Ben is 2 weeks away from a year old and I just now got his 11 month pictures taken. I guess that's just how it goes when I have to find a time when Jacob can help. Trying to take solo pictures of Ben when Isaac is around is comical. So, I need another parent to run interference. Sorry Ben. I do the best I can!
He is an adorable 11 month old.
He is an adorable 11 month old.
Some things I love about Ben at this stage:
This smile. He gives it out very willingly and to everyone. He's a charmer.
This smile. He gives it out very willingly and to everyone. He's a charmer.
I love that he is a little bit crazy in his mobility and his adventurousness. I don't think he's afraid of anything. He recently took a spill down some stairs (oops...parenting fail) and 2 minutes later, after the tears had subsided, he was back to climbing.
I love that he is a cuddly little guy. He loves his snuggles. Sometimes it verges on neediness, especially at that dinner hour, and he wants to be held a lot.
I love his little laugh. He laughs at Isaac a lot and that's cute but he also really likes his Daddy and sometimes will give me some laughs too. Mostly when coerced through tickling or kisses on the neck.
I really love how easy going he is. He puts up with a lot both from his brother and from his parents. But he mostly just takes it and goes with the flow. He can be so patient.
I love that he mostly sleeps through the night. He has begun waking with what I can only assume is leg aches. He squirms trying to get comfortable and kicks his legs, all while crying/screaming. Poor thing. It runs in Jacob's family. He sleeps pretty good at his naps too.
Ben doesn't talk a whole lot. His words are still mostly kept to amen, Mom, and Dad. He does sometimes say duck. And I'm pretty sure he's trying to say Isaac and hat.
I think my biggest struggle with Ben right now is his eating. He doesn't want to be fed pretty much at all but he won't eat the finger foods I put on his tray half the time. Super frustrating. I try and shove in as many spoonfuls of pureed baby food while he's playing with the stuff on his tray and hope he's eating enough to keep him asleep all night. We had a stretch of him waking at night and only being consoled by drinking some formula. I think I'm still reacting to that and trying to force as much food on him as I can. He's weird about textures and won't do any fruit chunks unless it's apples or grapes. No bananas, peaches or pears. He's pretty good about his veggies but won't do chunks of carrots. Most cereals, like cheerios, are a no go lately. Any one have suggestions for this picky eater? It's uncharted territory at this house because Isaac would eat just about anything we put in front of him from 10 months on.
And, as per usual, Isaac wanted in on the picture action too. And why not, these brothers are so cute together. I love watching them learn more about how to interact together. They are fun.
Of course, we can't keep them still for too long. The action shot is awesome!
3 comments:
Ben is so big and cute! I love their matching faces laughing at their daddy!
What a cute 11 month old. I think in the 7th picture where he is making a more serious face he has a Sandy expression or something, because he looks a lot like you in that picture. He seems like a cutie patutie!
Love all of these photos! Picky eating is frustrating for parents. It drives me nuts when kids won't do stuff that is fundamentally good for them--vital, even! But of course you can't show that frustration without the one year old realizing he has power to produce that emotion in you and experimenting with doing that. As Rhys has gotten more mobile, he has had less attention for eating, but then he's still hungry. Besides not liking cow's milk (which is kind of big deal) he's not a picky eater overall, so I don't have any major insights except for the regular things that might typically apply--reduce distractions (sometimes Rhys gets his own private dinner time so the older kids don't distract him from eating), speed up or slow down the feeding pace, help them feed themselves, let them explore their food through touch, don't force it, offer foods over a dozen times to let them get used to its taste and texture, expect pickiness when their digestive system is still developing and they're going through physical changes, and leave the burden of choosing to eat on them (you provide but they have to decide to eat when they're ready), stuff like that. Your Ben seems like such a fast growing and physically developing baby--maybe he's good for now, but when a growth spurt comes he'll eat more. Or maybe it's more than that. You are great parents who love your kiddos. I admire all that you do for them and love to see them grow!
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