Big Ben

It's been way too long since I've written about my favorite baby boy in the world! Ben is 5.5 months old now. His personality is really starting to shine through (it's amazing how young that can happen)! He is extremely aware of his surroundings...he fixes his big eyes on anyone and anything around him! He definitely knows and loves the regular people in his life...Mommy, Daddy, Mya and his new nanny Claire! He just lights up with smiles for us.

Ben has been rolling from his back to his stomach for a couple of months now, but still can't seem to roll back the other way. This is cute...until he gets stuck and starts burrowing his face into the floor and screaming! Before the meltdown he actually enjoys his tummy time, and is even starting to push off with his feet. He is sitting up on his own pretty well now...as long as he's not too tired, he can catch himself when he starts to tilt over. He can even lift up both hands to grab a toy and maintain his balance for a few seconds!

He's very vocal and loves to squeal and grunt. Sometimes he looks totally amused by the sounds he can make! He giggles now, but selectively. It's usually some "rough-house" play (tickling, kamikaze kisses, and dipping upside-down) that elicits the laughs from him. Ben's beginning to get more and more active. He likes to play on his playmat and reach for the colored links hanging above. I think he might try to pull up soon! We also introduced the exersaucer to Ben...he seems to enjoy it, but not for too long.

Ben really rarely cries. He grunts a bit and tries to suck your neck when he's hungry. And he gets a little moany for a few tired minutes before he falls asleep. And yes, he'll start to fuss when he wants more attention. But in general he's so good-natured...even-tempered, mellow and happy like his Daddy.

Ben's night-time routine is predictable...he's a bit fussy from 7-8pm, then he chugs a big bottle at 8pm, burps a ton and passes out by 8:30. Unfortunately he's still not sleeping through the night 100% of the time. We'll have a few great nights in a row, and then we backslide for a few nights. I'm really hoping we can get from 8:30pm to 6:30am on a regular basis soon!

Some pictures of our chubby buddy...