Bennett's 7th Month

    

Another month has passed (really, almost 2 since I am so delayed in posting this) in Benny's first year. I say it every month, but I will say it again, I wish time would slow down! We are all enjoying every single second of Benny. He couldn't be any sweeter or easier, and we are so lucky he is ours!

Benny's 7th month highlights included; his first annual trip to Marco Island, Easter, starting to eat solid foods, and learning to sit up unassisted.

There were a few outfit changes on Easter, but one of them included wearing the same outfit that Mac wore on his first Easter.

Both James and Mac were fairly indifferent to baby food. They didn't care for it much and would eat a couple spoons full at most anytime I tried to feed them. Benny is the exact opposite. I have never seen a baby more excited to eat than he is for every meal. The one and only food we have tried that he did not care for was avocado. It was the first thing we tried and I don't think he cared for the texture at all, although he did just keep opening up his mouth for more. I made all the baby food for James and Mac, and that went completely out the window with the poor 3rd kid. With as much as Benny eats, making him all homemade baby food would be a full time job. In the few shorts weeks Benny has been on solids, I am confident that he has already consumed more baby cereal and purees than James and Mac ever did combined.

Nighttime sleep has been getting better and most nights Benny will wake up once anytime between 1-3 and I can pat his back to get him to fall back asleep, and then he wakes up a couple hours later and wants to nurse. So he is nursing once a night, which at this point I can definitely live with. Benny is a champion napper and takes awesome naps in his crib. Most times, I can just lay him down awake and rub his back until he falls asleep, which only takes a few minutes. He is on a very predictable nap routine and take takes 3 good naps a day, each one after 2-3 hours of awake time. He can go longer between naps, but it is much easier to get him to fall asleep when I catch him right when he gets tired.

I swear, Benny is just about the happiest baby I have ever been around. He smiles at all of us constantly and just laughs and laughs watching his brothers (especially Mac).

Benny started sitting up this month and was really only unsteady for the first week or so before we could just plop him down and he could sit for long periods of time with no problem.

Benny was a dream traveler to Florida and stayed on his routine pretty well the entire trip. I would usually put him in the stroller and walk to the beach with him in the morning for his first nap, and he would nap in the pack and play in the afternoons while the boys swam at the house.

Benny absolutely loved the swimming pool, and we took him in it at least once a day. There is a large shallow area he could sit in, or sit in a chair in and he loved splashing his arms and watching James and Mac swim around.

Just like the other boys, every single boat ride resulted in a sleeping baby within minutes. Benny was so easy on this trip and so much fun to travel with. He is such a laid back baby and he didn't care where we were, as long as he is with us, he is a happy camper.

Benny loves to be held and snuggled, loves eating, is endlessly entertained watching his brothers and dog and is just the sweetest baby we could ever ask for.