LeAp DaY

Ben and his "Leap" frog.

Ben is excited about Leap Day!

He is practicing his "leaping" technique in his jumper!

Yes my shirt matches Ben and No I didn't plan that.

It was Ben's first Leap Year Day today and also the last official day of my leave. I will be returning to work on Monday :( . We spent the day cuddling and playing at home. Ben wore his "Leap Day" outfit - it has frogs on it that are "leaping" around. It is going to be unbelievably hard to leave Ben on Monday morning but I am sure that he is going to like his daycare. There are two other babies that are 2 months older than him and I am hoping that they will become good friends. Ben is learning to grab things with his cute little hands and he is getting more vocal everyday. We call Grandma and Grandpa every morning so he can tell them all his stories. My parents just made it back to Oregon today after their long trip to the southern and western parts of the country. I think Otis the Old Cat is the happiest to be back at home - he's not much of a traveler! Hopefully the weather will continue to warm up. Ben is enjoying our walks in the stroller but they are pretty short since it's not all that warm out yet. He'll get his taste of warm weather when we head to Peurto Rico in 2 weeks!

Rockin' & Rollin'

We hit a major milestone last Friday. Ben rolled over from his tummy to his back all on his own! Chris was doing tummy time with him after he came home from work Friday and as we were watching him kick his legs and push up with his arms I mentioned that maybe we should get the videocamera out just in case he rolls over. Just as Chris got up to get it, BAM, he flipped over. We were so proud - we were yelling and cheering so loud that Ben got a little startled! We managed to turn to camera on in the midst of our excitement and our boy performed his new trick again - it wasn't a fluke!! He's done it a few times since and tummy time is becoming a little more bearable for him. Who would have thought that the sight of a little guy turning over could bring such joy?

Ben Meets Saela

My friend Brenna and her daughter Saela are in town visiting from Michigan and came to our house for dinner on Monday. Saela is almost 7 months old and is a beautiful little girl. Ben isn't too interested in other babies quite yet, he's more concerned with trying to eat his hand. It was great visiting with Brenna and getting a glimpse of some of the things Ben will be doing soon as we watched Saela sit on her own and play with some toys.

Stimulating conversations

Ben has developed a fondness for having "conversations" with a few select toys. He is really starting to chatter and I enjoy having someone to talk with around here during the day! His favorite toy right now is the yellow duck. He thinks its the funniest thing in the world and is almost ready to reach out and grab him. So far we've only managed to bat at him and I'm not sure if it's on purpose yet. I love watching him discover new things - everyday is an adventure!

A few of my favorite things...

Naps with my puppy and ...

dinner with my dad and...

naps with my mom and....

rides in my stroller and...

playing in my Rainforest jumper.

These are a few of my favorite things!

Valentine Wishes and Wet Puppy Kisses

Ben spent his first Valentines Day with Mom, Dad, Bella, and Gaby. He wore his Heartbreaker shirt and got lots of kisses and cuddles from everybody. He helped Mom bake some cupcakes and a cake for Dad - he got pretty bored with baking real quick! Bella seems to want to help Ben learn to roll over during tummy-time - she gets her nose under his side and nudges a bit. She also loves to lick his face when he's on his belly, so far he doesn't seem to mind too much. We are hoping the weather makes a turn for the warmer side soon - I'd love to get outside and take him for a walk soon!

A busy weekend

Weekends go by way to fast. Ben and I love having Chris home with us and getting to do things together as a family. Chris and Ben spent a lot of quality time together this weekend and I think they both really enjoyed it. We went to the volleyball banquet on Saturday morning where Ben saw all his "big sisters" and got to flirt with everyone. Sunday we went to the Camping and RV Show at the Convention Center. Ben did great being carried around by Mom and Dad in his sling - he seemed very comfortable with all the noise and people around him.

Tonight is a big night in Ben's life - he is sleeping in his own room all by himself for the first time. I think it is going to be harder on Mom and Dad than him - I was emotional just thinking about it. He's such a big boy! We'll let you know how he does...and how Mom and Dad do!

The Joys of Being Benjamin

Benjamin has developed quite the appetite - I think he has his Dad's metabolism and is going to be quite the eater for a while. He also seems to have good timing, he knows that after he has a bath is a good time to have a diaper blow-out. Ben and I spend a lot of quality time at the changing table during the day. Our boy does NOT like to have dirty pants at all. he loves taking a warm bath however, last night Dad gave it a try all on his own. I think Ben would like to sit in there all night if we let him. The animals really seem to want to help, they all come in the bathroom when Ben is having a bath - it's like a big party!

We are about to have another cold snap this weekend. Hopefully this will end soon and we can start getting outside a little more. We bought a heavy-duty jogging stroller the other day to get ready for warmer weather. Chris and I are going to take Benjamin to the Volleyball banquet on Saturday and the Camping/RV Show on Sunday. Mom likes to get out of the house on weekends!

Sleeping in my Big Boy Crib

My Dad made a beautiful crib for Ben in addition to the cradle. Chris and I are going to start getting Ben used to sleeping in there as we get ready to transition him into his own room at night. He has been sleeping in our room in his pack-n-play since we brought him home but now we think its time for him to be on his own at night. He took some naps in his crib today and seems to be OK. I check on him often - he looks so peaceful when he sleeps. I let him nap on his stomach during the day as he often falls asleep on my chest after he gets done eating. He sleeps on his back at night when he is swaddled.

Snowy Monday

It was Ben and Mom's first full day alone. Ben had a good night of sleep last night - he slept until 9:30 am after waking up twice to eat during the night. We spent the morning talking and hanging out. It snowed most of the day and we were in no hurry to go anywhere. I introduced Ben to the telephone today when Grandma and Grandpa called. He doesn't quite grasp the concept yet but he did have lots of smiles when he heard Grandma and Grandpa's voices! We went grocery shopping with Dad when he came home from work and then went and visited our friends Jason and Jamie and their 6 1/2 month old daughter Ashlyn. Ben and Ashlyn are going to be good friends - it's fun to watch them look at each other and interact a bit. Ben is going through a growing spurt again we think - he can't seem to get enough to eat lately! Dad thinks quarterbacking may be in his future the way he is always moving that right arm around!

Superbowl Smiles!

It's Ben's first Superbowl Sunday. He has his Vikings t-shirt on today even though they are not playing (he is holding out hope that maybe someday he will get the chance to watch to Vikings in the Superbowl). We are going to watch the game at home today - Chris spent the morning painting at the townhouse and then he is going to make some "Superbowl food" for us this afternoon.

Ben is really starting to express himself with smiles and a lot of chatter. He loves looking and "talking" to the ceiling fan - they have become good friends. I love his smiles and laughter - it's wonderful to watch him.

My parents made it to Iowa yesterday and are headed to Bowling Green, KY today to go to the Corvette Museum. We miss them very much!

Bittersweet Day

It's been an emotional morning today - my parents left to conitnue thier trip down south. It has been amazing to have them here for the first 6 weeks of Benjamin's life. Watching them bond with him has been an experience that I will never forget. Benjamin is so lucky to have three grandparents that love him so much. I am very close to my parents and will miss them terribly and so will Benjamin (my mom is teaching him to whistle - he almost has it down). I am hoping to have them closer to me very soon....

Chris and I plan on hanging out this weekend with Ben and the animal kingdom. Bella has an appointment at Petsmart to have a day of beauty (she smells bad) and Gaby is going to do what he always does - sleep. Benjamin spent a hour in bed with Dad this morning getting some quality cuddle time - what a lucky boy!

Ben wanted me to pass along a message to Grandma and Grandpa for him: I miss you so much and hope you have a great time on your trip. I can't wait to see Grandma in March in Puerto Rico and to come visit you in May in Oregon. I think you should move back to Minnesota to I can see you as much as I want! I love you!