7 Months Old

Today Ben is 7 months old!!  I know it is cliche to say that time flies, but it is so true!  It really feels as though just yesterday we were learning we were going to have a baby, and now we have this little person to love.  I look at him sometimes and wonder where that tiny little guy I brought home from the hospital is.  Yet while it feels like he just got here, I also can't imagine life without him!  How did I go so long without his smiling face?  How did I survive without feeling this amazing love for him?

He is doing wonderfully.  He is meeting all of his milestones.  So far he has 1 tooth, but a second is fast on the way.  He is sitting up like a champ.  He isn't crawling or scooting yet, but you can tell he is working out how to move around.  You can see that brain working!  I know every mother says it, but Ben is so smart!  You can just tell.  He responds to his name, full and nickname.  He can look for Mommy, Daddy, Dagger, Meo, and Omi.  (Gramma and Grampa are harder since we sadly don't see them as much.)  He is so observant.  Everywhere we go that head is turning every which way as he checks everything out.  He loves to giggle and smile.  I find myself doing some of the silliest things just to get that great giggle out of him.

Every day I delight in Ben.  Every day I am so thankful I was blessed to have him as my son.  So happy 7 months to Ben!  It's been the best time, and I know it will just get better!!

Chewing on things is a big part of playtime.

Reading is fun!

Camera again, Mommy?

Back to my book.

I love this little man!!!

-Kim

First Tooth!

I want to try to keep events in chronological order.  But this past week got busy with anniversary happenings.  This is actually a post I wrote over a week ago.  I was hoping to get a picture of Ben's tooth, but for some reason he doesn't like me prying into his mouth.  Crazy, right?  ;)  He is quickly getting his second tooth, so here is the story of the first.

March 12
I have thought Ben has been teething for some time.  He is a drool machine.  I know, all babies drool.  But wow, the kid can soak through almost 3 bibs in a day!  He loves to chew on everything.  Anything he touches he tries to get into his mouth.  These are big signs of teething.  But they are also just big signs of being a baby.  A little over a month ago Ben had a rough couple of weeks.  Most of the time he was fine.  But he would go through periods of just being extremely fussy.  He was on and off crying, and would not let me put him down.  He was clingy and just very unhappy.

Now I know, this just can describe any baby at really any time.  But it is so not Ben.  He is generally a very happy, easy to care for little guy.  Pat and I are so lucky with him.  He is actually very independent, which is kind of strange to say about a baby.  It is the truth though.  He will sit and or lie on his play mat and play with his toys by himself.  He has never been a baby to fall asleep in someone's arms.  (I know it's a good thing he likes to sleep in his crib, but every so often I wish he would sleep in my arms!  But he hasn't since he was a few weeks old.)  In fact from a few weeks old when we would put him down to bed he would start to push away from me and lean towards his crib.  He likes to do things on his own, and likes doing his own thing.  We don't leave him unattended or anything.  I mean, he is only 6 months old.  We play with him a lot.  But he is quite content playing with his toys with Pat and I nearby.  This is great when Ben and I are at work.  Moral of the story, Ben is not a clingy baby.  So these clingy days were very out of the ordinary for Ben.  Just ask Meo and Omi.  I though we were going to have to leave work early a few times.  It got that bad!

Of course after those days of rough waters, Ben got right back to normal.  Except for the drooling and chewing on everything.  The drooling has only slowed up because Ben has gotten super into his pacifier.  It plugs up the flow.  :)  After his rough weeks I kept checking his gums.  His bottom gums had teeny tiny white spots on them.   Pat didn't think there was anything there, but I know there was.  After some time, I kind of stopped checking.  I run my finger through his mouth every so often to get him used to it for future teeth brushing.  But strangely enough, Ben doesn't like when I try to see into his mouth and put my fingers in it.  Shocker, right? ;)

Well it was bath night, so I was checking his mouth.  And sure enough, there is a tiny tooth!!!  It is his bottom right front tooth.  It is just barely peeking out over the gum line, but it is there.   Pat even saw it!  I thought about taking a picture.  But it is hard to get him to open his mouth to see it.  I am trying to teach him to open his mouth and say aahhh for me.  Besides being able to check out his teeth and general oral health, it makes it easier to see if he has finished all his food.  Those cheeks can store a lot! ;)  So far it is not working.  I open my mouth and say aahhh at him to show him, and, well, he just laughs at me.  I guess it is pretty funny.

So another first checked off the list.  This is going too fast!  I know every parents says that, but it is so true.  I can't believe my little baby already has a tooth.  He's already eating solids.  He's sitting up on his own.  He'll be crawling before we know it.  Sigh, my baby is growing up too fast!

Okay, enough whining about how fast Ben is growing.  He is still my little baby.  But now he is my little baby with a tooth!!

-Kim

Baby Giggles

There is nothing better in the world than baby giggles.  My personal favorite are of course Ben's giggles.  I am so happy I was able to catch some on tape!!

Ben Giggling

I posted this on facebook too, but it was too good not to post here as well.  I love my boy!

-Kim

Thankful Thursday: Meo and Omi

Our anniversary weekend was so much fun.  It was made possible by my wonderful parents.  This week I am thankful for my parents, Ben's Meo and Omi.  They were so happy to take Ben for a night to give Pat and I a chance to get away.  They cleared their schedules and really focused on taking care of my son.

Meo and Omi are so helpful with Ben.  I work for Omi, and Meo has her office there too.  So we see a lot of each other.  Let's be honest, that could be tough.  Not with Meo and Omi.  They make it so nice for Ben and I to work with them every day.  Ben gets the benefit of seeing his grandparents practically every day.  (Sadly he doesn't get to see Pat's parents as much.  They live to far away. :( )  I love that the three of them can be so close.  It is so helpful for me to have Meo and Omi there as well.  I can ask them questions, get their opinions on something going on with Ben.  And I have people to hold Ben for a minute so I can use the bathroom alone.  Every mom needs that.  ;) It is wonderful to have people so excited to see your son every day.  They take delight in him.  It is also super helpful to have an understanding boss.  Ben always comes first, no questions asked.  If he isn't feeling well, or is just having an off day, it is understood that I will take care of his needs first.  Am I a lucky employee or what!

Besides just being great grandparents, Meo and Omi have been great parents.  They are and have always been so supportive.  They cheered me on with everything I have done.  They were always in my corner.  They were the parents at every single activity my brother and I had.  And I know they will be there to cheer Ben on through every thing he does as well.

So thank you for being my parents, and Ben's grandparents, Meo and Omi.  We both love you so much.

Buddies for life!

Already the best of friends

-Kim

March Madness!

Oh yes, it is that wonderful time of year, NCAA tournament basketball!!  Every year Team Cartwright gets Meo and Omi to participate in a March Madness pool.  The stakes are low, it's only a dollar a person.  I like to have a bet so people try hard, but I am not a big gambler.  One dollar is plenty to put on the line for me!  We also have Dagger and Meo and Omi's cat, Priscilla, participate.  Cats don't have a lot of money, so the cats get sponsored by someone else in the family.  This year we have our newest teammate giving it a go as well.  Ben's first March Madness!

Meo is sponsoring Priscilla this year.  Last year Pat helped Dagger make her picks.  This year we flipped a coin to see whom would get to sponsor whom.  Pat got Ben, so the boys will be taking on the girls.  Dagger and I have the distinct advantage of not really know what we are doing.  I planned to follow the rules set up by Pat last year, when he made Dagger's picks.  "Rule #1: If the team has a cat mascot, they advance (good for Arizona, Pitt, Memphis and the almighty Pacific Tigers). Rule #2: If the mascot is a dog, they lose (Sorry to Harvard, Gonzaga, Butler, Georgetown, etc). Rule #3: Teams with small birds and rodentia advance. Go Cardinals, Gophers, etc. Rule #4: Predatory Birds are out. Too scary. You're out, Hawks, Owls, Eagles, etc. Rule #5: Weather phenomena, also out. No Cyclones, no Hurricanes. Rule #6: If there is a cat/bird or cat/rodent matchup, the cat always wins. Rule #7: If there is a matchup of similar teams, i.e. cat/cat or bird/bird, always pick chalk."  I tried to follow this.  But honestly I find the faster the better for this type of thing.  If I couldn't easily find out the teams mascot, I just made a pick.  I also know Pat explained to me what "pick chalk" means last year, but I can't be bothered to remember that.  :)


Besides the family pool, Pat and I also have a "Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner" bet.  This bet is just him and me, head to head.  The loser has to buy the winner a chicken dinner.  This year we are just using the same brackets to keep things simple.  I don't remember how we stack up exactly, but I know we have both won in the past.  I am hoping to win again this year!

I am commissioner of the Team Cartwright March Madness pool and Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner Bet.  So the next few weeks I will be very busy tallying up points and keeping track of games.  Every year there is a chance someone could lose to not just one, but two cats.  This year people could lose to a baby.  I'm hoping it isn't me.

Pat making picks.

Dagger is very into her bracket.

Ben and Daddy looking over the choices.

Already a sports fan.

-Kim

Anniversary Adventures Part III

Now for the final installment of our anniversary.  While Pat and I were living it up, Ben got to have his first night away from us with Meo and Omi!!

Ben and I went to Meo and Omi's before his second nap on Saturday.  We had lunch and got all his stuff situated.  I still don't full understand how such a tiny person can have so much stuff!  Seriously, my parent's nice, neat living room was completely full of baby stuff.  A bouncer, his eating chair, toys, a mobile, blankets, diapers, wipes.  The list goes on.  Of course I over packed for him.  But that's what I do.  I wanted to make sure Ben had everything he needed!  I think it is better to be have things you don't need than be lacking when dealing with a baby.

Along with packing too many things, I also had typed out about four pages of Ben's schedule and instructions.  I am so lucky that my mom is a lot like me in feeling the need to over prepare and give a ton of information that might not be needed.  She didn't seem to mind my need to explain everything about Ben's life over and over.  Again, she has raised two kids, so she knows what she is doing.  But I felt a lot better giving all the information.  So thank you, Mom!

After Pat and I left, Ben's day proceeded pretty much as normal.  He had play time, more milk, and more play time.  He even took a short third nap!  Woot!  My parents had some family friends over for the evening, so Ben got have a nice Saturday night too!  Ben charmed them of course.  We are so lucky he is such a great kid.

Since I sadly wasn't actually with Ben, I don't have a full play by play of his time.  But luckily Meo sent me a bunch of pictures of him having fun!  Pat and I are so thankful to Meo and Omi for taking such good care of Ben.  It was wonderful to be able to get away and relax.  It was a really great weekend.  And the best part was being back together with my wonderful family.  Great anniversary, Team Cartwright!

Here are some pictures of Ben's weekend.  (Meo took them all, so sadly she isn't in any of them.  There are plenty of Omi though!!)

Go ahead, Mommy.  I'm good here!

Omi time!

No pants time is always the best.

Feeling pretty comfortable here.

Have to stay hydrated!

Just one of the guys

Modeling the jammies

Good book!

I had a great stay!

-Kim

Anniversary Adventure Part II

More Anniversary Adventure time!  I'll start with Pat and my weekend.

Saturday Pat and I both had to work, so it started as just a normal weekend.  Ben and I only put in a few hours at the office before heading to Meo and Omi's place.  I was able to get Ben all nice and settled in there before Pat picked me up and off we went!

I was a little sad to be leaving Ben behind.  I felt bad leaving while he was napping.  But that was the time that worked best for us to leave, and we are currently prioritizing sleep for Ben over almost everything else.  So I didn't feel it was a good idea to mess with his naps just to say goodbye.

Pat ended up getting us a deal on a hotel in a nearby suburb.  It was a four star hotel and it was great!!  When we got there he even got us upgraded to a suite.  It had a king sized bed and a terrace.  It was still kind of chilly out, so we didn't get to enjoy a lot of time on the terrace, but it was still pretty nice.  Once we got checked in we actually went over to a nearby Target.  I had forgotten a couple of items I needed for our time there.  We had a coupon for free Oreos too.  We were living it up on our little trip, so we picked some up!  We really know how to party, don't we? :)

After getting settled into the room it was time to go swimming!  I love swimming.  Sadly it is something we don't have a ton of time or opportunity to do.  Having a pool was a major factor in choosing the hotel we were at.  And we were not disappointed!  It was huge!!  There were a bunch of people enjoying it, but it didn't feel too crowded.  There was also a hot tub and sauna.  I really enjoyed the hot tub.  Warm and bubbly, it was great.   There were a few babies at the pool, which of course made me think of Ben and miss him.  But it was super nice to just get to hang out and play with Pat.  I have so much fun with him!

Swimming!

After swimming it was time to get ready to dinner.  Pat got us reservations at Gibsons!!  I was so excited.  Pat really adores a good steak.  Plus Gibson's has a great appetizer that I love.  I had to call and check out how Ben was doing, and he was doing very well.  Our reservations were at 7, which isn't that late.  However as parents to a baby we haven't been out of the house after 7 in forever!  Ben goes to bed around that time, so we are in and settled for the night.  We were such crazy kids being out so late! ;)

Dinner was amazing, as to be expected.  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and ate a ton.  Our server was really nice and gave us a complimentary dessert!  Free ice cream!  Sadly, I was so full from dinner I couldn't eat very much.  I generally try to have a no ice cream left behind policy, but I couldn't follow it.  Overall though, it was a wonderful time.

I'm so sad I can't eat anymore ice cream.

My husband is so cute!

Sunday we got every parent's favorite thing- to sleep in!  Well, we are trained to not sleep too late, but it was still nice to just relax and have a lazy morning.  I didn't let us relax too long though, I missed Ben too much!  We got breakfast in the executive club at the hotel (another upgrade Pat got us!!) and hit the road to go get Ben.

I really enjoyed our time just the two of us.  We had a lot of fun and really got to reconnect.  Coming home to Ben was wonderful.  We got a great report from Meo and Omi, which makes every parent happy.  I am so lucky to have a husband who plans fun trips for us.  I am so grateful to have parents who are willing and able to watch Ben for us.  We had such a great time.  And up next will be Ben's fun weekend with Meo and Omi!!
-Kim