Happy 1st Birthday!

Ben turned one today!

To celebrate, we went to lunch at Red Robin. We once mistakenly went to Red Robin pre-baby and we found it to be a pretty miserable experience. However, post-baby we have somewhat reluctantly embraced the family-friendly chain restaurant lifestyle. Lots of people love Red Robin, so we decided to give it a shot. We found that for the most part it pretty much still sucks. Ben's expression sums up our feelings on this most recent experience.

It's not that anything was particularly horrible, it just wasn't really great either. The best part is that you can get free balloons. In honor of the special occasion, we ordered something for Ben off the kid's menu for the very first time. He didn't really eat it, but it felt like a very big kid thing to do.

After lunch, we went to our favorite local hangout, the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. Ben loves the baby play area.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day so we spent quite a bit of time on the outdoor trail. Ben was especially fond of the sheep (who baa'ed for us!) and the lemurs.

After the museum and a nap, we continued our celebration with a cupcake and candle for the birthday boy.

It's hard to believe Ben is a a year old, and what a year it has been. From complete and total exhaustion and parenting cluelessness to slightly less exhaustion and cluelessness. We are still figuring everything out as we go along, but it has been a lot of fun. Ben has changed so much in these past 12 months. Sometimes it's nice to go back and look at his newborn pictures as those days already seem so far away.

Happy 1st birthday Ben!

It's Christmas Time

It's Christmas time and Ben is seriously enjoying the wrapping paper.

Rolls of wrapping paper provide hours of endless fun, as long as he can avoid the temptation of eating said paper. (We're working on that part.) Santa may not even need to bring him any toys. Which is a good thing, because Ben met Santa this past Saturday and he wasn't all that impressed with jolly old St. Nick.

You might mistake that expression for a slight smile (or the Davis smirk, as Harold likes to call it), but that is a pre-fuss face. He didn't freak out or anything, but after spending quite some time confined in his stroller or my/Harold's arms as we waited in line, the last thing he wanted was to be confined to a hairy stranger's lap for a photo opportunity. I'm pretty sure Ben didn't think the payoff was really worth the jail time in the stroller.

Back on the home front, Ben has been enjoying the Christmas tree. Fortunately he doesn't feel the need to climb it, so that's a good thing. Mostly he likes to walk over and grab a branch or non-breakable ornament and wave it around a little bit.

Last year at this time I very much hoped that I would have a baby for Christmas, but there was no such luck since he arrived TEN days past my due date of December 20. So we are very excited about this first Christmas with Ben. It's his first Christmas, but he's old enough to enjoy it (all that wrapping paper!) so we are pretty excited about it.

Happy holidays to everyone!

Where's Ben?

Ben's favorite new game:

The Happy Wheezer

We seem to have what our pediatrician calls a "happy wheezer" on our hands. Ben developed some wheezing along with a cold at the end of the summer, but fortunately it cleared up fairly quickly once we began treating him with a bronchodilator and steroid via nebulizer. Apart from the actual wheezing, Ben didn't seem to be too adversely affected. He played as much as ever and you never would have guessed that he was sick, hence the "happy wheezer" phenomenon.

Ben was doing quite well for the last couple of months, but over the last two weeks Ben developed an additional cold and the wheezing came back. So our lives have become a series of nebulizer treatments. Last week we had to give the bronchodilator every four hours in addition to the inhaled steroid twice a day. This week we are able to taper off the bronchodilator, but keep up with the steroid. Our pediatrician would actually like us to give the inhaled steroid once a day through the winter (which technically hasn't even started yet!). Ben hasn't officially been diagnosed with asthma yet, but that seems to be increasingly likely. On our pediatrician's recommendation, we are seeing an allergy/asthma specialist later this week. Hopefully he will have some answers for us.

And if that's not enough, Ben also acquired his fifth ear infection in only four months, which means he will likely end up with ear tubes. So we are also seeing an ENT this week.

Mostly Ben is a very healthy and happy little guy, but juggling the various medications (major kudos to Harold for managing the bulk of this) and doctor appointments, not to mention all the normal facets of life with a very active toddler, is a little challenging. And it's hard not to sometimes feel like maybe if we were better parents he wouldn't be sick so much, but I guess it is what it is. And it could definitely be worse. So if allergies, asthma, and ear tubes are the worst we have to face, then we can definitely handle that.

Bass Lessons

Harold has been enjoying providing Ben with a somewhat detailed introduction to his upright bass.

While Ben is still a little too young to understand the physics of how the bass works, he does enjoy walking/crawling over to the bass and slapping the side of it. Trying to beat us to the bass is one of his new favorite pastimes, as well as playing in his laundry bin.

Walk this Way

We've got a little toddler on our hands!

Ben has been taking short steps punctuated by long periods of crawling for a couple of weeks now. But this past weekend we decided he officially crossed over the "walker" threshold, as he gained the confidence to take more and more steps before resorting to crawling (or taking a nose dive).

My lower back is very excited about this development.

Your Baby Can Read!

Ben and I were up early Sunday morning and we came across an infomercial called "Your Baby Can Read!" They showed dramatic videos of babies as young as 8 months recognizing words on flash cards as demonstrated by holding their arms up or touching their bellybuttons or whatever was listed on the card. A 2 year old read an excerpt from Charlotte's Web.

When it comes to the power of the infomerical, my susceptibility falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Yes, I bought the Windsor pilates system, but I haven't yet bought a Sham Wow. I don't set it and forget it. But it was hard not to be tempted by this "Your Baby Can Read" business. It was all I could do not to pick up the phone and call now. But I decided to try to maintain a healthy sense of skepticism until I could do a little more research.

The program is video-based and requires plopping your baby in front of the television a couple of times a day several times a week. The video shows words on the screen accompanied with the pronounciation and images of babies demonstrating whatever the word is. Apparently all of this combines to create a fun, playful learning experience for babies.

I think that the system does work, though apparently there is a whole debate over whole word reading (which is how this system works) versus phonics. I haven't even begun to think about this kind of stuff, so I don't know if it's better to learn one way or the other. But beyond all that, I am not sure if I am ready to put Ben on some kind of reading program, even if it does seem as though it's all fun and games for him. It feels like a lot of pressure. Of course I would love him to be an early reader. We spend lots of time reading every day. We go to the library and to rhyme time as often as we can. I hope to encourage an early love of books, but I don't know if "Your Baby Can Read" is the best way to go about it. On the other hand, what if all the other baby Moms out there are right this very minute teaching their 10-month olds (or 3-month olds?!?) to read? Will Ben be behind when he starts kindergarten? Is he already behind? This is a terrible mental road to go down and I don't think I am ready for it.

So I think as of right now I am not going to fall for "Your Baby Can Read." But next week might be a different story.

The Oatmeal Bear's Debut

In preparation for Ben's first Halloween, we had some practice sessions with his unbelievably adorable oatmeal bear costume.

He wasn't a big fan of these practice sessions.

Oddly enough, he didn't seem to mind wearing the hood when it was paired with the rest of the costume.

Yes, I look ridiculous in this picture (and the one below), but in the interest of sharing Ben's cuteness with the world I decided to post it. (I'll chalk my vanity up as just another maternal sacrifice.)

Ben looks like he is giving himself a big thumb's up in this picture, but really he was just about to suck his thumb. Ben is a major thumbsucker.

Ben will be 10 months old tomorrow. In honor of the occasion, check out his happy baby laugh. It's good for the soul.

In case you're wondering what was so funny, Harold was popping a towel. Ben thought it was the funniest thing ever. Mortimer, however, is not a big fan of this game.

Happy Halloween!

Fall

Last weekend Ben and I took a trip to High Point so that I could attend a baby shower for an old friend. I'd like to take this opportunity to make a shout out to Chris - congratulations and I am looking forward to reading your baby blog!

We hung out with my family before going to the shower. Ben, of course, had a great time. His favorite place to be is in the center of a crowd of adoring onlookers.

He also really enjoyed watching the leaves fall (not to mention trying to eat them).

In keeping with the Davis family tradition, we sat Ben in a pile of leaves for his first official fall photo op.
He felt a little better about it once he realized he could still sit upright.

Ben's Halloween costume arrived last week. It is super cute, but I am not sure if he'll be willing to wear it. I've been trying to incorporate short acclimation periods for the head piece, but they haven't worked out very well so far. I'm sure you are all dying to know what he's going to be, but you'll have to wait for Halloween!

Will Stand for Food

Not unlike Mortimer, it appears that Ben is willing to do tricks for food. This weekend I happened to discover that Ben was willing to stand up for quite a while by himself as long as he could keep picking up puffs (baby treats, for the unitiated) out of my hand. I tried to get him to stand up by himself on several other occasions when there was no food involved, and he wouldn't do it. I guess he feels like he needs a good reason to risk standing alone, and my emotional support isn't enough.

He has no qualms, however, about using his little push toy.

Nine Months

Ben is nine months old today! He seems to be going through a developmental explosion. In the last week or so he's started waving at every opportunity. Tonight he was waving at me while I was occupied with some other task, so he yelled until he got my attention and I waved back. He is also spouting lots more gibberish that sometimes sounds like words to parents eager to hear them. He is also walking behind his little push toy, though not on his own yet. He now has two bottom teeth and one top tooth with another one on the way. His favorite toys include bottle caps and the rubber-like coasters we attempt to keep on the coffee table. He loves chicken, cheese, and basically any food that moves from our plate to his. He has an incredible eye for detail as he is now able to pick up the tiniest specks of dirt or paper on the floor and subseqently put them in his mouth. He is incredily stealthy (and quick!) about all this. It is possible that he may have consumed a dog treat (like a little girl I know who shall remain nameless...), though I can neither confirm nor deny this.

We are feeling better about the daycare situation. He really seems to enjoy playing with the other kids. Last week one of the teachers (actually the teacher that we like the least and who is the least effusive in her Ben-love) told Harold that Ben is everyone's favorite. I realize they probably say that to all parents, but I have chosen to believe that they don't and that Ben in fact IS everyone's favorite.

We go to the doctor tomorrow for Ben's official numbers. I am sure he will top out on the scales as he has in previous months.

Here is a nice picture of Ben with Senator Kennedy...

...and Elizabeth Edwards (this really wasn't done on purpose).

Last of all, here is a personal greeting from Ben himself.

The Wave

Ben has mastered the art of the wave. Sometimes he waves with both arms, like he's just completed a magic trick. Ta da!

The Boys

This past weekend Ben and I ventured over to Durham for a playdate with my friend Bekki and her 5-month old son Beckett.

The boys weren't quite sure what to make of each other at first.

Ben especially wasn't sure what to make of Beckett's head full of hair.

But once Ben was satisfied that Beckett's hair was in fact real, they were able to get down to the business of playing.

Of course the business of playing doesn't last long for 5- and 8-month olds (especially not after allowing their Moms to have a relatively lengthy, fuss-free lunch at Satisfactions), so it was soon naptime for both boys.

I am sure there will be many more Beckett & Ben playdates in the future, despite the increasingly vast distance between Durham and Raleigh.

Ben Goes to Washington

Here are some very belated pictures from our trip to DC in July. Harold and Ben took a little tour of the city while I was in a meeting and Harold only recently showed me these pictures from his phone.

I love how he artfully parked the stroller with the various landmarks in the background. It kind of reminds me of the pictures of the garden gnome that travels around the world in "Amelie" (not that I think Ben looks like a garden gnome).



Ben was clearly overstimulated by the whole process.

Daycare Update

So we've found a daycare. Due to an unforeseen illness (that's a whole other post) Ben's first day wasn't until last Friday. It went fairly well, though it was quite a bit more difficult to leave him in an institutional setting versus someone's home. The teachers said that he did very well, though he refused to drink a bottle until the afternoon. And true to his nature, he played until he fell asleep in the middle of a circle of blocks that they refer to as the "pool."

Today was his second day, and I think it was a little harder on him. Apparently he kept crawling over to the door and trying to bang his head against it. At some point he was successful, because he ended up with a bruise on his forehead. How heartbreaking is that??? He was trying to bust his way out of daycare. Maybe he felt he belonged with the older kids or maybe he was looking for Mom because the doorway was the last place he remembered seeing me.

It likely won't be a permanent situation, but we're at least going to try to make it through this week.

Like a Wrecking Ball

Ben's favorite new game:

Given Ben's new demolition skills (well, not so much new as improved), I couldn't resist this pair of pajamas. Although it's hard to see in this picture, his pajama top says "Demolition" and shows a picture of a wrecking ball.

Moments before this picture he was in tears due to the unjustness of being forced into those pajamas, but as always he perked up once the camera came out.

No Napping = No Nanny

Ben, to the best of his abilities, follows a strict no-napping policy. He will go to any and all lengths to avoid a nap. Sometimes this involves extensive crying/yelling. Of course he eventually crashes, sometimes literally, as on several occasions he's been in the process of sitting up and then all of a sudden he falls forward, fast asleep.

Anyhow, he does not nap well in a crib, a fact noted very early in his development. He'd made some progress at our babysitter Sue's house, but apparently not enough. On Tuesday she informed me that she could no longer watch Ben because he cries too much when she puts him down for a nap. And this disturbs the other babies she is watching. Whatev, as the kids say these days .

Originally there was only one other baby, but a few weeks ago she decided to start watching a neighbor's baby as well. Basically she took on too much and the neighbor's baby won out. Which is fine. We had a great situation for a couple of months, but now we need to find something else. Sue told us we could take as long as we need, but now that it's clear that she sees Ben as a problem, and not the amazing, wonderful, adorable child that he is, Harold and I are no longer comfortable with him being at her house for any period of time. So Harold is working from home for the rest of this week (as much as possible anyway, what with our problem child) while we try to figure something out for next week.

In fun news, Ben is crawling all over the place. He is having a blast exploring all the nooks and crannies of our not-yet-sufficiently-childproofed house.

He is also pulling up on any and everything.

And yes, he has a scratch on his nose that was obtained during a tumble at the aforementioned babysitter's house. So really it's all going to work out for the best. And some day we are going to enjoy giving him a hard time for being kicked out of his first babysitter's house. But as of right now it's still pretty stressful.

Bah Bah Bah

Vacation

We took our first vacation with Ben a couple of weeks ago and it's taken me a couple of weeks to recover sufficient energy to write a post.

We started off with a quick trip to DC where we did a little shopping and sightseeing. Ben and I then flew to Portland, Maine to spend the rest of the week with my parents, 2 sisters, and their families. Harold had to work, so he was unable to join us for the Maine leg of the trip.

We spent the week at McGrath Pond (though pretty much a lake in my book) in the Belgrade Lakes area. My sister Lisa and her family live in New Hampshire and they have been vacationing there for years. This year my parents, Teresa and I decided to crash the party. This was the first full on Davis family vacation in many years so we were all pretty excited about it.

Nana and Papa with all 8 grandchildren.

Papa and Ben finally had their first fishing trip.

Teresa, Sydney, and Megan demonstrating their kayaking skills. If you think this photo is a Christmas card waiting to happen, you are right.

Ben, looking a little gangsterish (and, according to Harold, a little on the plump side).

Laura Belle and Ben. As usual, he felt it necessary to take over her bottle. Fortunately Laura is too young to drink so he had to settle for water this time.

Laura, Ben, and his 10-year old twin, Jared. (Not all of us saw the resemblance, but Jared was confident that they looked exactly alike).

Ben bouncing with the soon-to-be-a-college-senior Melissa. I was in 6th grade when she was born. Yet another reason while I am feeling O-L-D.

Ben and Colton, both fans of the striped look.

The week was a lot of fun but I was exhausted by the end of it. I'd forgotten how tiring it is to be a full-time Mom, even with lots of help. I'd envisioned hours of leisurely swimming and reading, but it didn't quite work out that way. Ben developed a cold while we were in DC so I spent a good deal of time each day sucking snot out of his nose, which was about as fun as it sounds. Fortunately he seemed to feel fine (apart from the aforementioned snot-sucking sessions). However, despite my efforts with the bulb syringe his face remained snot-encrusted for most of the week, which is why there aren't as many pictures as usual.

So when Saturday rolled around I was looking forward to getting home. I won't relate the entire saga, but we made it home about 24 hours after leaving the lake (it should have been about 8 hours). Basically we flew to JFK where we found out that our connecting flight was cancelled and that Jet Blue would not be able to get us home until Sunday night. As it was Saturday morning and I was traveling alone with Ben with limited food/diapers/mental resources, etc, I found this unacceptable. So we rented a car and drove back to Raleigh. Fortunately I was able to meet up with my parents/sister as they were driving back from Maine. That too was a saga in and of itself as my parents ended up having car trouble, but ultimately we made it home around 4am Sunday morning. And now I have no immediate plans to ever take a vacation again.

Vertical Urge

When I picked Ben up from Sue's house last Monday after work, she met me at the door telling me that Ben had learned to pull himself up into a sitting position. She had put him down for a nap and when she went up to check on him 20 minutes later she found him sitting up in the crib and crying angrily. He did eventually lay back down and go to sleep, but I think that was just the first of many future protests. Obviously he feels that he's aged out of this whole napping business (not that he was ever really a fan to begin with).

Anyhow, I thought the ability to pull himself in a sit was a pretty exciting development so that night as we were playing I kept watching to see him transition from his stomach or back to a sitting position. He never did so I thought perhaps it was one of those things he'd managed to do once, but hadn't quite learned yet. But sure enough he figured it out again around 1:00am. I walked into his room to check on him and he was sitting up in his crib screaming and clutching his little bunny blanket in his arms. It was one of the saddest and cutest things I've ever seen. And of course it was a sight that I could not resist.

On Wednesday I finally witnessed the actual transiton from belly to sitting. He pushed himself up on his hands and knees like he was going to crawl but then backed into a sit. Each time he did it he looked at me with a very proud look on his face to see if I'd noticed this major accomplishment. Of course I had, so I clapped and cheered for him. (Poor little guy - I am probably ruining him for the world at large.)

Fast forward to Friday when Sue again met me at the door telling me I would never believe what Ben did that day. She found him STANDING in the crib. Standing.

I knew that all this would happen eventually, but I really didn't expect it to happen in one week. So today we lowered the crib mattress to the lowest setting, after having just lowered it to the middle setting a couple of weeks ago. At that time we briefly discussed whether or not we should just go ahead and lower it all the way, but we figured we still had another month or two before we needed to worry about that. Little did we know.

The crib looks entirely different with the mattress just above the floor. It's much more prisonlike for one thing. But it made me realize that I really don't have a little baby anymore. I have an almost-toddler.

The look on Harold's face in this picture pretty much sums up how I feel about all this right now.

Southern Pines

On Sunday we ventured to Southern Pines, where we spent a delightful afternoon with Harold's parents. Delightful once I made an emergency trip to the grocery and drug stores to purchase all the necessary supplies I had carefully packed in the diaper bag that I left sitting on the kitchen table at home. I'll chalk that up to yet another episode of momnesia.

After an exhausting session of attempting to eat and untie Harold's (that would be the elder as opposed to the younger) shoelaces....

...not to mention deliberating on what he should call his paternal grandfather...

....Ben had to take a quick catnap in Grammy's lap.

Fortunately he rebounded after lunch and we were able to spend some nice time outside in the courtyard.

Ben quickly demonstrated that he has taken after his father more than I previously realized.

All in all, it was a perfect summer afternoon.