Skillz.

Well, most of you know that Ben has his 9 month check up on Monday. He's doing great - he's a tall boy at 30 inches and he weighs 18.10 pounds. The doctor is super pleased with his progress. She told me I needed to make sure he was eating 3 solid meals a day, in addition to his formula. I have to admit that I'd slacked off on that a lot. Since we introduced some finger foods to him, he no longer has an interest in cereal and refuses to eat it at all. I got tired of throwing it away and quit making it for him, so breakfast was sort of lost. So since Monday I've been making sure he eats breakfast, lunch & dinner. I've also slightly decreased the amount of formula he's on. He was eating right about 30 ounces every day and she said that was fine (he needs to have a minimum of 20 and should be down to 20 by the time he's a year) but if he didn't have much of an appetite for meals to try decreasing the formula a bit. That should also help stretch how long it lasts. We buy the giant cans from Costco that are $35 and we currently use 3 of those a month. Spendy stuff. I'll be excited when he's off of it and on whole milk - she said a few weeks before his 1st birthday we can start mixing whole milk in with the formula until it's all milk and no formula. Only $300 more dollars to go (ha, that's how I think of it since it's about $100 to feed him formula a month).

Aside from that, Ben also got his first illness. Last Monday he came down with an ear infection but a quick trip to the doctor and some antibiotics and he was all better! Seriously, he was 100% better the next day after having the first dose. I hope this was a rare occurrence for him and this doesn't spark a new era of sickness. As well as he did with it, it SUCKS to have a sick kiddo.

Last weekend we drove up to Lewiston, ID to attend my cousin Megan's wedding. We left Friday morning and came back Sunday morning. He's a great traveler and charmed the pants off every one he met. :-)

Last time I blogged I mentioned that he was working on pulling himself up to stand. Consider that skill mastered. This morning I was sitting on the couch and he was sitting on the floor at my feet playing. I got up and crossed the room to get my phone, when I turned back he had pulled himself up to stand. I took a video of it this evening (which is posted on his FB) but that attempt does not do his skills justice. Since I took the video, he pulled himself up 4 or 5 more times and took a little walk down the couch. Our little boy is growing up so fast.

It seems every day he learns a new way he can use his body. It's so fun to watch but it's a bittersweet feeling. I remember very clearly just a short few months ago, wishing for this time - wishing for when we could sit and play instead of me just watching a tiny baby lump sleep. And sleep. And sleep. Now I'm wishing for a bit more sleep time...kind of. I love watching him learn and grow and explore and the things he remembers. For instance, I ditched the baby tub and now he just sits up in the regular bathtub. At first, after he was washed, I'd lay him on his tummy in the water to play and he enjoyed it. A few times after doing that, he licked at the water and got a big mouthful and coughed on it. Ever since then, he cries if we try to put him on his belly - he remembers the time he got scared/hurt from laying down and wants no part of it.

He's also deliberately dropping/throwing things out of his way. The whole drive up to Lewiston, I'd give him toy after toy that he'd play with for a few minutes and then toss out of his chair. During meals, I give him his own spoon to play with so he doesn't grab at the food spoon and fling food every where. He no longer wishes to play with that spoon and drops it on the floor. I play a long for a little bit, by picking it back up and giving it to him but after about the 5th time, the spoon stays on the floor. Stinker. :-)

He jabbers a lot now. I miss it on the days when he's quiet. Like today. Today we were way busy (hardly home at all) and he didn't say much. Usually he's just jabbering non stop and I love it. I love all the different sounds he's figuring out how to make. I can't wait til he says his first (real) words!

I think that's it for a Ben update. We hope you are all enjoying the final days of summer! I know I'm looking forward to fall. I'm WAY excited for Halloween and letting him try all sorts of new stuff at Thanksgiving and spoiling him rotten on his 1st birthday and Christmas just a short week after that :-)