bennett showing Kennedy her card.

Her new baby doll from cousin Bennett.

My friend Meagan drove down from Olympia for our GU girls dinner and then came over to meet B for the first time. He pulled everything out of her purse and chewed on it too.