My Benjamin is 7 months old today! It's so hard to believe that he's more than half way finished with his crazy "first year" of life. I know so many fun "firsts" are just around the corner for him, and I look forward to enjoying them. Here's what we see with Ben lately: Eating: He's on 3 meals a day: An 8 oz bottle at 8 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6 p.m, and he follows the bottle with at least a 1/2 cup of solid foods - he has homemade rice cereal with apples or bananas for added flavor, at least a 1/4 of a cup of fruit and 1/4 cup of vegetable for lunch (Usually, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, apples or bananas), and then either eggs (his favorite) or chicken (his very least favorite) for dinner with another helping of vegetables. He enjoys working on putting "puffs" in his mouth but can't quite make it. His sister is VERY willing to help him out (and then sneak a few handfuls herself). We are also working on getting him to drink from a sippy cup, like Kayleigh we're starting with a straw cup and will move him to the other sippy later. So far, he can get it out of the cup but can't quite keep it in his mouth.

Sleeping: Ben's sleeping schedule hasn't changed much since his 6 month, except that he almost never takes a 3rd nap now. So, he naps about 1.5-2 hours around 10 and then 2-2.5 hours around 2 or 2:30. I've bumped Kayleigh back an hour (selfishly) so that they can still nap at the same time. It makes for a long crazy morning, but errands are a LITTLE more possible now that we moved the nap back a smidge. Ben still goes to bed around 7:30 (and not much later or he'll let you know just how unhappy he can get), and while I'm certain he wakes around 6:45, for Mommy's sanity, he stays in bed until 7:30 at the earliest.

Growth: Benjamin is proving to be intensely social. He loves smiling at people (mostly girls) and causing the giggle factor to erupt. He loves "kisses" (where he pulls your by the ears, cheeks, hair or face straight to his forward and attempts to swallow your lips). I am fortunate enough to get them every morning when I get him out of bed. He is dissatisified until I've planted a few on each cheek and his forehead, then he will cease training to swallow my face. He also LOVES people watching. I can take him to plenty of "busy" places and he will never make a peep. He's either taking it all in or figuring out how to make people smile. He always distracts people in the grocery store or bank lines. Pretty much anywhere we have to wait I can count on him getting someone to make a fool of themselves. (I think it's his dimple). Ben also likes to MOVE ... At the point as soon as you lay him down he rolls to one side to find something to put in his mouth or bang on the floor. He enjoys sitting, but only if he's virtually covered in toys. Otherwise, he'd rather lay flat so he can roll around and try to explore new things (like the Christmas tree).

Goal areas: Work on strengthening those abs/shoulders for crawling (Mommy cries at a little at the idea of MORE mobility), continue to improve balance when sitting up, thicken up the solid foods, and work on feedings self puffs and drinking from the sippy.

And ... here's the 7 month picture comparison :)

[caption id="attachment_932" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Kayleigh Elaine, 7 months: June of 2009"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_933" align="alignright" width="224" caption="Benjamin Steven, 7 months: December 2010"][/caption]