A lot of Pictures of Ben - One year

I practically spent all day taking Ben's picture for his first Birthday.

We started outside. I gave him a little snack to keep him still.

Most of the pictures look like this.

Or he has a crooked smile because he has a raisin in his mouth.

When he was finished with his snack, he just wanted to play in the dirt.

I love this profile one.

We then came inside and I got his head shot.

Then we went downstairs and I let him go crazy on the bed. 

He loves rolling around.

This is his what did I just do face.

Those wrists - I could eat them up.

And lastly we went down to the beach. We picked up Annmarie from preschool and she helped me get him to look at the camera.

 Serious face.

It cooled down a bit. So we had to put his jumper on and pop his collar.

Here he is watching Annmarie run circles around me.

Remember I just said he starting to not eat sand. I was wrong.

Yumo.

Can you help me get this sand out of my mouth.

My helper.

Yay!

Ben :: 12 Months - ONE YEAR!

Dear Ben,

You are one sleep away from turning One. One. Last year at this time (on my Birthday I might add) I was at the hospital willing you to come out. But you didn't budge. At all. For seventeen hours with zero intervention I pleaded with you to come out. But nothing. I'm thinking this set the stage. Someday I will put the finishing touches on your birth story, it's basically written, I just need to clean it up. Same with your sisters'. Anyway, here we are, a year later from the day you came screaming into this world. Screaming. Really really screaming. It was music to my ears.

Laid back and easy going are not words I would use to describe you. At least not right now. Ever since you started moving, it's been a constant chase. Intense and focused sum you up more appropriately. You like things your way and for a person who doesn't know how to talk, you sure know how to get your point across. I'm thinking you get this from me and I'm sure your father would agree. Sometimes I think you didn't get the memo that said you are the second kid. You love attention (as all kids do) and thrive when someone is playing with you. Passing the ball around, flipping through books, taking items out and even putting them back in are some of your favorite things to do. However, pushing or pulling a chair tops them all.

You're a happy little guy, and you constantly smile and laugh. You're vocal and have a array of baby words and sounds. You love taking a bath and hate getting out and getting dressed. It's a wrestling match to get you dressed and to change your nappy.  You like going for walks in the stroller and I can walk with you for an hour and you won't make a peep.  You just love to watch as things go by, but once that stroller stops, all bets are off. You go wild and need to be out.

Eating. This is one of those things that usually happens on your terms. While you are a good eater, I mean look at you, it can sometimes be a struggle. Often I think you just don't like to be strapped down to your chair. You often finish your meals standing up, eating what is left on the tray or on the floor. You are not a fan of being spoon feed, but I usually have to do this with your veggies. We are still breast feeding and you show zero sign of ever wanting to give this up. This shall be interesting.

Oh my sweet boy, you sleep and sleep well and I do not take this for granted. You didn't do this so well in the beginning. Your father thought for sure he was never going to sleep again. I knew you would come around. We often refer to the 2011and 2012 Ben. Something just clicked with you after we got back from our visit to the States. You calmed down a bit and figured out the sleep thing. You didn't start sleeping through the night until about ten and half months. It really wasn't that big of a deal getting up once during the night or early in the morning, I often enjoyed it. You were so small and cuddly and you went right back to sleep. It was so peaceful during those moments.

Your sister adores you and you feel the same. You both have moments where you would rather be left alone, but for the most part you guys are happy to have each other.

We love you to bits Ben and feel ever so grateful to have you in our lives.

Happy Birthday Mate!

More love and hugs and kisses,

Mom
P.S. A ton of pictures to follow.

Going On

Things have been fairly ordinary around here. Life. Good days and bad days. We are two weeks away from spring - yes! Winter be done. I'm ready for some sunny days at the beach and I think Ben is starting to realize that sand is not a good lunch option. We are counting down the days until Nana's visit and then we are off for a little family holiday - Fiji! While the flight there is only four hours, I'm expecting the worse with Ben. The kid never ever evereverever sits still for a second when he is awake. I know it's going to be bad, we'll just deal with it. Speaking of the little monster, he's going to be ONE, in like a week. Crazy. Annmarie is well and get this, she is getting ready to start Kindergarten. More crazy. I just completed a boat load of paper work to get her all situated (due to our Visas). Anyway, more on that later, she'll start in January.

Here are some recent pictures.

Ben eats.
He finally figured out how to suck yogurt out of those little sachets.
He'll often finish his breakfast off the tray on the floor. Whatever.
Pancake love.
Having a little snack at playgroup all by himself.

Annmarie putting the cutlery away like it's her job, because it is.
At a birthday party.

Beach.
Rainbow.

 He fell asleep in the car! This is rare.

 Rainbow bird party.

Annmarie having a 'leave me alone moment'.

Stuff

 Shopping with two kids is the opposite of fun. 

Ben asleep in the ergo.

 Peek-a-boo!

 Out with Annmarie. 

Puzzle master.

 Annmarie getting into women's gymnastics.

Staying up late to watch the Olympics.

Ben :: 11 Months

ELEVEN months!
And he sleeps through the night! 7:30 to 7:30.
Right after I posted his ten month post he slept through the night that very night. Then he didn't the next night. Then he slept through three nights in a row and I knew then that was it. If he woke up during the night I would resettle him, but I wouldn't feed him. Well on that forth night he woke up at around 4:30 am and was not happy that I wouldn't feed him. We went around in circles for about an hour and half and he finally went back to sleep for another hour or so and woke up happy. And that's been it, he has been sleeping through the night ever since. Finally! Smart boy.

Everything else is well. Probably the cutest thing he has started to do is dance. He is cruising everywhere and perfers to be up on his feet. I am so not ready for him to start walking. And can so not believe he is going to be one next month.

And here is a fun little video in honour of Ben's birth country and the Olympics.

Stuff

At the beach. Tennis anyone?

 Visiting Dad at work. Walk to the beach. Cockatoo. Score - Hershey's syrup, it's a hard one to find.

 Coffee with my best girl. She took the picture of me.

 Curly.

 Dress up day at preschool.

Ben :: 10 Months

So more like ten and half months, this will just have to do. Ben is turning into quite the mama's boy. Most of it started when he got sick, and the fact that he's pretty much at my side all day long.

He eats well most of the time, but he has his moments. Eating is usually on his terms. When he finds something he likes he'll devour it, however if he doesn't like something he spits it out and throws it. He would eat his weight in sourdough bread and blueberries. He likes any fruit, beetroot and carrots. He eats a ton of avocado and he also likes beans. Meats are hit and miss. And out of curiosity I made him a Vegemite sandwich and he ate it - our little Aussie. He is beginning to eat more table type food versus pureed/smashed baby type food.

Sleep continues to be consistent. Bless his heart for being able to put himself to sleep. At nap time when we head downstairs (this triggers it's nap time), he'll rest his head on my shoulder and suck his fingers and starts to settle in for his nap. He slept through the night a few times this month and then got sick. I think he is almost there, I just haven't had the heart to not give into a feed. Part of me doesn't mind getting up all the much because it's usually after ten hours of sleep and I just give him a quick feed and he goes right back to sleep, but part of me is way over it. I know he really doesn't need it, I was just hoping he would figure it out himself. I'm still on the fence what to do.

Annmarie is great at keeping Ben entertained, most of the time. As long as he doesn't get hold of her hair we are good. He is heaps of fun to be around and can hardly believe he is almost one!!

 He looks like such a big boy here.

Pictures with Words

 Recipe -> here.

Notes: Everyone got sick. It started with Annmarie, then Jamie and then Ben. It was ugly for a bit, fevers, glossy eyes, snotty noses, coughs, yada yada. I somehow managed with only a cold. I owe Ben a 10 month post. He really hasn't been in the mood for a photo shoot. Ben handled his first virus like champ, however having his nose wiped and taking panadol are probably his least favorite things in the world. I somehow caught this cute moment with Annmarie and Ben sharing this Aussie counting book, as we were having yet another jammy day. Everyone is on the mend with lingering coughs. I also did a lot baking.