And Baby Makes Three

As the months have continued to pass, and Benjamin has continued to grow and develop by leaps and bounds, it hasn’t occurred to me until recently that now is a good time for him to learn to feed himself. At his 18 month checkup, his doctor asked me if he was self feeding, and I had to answer, “No, except for finger foods.” So, I was delighted to discover today that he is quite adept at feeding himself with a spoon, even though he’s had almost no practice. See below for a few pictures that marked the occasion, followed by a video of him eating a couple of spoonfuls of cranberry apple sauce.

Benjamin psychs himself up (or rather, he laughs at us while we try to psych him up) to take a bite.

He successfully delivered the apple sauce from bowl to mouth.

He likes it! And he also seems to enjoy feeding himself, which means I'll have more time to eat my own food, once this becomes a regular deal.

Benjamin is all smiles and curiosity at 18 months old.

A couple of days ago I took Benjamin to the pediatrician for his 18 month checkup. Time has certainly sped up since he turned one! It seems like one moment we were presenting him with his birthday cupcake, the next we were rejoicing over his first steps, and now we’re just doing our best to keep up with him and his constant energy! It’s been awhile since I’ve done a “growth and development” update, so prepare yourself for a short novel…

The Basics

• Weight – 22 lbs. 10 oz – His pediatrician was pleased that Benjamin made the “leap” from 5th percentile to 10th percentile (woo hoo!). The boy’s appetite has increased, and he’s slowly but surely moving beyond the 20 lb. milestone.
• Height – 33″ – I think this measurement was a bit high because I had trouble keeping him still, so he’s probably a little less than 75th percentile for height, but nonetheless, he is tall and skinny for his age.
• Head Circumference – I don’t remember the exact measurement, but it puts him right at the 50th percentile. He doesn’t have a gargantuous cranium!

The Personality

• Benjamin is generally a sweet boy who likes to give hugs, snuggles, and kisses. He loves to explore, especially outside, where he picks up leaves and acorns and then proudly hands them to us to admire. He also likes to figure out how things work, whether it’s how to put a lid on a box or how to turn on Daddy’s iPhone (! – We try to keep it out of his curious hands).
• His current favorite word is “no.” Perhaps you saw the video I posted a couple of weeks ago related to that. However, I make a point to ask him questions that I know he will answer positively, and so when I ask him if he is hungry or wants to go outside, he nods his head and says, “Uh-huh.” Other words in his vocabulary: Mama, Daddy, Ball, Shoes, Light, Uh-oh, Oh, Bye Bye
• He really only gets an attitude and becomes defiant when he feels neglected or when he is tired. Otherwise, he is a bundle of positive energy and is a joy to be around.

Hanging out with Uncle "Pete" and Holly

The Daily Routine

• Waking Up – Earlier this summer Benjamin started waking up every day before 7:15, and for a mama who had grown accustomed to having the 7:00 hour all to myself for a cup of coffee and some time on the Internet, I had trouble adjusting! Thankfully, he has long since resumed sleeping until around 8:00, and sometimes as late as 8:30. When he does wake up he often just starts to sweetly say, “Mama, mama,” or otherwise talks to himself. He’s always in a good mood after his 11 to 12 hours of sleep, and gives us sweet hugs when we get him out of his crib.
• Breakfast – Almost every morning he has Cream of Wheat for breakfast. I think I could make it with my eyes closed at this point. I cook it on the stove using milk instead of water, and don’t add any sugar or butter to it. He usually insists that I turn on the television in the kitchen while he eats (like mother, like son), so we normally watch the local Fox affiliate’s morning news program. We know everyone from the anchors to the weatherman to the roving reporter by first name. Some days he also has some fruit with his breakfast, either a jar of baby food or pieces of banana.
• Getting out of the House – Most mornings after breakfast we get out of the house before his nap. While we’re in the car, Benjamin likes to listen to music, and he lets me know whether or not he likes the song that’s playing by saying “no” or by dancing. He seems to have a preference for music with a heavy beat, since he responds most enthusiastically to hip hop (Black Eye Peas), reggae (“Oh, Baby, I Love Your Way”), and pop rock (Rob Thomas). Two or three days a week our destination is the gym, where he plays in the Kids’ Club while I get a 30 to 60 minute workout. (I especially relish my time on the exercise bike, when I either chat with friends on my cell phone or make progress in whatever book I’m reading.) On Tuesdays we go to Toddler Time at the library (which he enjoys more and more each time), and starting this fall, I’ll be going to a MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers) group at our church two Thursdays a month. These morning excursions jump start our day, and tire him out for his nap.
• Nap #1 – We’re still holding on to the morning nap, and he really still needs it. Usually he sleeps 1 to 1 1/2 hours. He rarely resists his naps. I sing to him, sometimes read to him, and then he just waves bye bye and snuggles with his monkey as I leave the room.
• Lunch – About a month ago we finally started to transition away from baby food, but he still eats it sometimes. For lunch he usually has something fast, whether it’s a PB&J, toddler-friendly ravioli in a can, or a Lunchable. Today he had some crackers, a baby food jar of green beans, a serving of the carrot ginger cashew soup that we were eating, and a baby food jar of fruit.
• Around Town – 12:30-2:30 is my window of time to run errands between his lunch and his pre-naptime snack. We usually either go to Walmart, Albertsons, or Target, depending on how much time we have to work with. Trips to Walmart are never very pleasant, because Benjamin’s patience for shopping wears thin after about 30 minutes. (I can’t seem to make it in and out of Walmart in less than an hour.) Target is more pleasant, as is Albertsons, because neither place takes as long, they both have friendlier employees, and Albertson’s plays some good 80s and 90s music that Benjamin enjoys dancing to.

Watching Baby Einstein while playing with a water bottle and a puppet

• Playtime – Lately we haven’t been getting out as much in the afternoons because I’ve been inviting friends to the house more often during this time. The moms in our church small group have talked about organizing a weekly gathering, and I’ve volunteered my house since it has the playroom that’s good for containing and entertaining the kids while we chat and relax (and hold the little babies!). And sometimes we just stay in by ourselves and play after lunch. Benjamin’s favorite toys lately have been everyday household objects such as lime juice bottles, empty wipes containers, and a tire pressure gauge. He still enjoys throwing toys out of the playroom, at which they make a resounding clatter on the tile floor in the kitchen.
• Snack – We still go by the theory that giving him a snack before his nap helps him sleep better. And so, about half an hour before his nap we give him something to eat – yogurt, cheerios, a fruit bar, cheese, or some combination of those.
• Nap #2 – Thankfully this is usually his longer nap of the day, which gives me time to rest a bit and then get some things done. I usually postpone my household duties in order to do something more fun like blogging or Facebooking, and depending on the day, I sometimes have school lesson plans or grading to work on. He usually sleeps from around 2:45 or 3:00 to between 4:30 and 5:00.
• Playing with Daddy – Once the work day is over, Brad emerges from his office and spends more time with Benjamin while I prepare dinner. Benjamin is always so excited to play with Brad, whether it involves chasing, tickling, reading, or exploring outside.
• Dinner – We still usually all eat together at the table. And more and more often Benjamin eats what we eat. Last night it was a hearty beef stew. Several months ago Benjamin would whine whenever I tried to talk to Brad at the dinner table, but now he’s more content to hang out with us while we converse, especially if we give him finger foods.

Benjamin is a very careful child - here he is stepping over a dip in the sidewalk.

• Family Time – After dinner we make a point to all spend time together. Sometimes we go for a walk, sometimes we go to the park, and sometimes we just all hang out in the living room. I think it’s important to spend quality time together as a family for many reasons, one of which is so that caring for Benjamin never seems like babysitting to either me or Brad, while the other one of us is off in another room doing something else. We had fun earlier this week going to eat at Luby’s cafeteria, after which we had planned to attend an event at Brookhaven College. Unfortunately, the event – which was to feature the school’s jazz band, as well as poetry readings and art displays – was postponed because of stormy weather. We still had fun walking around campus, though.
• Bath time – Benjamin still loves his baths, but he is quite a handful now! He used to be extremely cautious, not moving from one spot, and getting nervous when we laid him back to wash his hair. Now he boldly stands up and bounds from one side of the tub to the other, and he pours water over his head and giggles uncontrollably (it’s very contagious!). By the end of the bath, whoever bathed him is pretty well soaked with water from all the festivities. We also recently resumed our no pressure potty training efforts, so Benjamin sits on the potty every night before his bath. So far there has been no pee pee in the potty this go-round, so we’ll just keep at it and see what happens.

Benjamin reaches up to pet Chloe. As he continues getting taller, she'll soon run out of safety zones.

• Bedtime routine – By 8:00 every night, Benjamin is a wild child, and Brad and I are exhausted. It’s all we can do to make it another 15 to 30 minutes before putting him to bed. This time is usually spent with us sitting on the sofa watching Benjamin dart to and fro picking up various books and toys, taking sips of milk, and occasionally climbing on top of us. As we begin the ten minute countdown to bedtime, we intercept him in the midst of his wandering, and he picks out a book for us to read together. After we finish the book, he puts his milk in the kitchen, we brush his teeth, and then sing the “I Love You” song in his room. After we put him in his crib, he usually stands up and jumps around a bit to release the last of his energy. He also likes to reach his hands through the crib slats and touch our hands (he is highly amused by this for some reason), and after that he generally settles down and snuggles with his monkey. After that, we don’t hear from him again until the next morning.
• The two or three hours after Benjamin goes to bed are a relaxing and renewing time. I relish the quiet house and the indulgence of sitting down for an extended period of time, not to mention enjoying a leisurely snack. (When he’s awake, it seems like I only sit down long enough to feed him or check my email before hopping up again to keep up with my little Energizer bunny.) These nightly breaks from parenting, plus the occasional date or girls’ night away from home, help keep me fresh for the daily adventures (and joys!) of keeping up with a toddler.

The Challenges

• Hitting in the face – This is our biggest challenge lately. For the past couple of weeks Benjamin has been hitting us harder and more often, usually when we’re singing him his good night song at nap and bed time. I am hesitant to be stern with him at sleeping time because the one time I was, he ended up not being able to settle down and didn’t take his afternoon nap. My latest strategy is to tell him that if he feels like hitting me, to tickle me instead, and that has worked pretty well. He is learning to channel that energy into the more pleasant action of tickling. I also tell him that if he hits me while I’m singing to him, I won’t finish the song. He enjoys his lullabye, so this has also been a good deterrent. When it isn’t bed time, we’ve tried applying pressure to his palm, swatting his hand, or putting him in a time out. The time out seems to be the most effective of these three so far. Thankfully, it looks like the hitting has already started to subside some since we’ve become more consistent with our discipline strategy. At least he doesn’t hit other people – just Mama, Daddy, and Chloe.
• Disobeying – Other than the hitting problem, our current challenge is how to respond when Benjamin disregards or disobeys us. Some of his more recent acts of defiance: flushing the toilet (when there’s nothing to flush) and messing with the tv buttons. When we are at home, our words or warning are, “Do you want to go in the other room?”, which means that if he disobeys again, he’ll have to go to his playroom, which means he can’t have fun hanging out with Mama and Daddy. We haven’t figured out what to do out in public, but then he’s usually well behaved out in public.

So, that’s Benjamin at 18 months. I’ll continue to update the blog with our family adventures, so check back in from time to time.

Benjamin is too busy exploring the yard to pause for a picture.

Related Posts

• Benjamin at 15 Months
• Benjamin’s Growth and Development – This page contains all the growth and development posts I’ve written since Benjamin was born, so it’s the place to go if you’d like to see and read about how he has changed over the past 18 months.