Author: Ingrid

I love football, my family, boating and my Virginia Tech Hokies. I'm a stay at home mom in Northern VA.

Bennett is Eleven Months

Ahh where did my baby go????? It doesn’t help that he looks like a toddler…

My little man is almost one! I seriously cannot believe it. It feels like I blinked and then here we are, at a year. Don’t get me wrong, there were many times I doubted I’d survive (those first three months are ROUGH), but being Bennett’s mama is amazing!

11 months

Weight: 25 lbs

Length: really tall (whoops)

Size: 18 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: dirty blonde

Sleeping:  he typically sleeps through the night (HALLELUJAH, THANK YOU LORD!!!) sometimes he wakes for a bottle about an hour after going to bed.

Eating: formula bottles: 6 oz each feeding; lots of solid fruits, proteins, whatever we’re eating

Milestones: He has five teeth! Of course he won’t let me see the three on the top. Snickerdoodle. He was sick for the first time. He had a slight fever and a really runny nose for 12 hours. After he sneezed into my mouth and onto Gigi’s face, I was sick for 2.5 weeks and Gigi had to go to urgent care. I’m SO thankful Bennett has his Dad’s immune system.

First Christmas

Memorable outings: Meeting Santa

Likes: ALL THE FOOD! His favorite foods: blueberries, carrots, pears. Smiling 🙂

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Chili Mac and cheese was a big hit tonight.

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Bath time. Jimmy discovered Bennett likes when you put his tub close to the faucet and leave the water running. Apparently it’s like a water park that way.

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Bath baby Bennett

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Dislikes: staying still, getting his diaper changed, changing clothes, anyone looking at his teeth

Words/sounds: “dada,” “ahhh” “ohhh,” “mama,” “mom”

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “B,” “Snickerdoodle,” “Mister Mister”

Funny moments: 

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Those giggles though. 😍 My favorite 💙

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Looking forward to: first birthday! I am planning and preparing like crazy!!!!

Photos This Month:

Bennett 11 Months

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Bennett is Ten Months

10 months

Weight: 24 lbs

Length: 30.5″

Size: 18 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: dirty blonde

Sleeping:  he typically sleeps from 7 pm to 5 am. Wakes to chug a bottle. Then back to sleep until 7 am.

Eating: formula bottles: 6 oz each feeding; lots of solid fruits, proteins, whatever we’re eating

Memorable outings: Two Thanksgivings! (Lunch with Daddy’s family, Dinner with Mommy’s family).

Likes: ALL THE FOOD! His favorite foods: blueberries, carrots, pears. Smiling 🙂

Dislikes: staying still, getting his diaper changed, changing clothes

Words/sounds: “dada,” “ahhh” “ohhh,” “mama,” “mom”

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “B,” “Snickerdoodle,” “Mister Mister”

Funny moments: Bennett loves chili! When he wants to get my attention or is frustrated at me (aka I take away the remote) he says “mom!”

Looking forward to: first birthday!

Photos This Month:

Bennett 10 Months
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Bennett is Nine Months

9 months

Weight: 22 lbs

Length: 30.5″

Size: 18 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: dirty blonde

Sleeping:  he typically sleeps from 7 pm to 5 am. Wakes to chug a bottle. Then back to sleep until 7 am.

Eating: formula bottles: 6 oz each feeding; lots of solid fruits, proteins, whatever we’re eating

Milestones: he did all the milestones last month

Memorable outings: Apple picking

Likes: ALL THE FOOD! Seriously this kid wants real food

Dislikes: staying still, getting his diaper changed, changing clothes

Words/sounds: “dada,” “ahhh” “ohhh,” “mama”

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “B,” “Snickerdoodle”

Interesting Facts: B had his first “play date” with baby C (my friend Laura’s newborn). He’s about 3 times her size. He loves to hold onto the “handles” on his walker and FLY!

Funny moments: Bennett has some good dance moves!

Looking forward to: first thanksgiving

Photos This Month:

Bennett Nine Months

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Bennett is Eight Months

Bennett is Eight Months!

Last month I said I liked this stage better. This month, it holds true. Every month is better than the last!

This month’s highlights include: First word = “dada.” He’s crawling!!!! Cutting two teeth, pulling himself up to standing (with help from furniture) — LOTS happened this month

We’re continuing to introduce a variety of fruits and vegetables. So far, he’s liked everything. I think he’ll take after his dad and be a good eater 🙂

Typical Day:

7 am wake up & bottle

9 am nap for Ingrid & Bennett in their own rooms

10 am – 5 pm bottles on demand, naps every 1.5 – two hours; in this time, errands/I try to squeeze in a workout/lots of playing

5:30 pm bath

7 pm put Bennett down

7 pm dinner & Ingrid & Jimmy hang out time

B wakes up once a night for a bottle – Ingrid gives him and then sleeps until 7 am

Monthly Questionnaire

Age: 8 months

Weight:  (didn’t weigh him, fails)

Length: ” he’s bigger than big duck!

Size: 12 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: dirty blonde

Sleeping:  he typically sleeps from 7 pm to 5 am. Wakes to chug a bottle. Then back to sleep until 7 am.

Eating: formula bottles: 6 oz each feeding; lots of pureed food; some solids

Milestones: 1) crawling, 2) pulling up to stand, 3) sitting independently, 4) has two teeth, 5) first word =”dada”

Memorable outings: first trip to Blacksburg

Likes: ALL THE FOOD! Seriously this kid wants real food

Dislikes: staying still, getting his diaper changed, changing clothes

Words/sounds: “dada,” “pagne” [champagne’s nickname], “ahhh” “ohhh”

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “B,” “Snickerdoodle”

Interesting Facts: Bennett said his first word in the car while I was driving him to the cottage for a weekend trip. He said “dada.” He then proceeded to say it all day and night the rest of the weekend.

Funny moments: While in Blacksburg, my dad, Kurt, and Lizzy got sprayed by a skunk (long story), but B slept through the whole thing. I smelled it, thought a skunk was in our room coming after my baby, and proceeded to crawl around looking for it, but not turning on the lights at around 2 am.

Looking forward to: first steps (kind of)

Photos This Month:

Bennett Seven Months
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Friday Favorites #2

1. College Football Returns!

If you know me, you know I LOVE college football! I mean, this was our pregnancy announcement photo:

I am SO excited for this season. I can’t wait to have Bennett watch games with us.

2. Glow App

I have been tracking Bennett’s bottle intake since day 1 with Glow Baby. I also currently track his sleep, solid foods, and measurements. I used to track every nursing session, every pumping session, and all diapers too. That was just in the beginning while he was struggling to gain weight (actually he kept losing weight – so terrifying!) and while I struggled through my short breastfeeding time. It was so helpful to pull up all the data with his pediatrician.

Glow baby tracking app
Tracking everything – yellow = nursing, blue = pee diaper, brown = poop diaper, orange = pumping, yellow bottle = bottle
Glow baby tracking sleep app
Now I track sleep (blueish purple), bottles & solids

3. TV stand makeover

I got our tv stand my sophomore year in college from Walmart. Needless to say, it was time for a change. Also, I wanted to baby proof all the electronics so B didn’t follow in my footsteps and put crayons in the VCR (Blu-Ray now). I love it!

tv stand makeover
TV stand from Target

4. NutriBullet

Jimmy got me the NutriBullet for Christmas. I love it! As I’m trying to lose the baby weight, I am drinking a green protein smoothie for breakfast or lunch each day. Currently I am loving this combo: 50% filled with kale, spinach & swiss chard; a few pieces of pineapple, a few pieces of mango, soy natural flavored protein powder; coconut water; chia seeds on top. Delicious!

Bennett is Seven Months

Bennett is Seven Months!

I like this month even better than last month! I think B and I are finally getting into a bit of a groove here. We get out of the house on walks, errands, or to socialize almost every day. We’re both getting more sleep. I finally feel like I’m started to understand what he wants (instead of the guessing I was doing before).

This month’s highlights include: Bennett swimming for the first time, “cutting” his first tooth (and then having that stop growing because he “cut” another), and going to his first play date.

We’re continuing to introduce a variety of fruits and vegetables. So far, he’s liked everything. I think he’ll take after his dad and be a good eater 🙂

Typical Day:

7 am wake up & bottle

9 am nap for Ingrid & Bennett in their own rooms

10 am – 5 pm bottles on demand, naps every 1.5 – two hours; in this time, errands/I try to squeeze in a workout/lots of playing

5:30 pm bath

7 pm put Bennett down

7 pm dinner & Ingrid & Jimmy hang out time

B wakes up once a night for a bottle – Ingrid gives him and then sleeps until 7 am

Monthly Questionnaire

Age: 7 months

Weight: 21.2 lbs

Length: 29″ – he’s bigger than big duck!

Size: 12 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: light brown

Sleeping:  he typically sleeps from 7 pm to 5 am. Wakes to chug a bottle. Then back to sleep until 7 am.

Eating: formula bottles: 6 oz each feeding; lots of pureed food

Milestones:  1) is bigger than the duck 2) first tooth started popping out

Memorable outings:  first time swimming

Likes: moving constantly, working on his crawling, rolling over, and planking

Dislikes: non puréed food, staying still, taking baths, and walks in the stroller – this kid wants to run himself!

Words/sounds: “a” “ahh” “ohhh” “mmhm,” “uhh” “umm” still loving the vowels

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “B,” “Thumper” (he loves to kick his foot against the floor when laying on his back)

Interesting Facts: he loves to plank – he has excellent form

planking baby diaper

planking baby

Funny moments: while he’s learning to crawl, he’s rocking back and forth, it’s so funny – he does it all the time

Looking forward to: crawling (but also, not really)

Photos This Month:

Bennett Seven Months
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Friday Favorites

A few bloggers I follow list things they’re loving every week. I thought it was a great idea. So, here’s my first “Friday Favorites.”

1. Trader Joe’s Natural Facial Cleansing Pads

trader joes natural facial cleansing pads

One of my best friends introduced these to me on our annual girls’ lake weekend. I have recently been trying to use more natural products, while combating acne. (Seriously, I thought that was supposed to end after high school). These cleansing pads are great! They leave your skin a little tingly but overall clean well and work. Tea Tree Oil is great for fighting blemishes and all sorts of acne.

2. Thayer’s Original Witch Hazel

Thayers original witch hazel
Another skin care favorite, my sister-in-law said she started using witch hazel on her face and loved it. I immediately bought some and have to agree. It is soothing, minimizes pores, feels amazing.

3. Enlightened Ice Cream

enlightened triple chocolate ice cream

Switching gears, I cannot get enough of this ice cream! I’m currently loving the “Triple Chocolate” flavor, but I also love the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Those are the only two flavors I’ve tried (creature of habit), but I will venture out to other flavors because these are seriously amazing! They have more protein than normal ice cream and have fewer calories. I’ve definitely eaten a whole pint in one sitting. The Triple Chocolate has gooey fudge swirls that actually taste like fudge. Yum! I found it to be creamier than competitor Halo Top.

4. WubbaNub

wubbanub

Bennett doesn’t use his pacifiers a ton, but he does like them if he isn’t feeling 100%, needs to calm down, or is a little scared, like after shots or when falling asleep. We both loved the stuffed animal attached. Makes finding it under the crib 10000000x easier. The stuffed animal also becomes Bennett’s friend at night. I’m often watching him on the video baby monitor as he holds his elephant over his head “talking” to him. I imagine he’s sharing all about his day to his bestie before falling asleep. It is adorable!

 

Those are my current favorites this Friday.

Bennett is Six Months

Bennett is Six Months!

I am really loving this stage. Bennett is starting to get more of a personality every day. He’s so fun!

This month’s highlights include: Bennett getting baptized, me spending my first weekend away from him, and finally, he started solid foods.

Bennett’s baptism was beautiful and so special. Family and friends came out to St. James Catholic church and then to our house for a celebration. I didn’t take nearly enough pictures (especially of the decorations – I put gold cross confetti on every table). B wore a family heirloom gown and bonnet my Oma got in Ireland that three of my cousins wore for their baptisms. It was so special!

baby baptism
He looked like an angel ❤

We started solids! We started with rice cereal, then introduced a new food every three days: sweet potatoes, followed by applesauce, then pears, then oatmeal, then bananas, then carrots finally avocado. He loved (in order of preference): 1) carrots, 2) pears, 3) applesauce, 4) oatmeal. He did not like the bananas or avocado. I think it’s a texture thing – he’s just not ready for non-puree yet.

Finally, my weekend away. I went on my annual girls lake weekend with my best friends to Smith Mountain Lake. It was so much fun! But, you guessed it, I missed B a lot. Jimmy did a great job solo Dad-ing. He even worked on Benny holding his own bottle while I was gone.

Typical Day:

7 am wake up & bottle

9 am nap for Ingrid & Bennett in their own rooms

10 am – 5 pm bottles on demand, naps every 1.5 – two hours; in this time, errands/I try to squeeze in a workout/lots of playing

5:30 pm bath

7 pm put Bennett down

7 pm dinner & Ingrid & Jimmy hang out time

B wakes up once a night for a bottle – Ingrid gives him and then sleeps until 7 am

Monthly Questionnaire

Age: 6 months

Weight: 20 lbs

Length: 28.25″

Size: 12 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: light brown

Sleeping:  he typically sleeps from 7 pm to 5:30 am. Wakes to chug a bottle. Then back to sleep until 7 am.

Eating: formula bottles: 6 oz each feeding; some solid foods (see above)

Milestones: “discovered” his feet; started solids; spent his first solo weekend with Daddy; got baptized

Memorable outings: his first vineyard trip

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Bennett's first vineyard trip @chrysalisvineyards

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Likes: holding his feet, eating puréed carrots, rolling onto his tummy, getting his face cleaned, moving all the time

Dislikes: staying still, getting strapped in the car seat, not being able to crawl yet

Words/sounds: “a” “ahh” “ohhh” “mmhm”

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “B”

Interesting Facts: B loves him some vegetables

Funny moments: Every time he takes a bite of a food, he makes a face, then remembers he likes it and gobbles it down

Looking forward to: introducing more solid foods – it’s so fun!

Photos This Month:

Bennett Six Months
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Bennett is Five Months

Untitled

Bennett is Five Months!

This is our first month with a video baby monitor. I have NO idea what I was thinking when I thought I just wanted an audio one. Seriously, get a video monitor. It is the best thing ever!

On a more baby focused note, our little man is getting more personality every day. He’s working on sitting up (supported), he loves moving CONSTANTLY, he also loves to roll over onto his belly but then he gets stuck and starts crying.

I’m not quite sure why we’re still calling him “little man.” This baby is not that little. In fact, he outgrew his infant car seat for height this month. (Full disclosure, he had a tiny bit of room to go but I didn’t want him to outgrew it while we were at the beach).

Graco Milestone convertible car seat
Was not emotionally ready for him to outgrow the infant car seat. Slow down!

This month we took him to the beach for the first time! My parents met me off I-95 so my mom could drive my car and I could be in the back with B. I was so thankful for the help on the 9 hour (usually 8 hour) drive. B did great, although he did not sleep much. My parents also brought their folding crib so that made sleeping at the beach a much easier transition.

B loved the sand! He loved kicking it and playing. He was brave about the ocean, especially when Jimmy held him in the water. We only went down to the beach for about an hour in the evenings – the sun/crowds were intense and he naps so often. But, we did get plenty of balcony sitting. B sat in his new “Frog Chair” Gigi got. We called it his “throne.” We sat him on the table and he just looked out over the ocean and the beach. B, my parents, and I stayed a week. Jimmy flew in for four days so he didn’t have to miss as much work.

Bennett also got to meet more people. He got to meet my good friend Sherry and her twins. I found out that B loves watching kids, so I will definitely be taking him to the playground more. Finally, B was able to meet his great aunt Shelia and two of his first cousins once removed, Jackson & Jeremy. We’re slowly getting him to meet his whole family.

Typical Day:

6:30 am wake up & bottle

9 am nap for Ingrid & Bennett in their own rooms

10 am – 6 pm bottles on demand, naps every 1.5 – two hours

5:30 pm bath

7 pm put Bennett down

7 pm dinner & Ingrid & Jimmy hang out time

B wakes up once a night for a bottle – Ingrid gives him and then sleeps until 6:30 am

Monthly Questionnaire

Age: 5 months

Weight: 17.2 lbs

Length: 27″

Size: 9 months

Eyes: blue

Hair: light brown

Sleeping:  he slept the first half of the month in his crib in his “spacesuit” (Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit) in his room solo and then we “swaddle weaned” and he now sleeps in footie PJs

Eating: formula bottles: 6 oz each feeding

Milestones: first beach trip, rolled over for the first time, outgrew his infant car seat

Memorable outings: first beach trip

Likes: sand, eating, sleeping, MOVING

Dislikes: baths, staying still

Words/sounds: “a” “ahh” “ohhh” “mmhm”

Nicknames: “Little Man,” “Benny,” “B”

Interesting Facts: B moves constantly all the time, even when sleeping. He also likes talking all the time.

Funny moments: when B first saw the ocean, he made a face like “this is the biggest bath I’ve ever seen”

Looking forward to: next year’s beach trip when he can swim and play more

Photos from Bennett’s Fifth Month:

Bennett Five Months
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